Delegates Anthony O'Donnell (R. Lusby) and John Wood (D. Mechanicsville) at public hearing. Commissioner Jackie Russell, right, acts like he saw a ghost as O'Donnell warned of more massive cuts and urged that no more bond authority be granted to St. Mary's County and called on the local government to cut spending.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
By Kenneth C. Rossignol
ST. MARY'S TODAY
LEONARDTOWN (Nov. 4, 2009) === Could St. Mary's & Calvert Del. Tony O'Donnell (R. Lusby) become Speaker of the Maryland House next year as voters all across America become fed up with big spending liberal Democrats?
At a legislative hearing in Leonardtown on Tuesday night, O'Donnell announced that Maryland was facing a record $3 billion deficit while Del. John Bohanan said that the deficit was only $2 billion.
While Bohanan asserted the lower figure both O'Donnell and Del. John Wood shook their heads.
St. Mary's Commissioner Tommy Mattingly (D. Leonardtown) didn't like being told to cut out the Mega-Library by a chorus of speakers at Tuesday's joint session with the St. Mary's legislative delegation.
Mattingly and his fellow Democrats, Russell and Raley have raised taxes with wild abandon, with the help of liberal Republican Kenny Dement. The lone ranger on the Board, Republican Larry Jarboe of Golden Beach, at right, has voted against raising taxes and urged the Board to maintain the Constant Yield to make up for increased real estate assessments.
Del. Anthony O'Donnell told the commissioners that he has cautioned Calvert County to reign in spending as another series of cuts are on the way from the State of Maryland where $300 more million will be cut from the current budget, with more serious cuts in funds to the counties expected immediately.
O'Donnell said he has heard it before, that if the borrowing authority of government is raised that it won't automatically be used. O'Donnell, the Republican leader in the House of Delegates who represents most of the lower half of Calvert and the Town Creek area of St. Mary's said that government will always borrow to the hilt if given the authority.
St. Mary's Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) didn't seem thrilled to hear that state funding of county government was going to be cut again. Raley and the rest of the Board ignored pleas from Commissioner Larry Jarboe to cut unnecessary spending over the past two years, to cut the tax rate and to prepare for severe cuts in state funding of local costs in schools, roads and grants.
The construction of a $13 million library was cited by several candidates for county commissioner as being dangerous to the financial future of the county, a burden to future taxpayers that is not justified as a critical need.
Rich Johnson of Valley Lee, Republican candidate for St. Mary's Commissioner at hearing on proposed new laws argued against increasing the debt authority of St. Mary's County.
"St. Mary's County has sufficient obligations in the near future to keep the taxpayers busy trying to fulfill," said Commissioner candidate Rich Johnson, of Valley Lee. "This new grandiose plan for the Library is over the top and unfortunately out of town. This plan for the Library will only add more debt to the taxpayers that are already over taxed and needs to stop. We must grow Leonardtown economically, not diminish it, and by moving the Library away, you do just that. As a citizen and a candidate for St. Mary's Commissioner in next year's election, should I be fortunate enough to be chosen by the voters, the next Board will have to live with the choices made by this Board. Therefore, in light of the really grim financial condition that this county, state and nation are in, I request that our delegates and Senator do not pass the requested bond bill."
The day after the hearing, Johnson expanded on his remarks in a statement sent to ST. MARY'S TODAY.
Johnson: Just Say “No” to Mega Library and additional $25 Million Bond Borrowing Authority
"I was privileged to talk to the delegates and St. Mary’s County Commissioners yesterday on the proposed $25 Million Bond addition to a current $44 Million bond authority in St. Mary’s County. I voiced that the 'Mega Library' was an extravagance the taxpayers of St. Mary’s did not need. I was surprised after my statement that Delegate Bohanan changed the subject and wanted my vote to support the additional Bond Borrowing Authority. This was just after Delegate O’Donnell said the State of Maryland was $3 Billion in Deficit where Delegate Bohanan said the MD Deficit was a measly $2 Billion. Well I left this discussion saying “this needs to be done smartly” and here I would like to clarify this statement.
"We are all feeling the financial pinch of the down economy at home and are personally making adjustments, so why don’t our elected officials do the same? Asking for an additional $25 Million in Bond Authority to a current $44 Million Bond Authority in St. Mary’s is not fiscal responsibility, particularly in these poor economic times. And to top it off, the State had already planned in pulling back funding to the county to help offset the current MD deficit, so there is no funding anyway for this additional Bond Authority. The new library planned is a good example of what not to spend limited funds on which was the point I was trying to make. Do I still want to approve this extra Bond Authority? Absolutely Not. We are out of money and need to do more with less. I understand this, though some of the county commissioners and delegates don’t seem to."
Republican Commissioner candidate in the Leonardtown / Hollywood district, Dan Morris said he was worried that the future Board would be encumbered with even higher debt as a result of approval of expanding the borrowing authority of the Board.
"We have serious challenges facing us in the next few years paying for teachers and deputies along with other county staff. This Board has ignored the suggested cuts made by Commissioner Jarboe and in the past month the Board has had to contend with cutting the budget to accommodate a $6 million cut in state funding, which Larry Jarboe warned was coming down the pike. It is foolhardy to go to the bond market and put the county into debt to finance a library structure that is far in excess of what is needed. A modest addition to the rear of the library building is all
that is needed, if that."
After the hearing Morris told ST. MARY'S TODAY, "We send our children to school in relocatable classrooms and there is no reason why such structures couldn't be added behind the library to accommodate extra computer labs and reading rooms. I oppose using the taxpayers funds in this way. How would we explain to young teachers and cops that we were laying them off while building a luxurious and elaborate library building?"
Randy Guy of Clements spoke against building a new $13 million library in Leonardtown.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St. Mary's Commissioner President candidate Randy Guy of Clements told the joint legislative and commissioner public hearing to halt any issuance of new bond authority of the St. Mary's Commissioners as the county presently has $45 million in borrowing authority and that is enough. Guy said that the library proposed for Leonardtown was not needed or a critical item such as schools and roads.
"This is the digital era and at anyone's home computer you can gain access to the Library of Congress and other such depositories of information around the nation and the world," said Guy. "There are plenty of low cost internet access services available to and within reach of anyone. The idea that we need atriums, cafes and child care in a library is reaching far past the service of checking out books to read at home. We now provide comfortable lounges and even food services in libraries. We need to get a grip on where we are going with such services and start to care about being frugal with the resources of the taxpayers. The era of yearly hikes in taxes must end and just like a family, the county needs to find ways to cut spending in order to stay on a budget. I urge the delegates and Senator Dyson to refuse to support putting the people of this county deeper into debt."
A fair size crowd of citizens turned out to listen to those who proposed new laws. Included were County Commissioner candidates Randy Guy and Rich Johnson who both opposed expanding the debt authority of the county.
Could local Democrats be in trouble in Maryland next year? How about Del. John Bohanan who has a young GOP opponent, Erik Anderson, who has filed for the House of Delegates...Can Steny Hoyer win in St. Mary's and Calvert? Will the Democrats be shut out in Commissioner's race in St. Mary's? All these questions and more will be addressed in Cheap Shots this weekend on newsstands everywhere!
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
