20060615 KDDC Commissioners to put Code Home Rule on Ballot

Commissioners to put Code Home Rule on Ballot

This just in earlier from the Westminster Eagle and Eldersburg Eagle:

EAGLE ALERT: Code Home Rule initiative put into motion

Thursday, June 15, 2006 5:21 PM

By Jim Joyner

The Board of County Commissioners on Thursday took the first step toward placing Code Home Rule on the November ballot as a voter referendum.

By consensus, the commissioners announced their "intent" to place Code Home Rule before voters - essentially kicking off a process that requires at least two public hearings, then a formal vote by the Board before Aug. 21 in order to place it on the Nov. 7 election ballot.

Code Home Rule is a change of the county's form of government that would expand on the county's ability to enact certain types of legislation without approval by the General Assembly. The General Assembly would still hold the authority over issues including new taxes, but County government would obtain bonding authority, the ability to enact impact fees and could even change the number of commissioners and establish a district form of government - without General Assembly approval.

"We'd still be obligated to go to the general Assembly for certain things," noted Commissioner President Julia Gouge.

County Attorney Kim Millender said Code Home Rule includes many of the provisions of charter government, but without the need to establish a formal charter, which usually sets up an executive and legislative branch.

Commissioner Perry Jones noted that the board has received many phone calls and letters about making Code Home Rule a voter referendum, and said, "I was skeptical at first ... (but) I'm for this (placing it on the ballot)."

By law, the commissioners must record their "intent" to place Code Home Rule on the ballot, then must hold at least two public hearings, giving 30 days notice. After that, the board must vote to formally place Code Home Rule on the ballot - all this must be done prior to Aug. 21 in order to be done this year.

But the commissioners also said they hope to go farther, and have a series of informational meetings over the summer - either before, along with or after the public hearings. Millender said the University of Maryland Intergovernmental Service Department has expressed a willingness to help run information meetings to help residents grasp the differences in the government forms.

Millender said staff will work out a tentative schedule and return to the commissioners next week for review.

Gouge expressed some concern that the time frame may be too quick to make voters comfortable with the Code Home Rule proposal, and said the public hearing will, she hoped, let residents tell the board if it's too short a period to educate the public. "Is that really enough time? That's what we need to hear."

Commissioner Dean Minnich backed the effort, but said the hearings and informational meetings will be crucial. "Everybody will know what we're doing, when we're doing it, and why."

E-mail Jim Joyner at jjoyner@patuxent.com.

20060615 KDDC Ehrlich announces Public Hearing on GA Electric Rate Leg

Governor Ehrlich announces Public Hearing on General Assembly Electric Rate Legislation

Thursday June 15 2006 3:50 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Governor’s Office

Thursday, June 15, 2006 Henry P. Fawell

(410) 974.2316

Governor Ehrlich Announces Plan to Hold Public Hearing on General Assembly’s Electric Rate Legislation

ANNAPOLIS – Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. today announced he would hold a public hearing on the Maryland General Assembly’s attempt to mitigate rising electricity costs for Baltimore Gas & Electric customers. The Governor will schedule the hearing for early next week.

“Lawmakers had two obligations in the special session: adequately protect BGE customers and toughen penalties on sex offenders who prey on our children,” said Governor Ehrlich. “We agreed on a comprehensive sex offender initiative, but lawmakers fell short of their obligations to BGE customers. I have grave reservations about a plan that forces one million Marylanders to pay $109 million in interest while giving back to BGE $220 million that I had secured for customers. I look forward to a thoughtful, dignified and informative discussion next week with the citizens effected most by the General Assembly’s actions.”

Governor Ehrlich will release a schedule and further details later this week.

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For some additional perspective read:

Consumers resent interest charge
By Tricia Bishop

Sun reporter

Originally published June 15, 2006

"Consumer anger that forced alternatives to the proposed 72 percent increase in electricity bills was rivaled by perhaps only one other sentiment: not wanting to shell out extra money in the form of interest payments to Baltimore Gas and Electric."

Read the rest here.

And read the Baltimore Sun's angle on developing events:

Assembly passes rate bill
Veto-proof votes in House, Senate enact limit on BGE increases, fire PSC; Ehrlich plans to hold public hearing on plan next week

By Andrew A. Green and Jennifer Skalka

Sun reporters

Originally published June 15, 2006, 3:40 PM EDT

Read the article here.

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Planning a pathway in Carroll County from 1961 into the future

Planning a pathway in Carroll County from 1961 into the future
June 14, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff (639 words)

As the work continues on an update of the Carroll County Comprehensive Plan - Pathways to Carroll’s Future Landscape, it is a good time to reflect on some of the history of master planning in Carroll County and some of the past community leaders who worked hard to provide us with the firm foundation we have today, which allows us to confidently plan our future.

The methodology of developing our “Pathways” plan and the emphasis on community involvement and consensus building are once again highlighting Carroll County in a groundbreaking and leadership position throughout the state.

Then again, when it comes to master planning, leadership is something that comes quite naturally to our county. We have a history of excellence.

In November 1961, the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission issued the first Carroll County Master Plan, entitled “Agriculture.” The report was developed under the visionary leadership of George A. Grier, the planning director for Carroll County at the time.

Community leaders serving on the 1961 Planning Commission were Chairman E. Miller Richardson, Russell Royer, Walter Harner, and Clarence Shaw. The Agricultural Advisors were Chairman John Bixler, Frank Bushey, Jonathan Dorsey, George Tracy, and Lloyd Wilhide.

The 1961 Carroll County Master Plan was the inspiration of Mr. Grier who began his tenure with county government in 1959. He was the county's first planning director. He later served as the county administrator. Mr. Grier retired in 1983 after almost 25 years of public service.

Before Mr. Grier, a Harford County native, came to Carroll County, he was working as the Harford County planning director. However, he is another of the many examples of leadership attracted to Carroll County as a result of McDaniel College.

Carroll County was not new to Mr. Grier when accepted the commissioners’ offer of employment. He had attended, then – Western Maryland College, for three years, before he served our country in World War II.

The 1961 plan was only 54 pages, but it was an innovative approach to planning in the state in the early 1960s and many folks credit our “Master Plan” approach as the model for the Maryland Planning Act of 1992.

Once again, yesteryear’s trauma is today’s routine. .The concept of doing a master plan for the county was extraordinarily controversial in 1961. Now, state law mandates that local governments develop and update a master plan every six years.

When it comes to planning, to give folks, who have moved to Carroll County in recent years, some perspective when they complain to my generation about congestion and a loss of quality of life in Carroll County - - when folks from my generation joke that when we grew up in Carroll County, there were more cows than people, we aren’t kidding.

In November 1961, there were 48,274 head of cattle, plus 19,193 milk cows, 21,222 hogs, 333,546 chickens, 1,762 sheep and 1,045 horses. The population of the county in 1961 was 52,785.

In 1961, Carroll County was ranked number one or two in the state for land in farms; total number of cattle, hogs, and chickens; production of wheat, barley, hay, and sweet corn; and total number of tractors, grain combines and corn pickers. 77.5 percent of Carroll County was farmland.

Page 42 of the 1961 report contains a series of recommendations that are amazingly just as relevant today. In a future column we will review those recommendations and compare them to the current goals of the Pathways’ plan.

Meanwhile, we no longer have more cows that people in Carroll County. The need for careful land use planning is more important than ever.

Growth and development are some of the most difficult and challenging issues of our time. If you care about our county’s future, make time to visit the “Pathways” website at www.carrollpathways.org. Please get involved and be part of the solution.

20060614 SDOSM WE Planning a pathway in CC from 1961 p1.doc

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
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