Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Some charter amendments sailed through the polls with a 90 percent approval vote, with the lowest being 61 percent.
Anne Arundel County voters are set to ratify 15 county charter amendments by a landslide, according to early results. All of the county's charter amendments were set to pass as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night—some with as much as 91 percent approval, and as low as 61 percent approval. But the results so far have left no room for middle ground on the issues. Among the charter changes are removing authority from the county executive's veto rights, giving the council the authority to remove a councilman or executive convicted of a felony, and setting the month of August as a legislative recess for the seven-member council. A few of the tighter races are yet to be determined, but Anne Arundel County residents can rest tonight on pretty solid ground …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Some of these items resolve long-standing disputes on the County Council, while others fix newer problems.
When Anne Arundel County voters arrive at the polls, they'll not only be voting on the DREAM Act and same-sex marriage, but also deciding the fate of 15 Anne Arundel County charter amendments—ranging from how convicted county councilmen should be treated to enacting an August recess for the Council. In an attempt to make these 15 items more digestible once you arrive at the polls, I will disassemble the legalese into a more understandable language, and explain context when necessary. Some of these items resolve long-standing disputes on the County Council, while others fix newer problems. Question A—Gives county departments more time to file their budgets. It also moves the start of the 60-day window for budget deliberation by the County …
Monday, August 20, 2012
The County Council is set for a public hearing Monday night to discuss a bill that would allow farmers to add winery buildings without a building permit.
Farmers hoping to open wineries on their property could soon get a big boost with a County Council bill that would make it easier for farms to open vineyards without adhering to mandated construction codes. In a new bill co-sponsored by County Councilmen Jerry Walker (R-7th District) and Dick Ladd (R-5th District), buildings for farm wineries would be exempt from permit requirements of the county’s Construction Code. Polly Pittman and her husband Tom Croghan together run the county’s largest family farm in Davidsonville—the 550-acre Dodon Farm. In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, Pittman said the couple realized relying on crops alone for income would not pay the bills. They then began pursuing avenues to add a vineyard to their …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Reviewing the top headlines from March 18-24.
From politics to crime, it has been an eventful week in the Edgewater-Davidsonville area. The stalemate over who would fill the Anne Arundel County Council seat for District 1 ended. There was progress regarding elementary school redistricting. And a North Beach man was arrested for attempted murder. No. 1—Ladd Reverses: Smith Voted in 4-2 A 32-day stalemate on the Anne Arundel County Council was broken Monday night when Councilman Dick Ladd (R-5th District) changed his vote to support Severn resident Peter Smith as the new councilman for District 1. Ladd's was the decisive vote after more than 100 deadlocked rounds of voting covering four council sessions had ended in a tie between Smith and Mike Wagner of Glen Burnie. No. 2—'Central …
Friday, March 16, 2012
Some Anne Arundel County councilmen lay the blame for a split vote on party politics.
Many Anne Arundel County councilmen claim a political game is being played over the vacant District 1 seat at the expense of the district's constituents. Patch editors interviewed each of the six councilmen to gauge their position in the division over who should fill the District 1 seat. The final candidates are Peter Smith and Mike Wagner. The councilmen who have supported Wagner include Derek Fink (R-3rd District) of Pasadena, John Grasso (R-2nd District) of Glen Burnie and Dick Ladd (R-5th District) of Broadneck. Smith's supporters include Chris Trumbauer (D-6th District) of Annapolis, Jamie Benoit (D-4th District) of Crownsville and Jerry Walker (R-7th District) of Gambrills. Wagner's backers have primarily touted his experience and …
Patch editors asked the six current members of the Anne Arundel County Council about their division over filling the District 1 vacancy.
Each Anne Arundel County councilman was asked the same five questions regarding the District 1 vacancy and the state of the council. The final candidates are Peter Smith and Mike Wagner. Some were reached by phone, and some by email. Their answers are provided here. Contacted by phone What makes Wagner the better choice for you over Smith? There are two simple reasons. Wagner's lived here way longer than Smith. Smith has been here, what? Five years? Wagner's been here for infinity. I've been here for 50 years and there are still parts of the area I don't know. So imagine how much of the area he doesn't know after five years. The other thing is Wagner is a guaranteed conservative vote and we won't have a budget being passed like the last …
Friday, February 17, 2012
The councilman said the term was used by soldiers for North Koreans during the Vietnam War.
A county councilman apologized for using a racial slur during a public meeting Thursday, while relating old war stories, first reported by The Baltimore Sun. The council met Thursday to choose a new councilman for District 1. The six members interviewed 10 candidates, many of whom had extensive military careers. During one of these interviews, county councilman Dick Ladd (R-5th District), of Broadneck, was joking with councilman Jamie Benoit (D-4th District), about his long military history when he used a racial slur. "I was in the Vietnam War. It wasn't the Revolutionary War," Ladd said. "I was there when they had … flak jackets and web gear, because we thought the gooks were coming across the (inaudible). Which is the technical term for…
Ken
9:47 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
@Tom: I've no plans on leaving and am fortunate to be in a state where logical thinkers outnumber delusional thinkers. It's entertaining to watch message boards and forums with people boasting of "successful" petition drives for a referendum and I'm sure you'll disagree, but the results reflect progess in a civil society. more ›