Local & County Issues
On April 15, 2011, members of the Frederick County Delegation attended the Chamber's annual Legislative Wrap-Up and answered questions about Charter government.
More coverage of the Legislative Wrap-Up:
All Delegates and Senators in attendance expressed support for Charter government, support for the effort to educate the public about Charter government, and support for the appointed Charter writing committee. Each speaker shared tidbits about why Charter government is so effective, and how it would impact the working relationship between County elected officials and the delegation in Annapolis.
Learn more, view public meetings, and get involved -- Visit www.frederickcountymd.gov/charter
Editorial commentary by Ric Adams, Chamber President & CEO
Published by The Frederick News-Post on April 24, 2011
A quarter of a million taxpayer dollars is a lot of money to spend on a last-ditch effort to delay Frederick County’s charter government process. That’s the minimum cost figure attached to a petition drive to unseat the current Charter Board by holding a special election in July. The Board of Elections estimates the cost to be even higher, which makes this idea even worse.
Charter government in Frederick County means that we will be in control of our own destiny, instead of relying on the state government in Annapolis to tell us what to do. It means local decisions on local issues.
Why is the petition drive a bad idea? The current Charter Board is a highly experienced, qualified, and diverse group of people devoted to giving Frederick voters a chance to have more control over our County’s destiny. They were appointed by the Board of County Commissioners after an in-depth and transparent process including public advertising for applicants, releasing the names of all applicants, and conducting the interviews in a publicly televised meeting. Few hiring practices are conducted in such
an open manner.
Regrettably, instead of participating in the process and offering their comments to the Charter Board, a group of eight citizens (only three of whom even applied to serve on the committee) have sought to force a special election, the cost of which is estimated to be at least $250,000.
A special election will do little to reflect the will of the voters. Special election voter turnout is historically very low, and a mid-summer special election will draw even fewer voters. Forcing an important issue to an election where few people vote is not very democratic.
The Chamber worked hard to make sure that Charter Government was an issue in last year’s general elections. By an overwhelming majority, and after excellent voter turnout in November, the residents of this County elected our present Board of County Commissioners to do precisely what they have done – Appoint a charter-writing committee of competent citizens committed to writing a document with public input that can serve as the framework for the future structure of government in this County.
The petitioners falsely claim that only an elected Charter Board will consider the input of County residents. However, anyone who has watched the Charter Board meetings (open to the public and aired on local TV and online) would know that seeking public involvement in the charter writing process is a very high priority for the current, appointed Board. Frederick County voters will have many opportunities to help craft the charter and will be able to vote on the charter document in the 2012 presidential election.
Let’s commit to educating ourselves, attending Charter Board meetings, and sharing ideas on how best to form a new government, so we can vote on Charter government in 2012. Public input – your opinion – is critically important. All meetings of the Charter Board, on the first Thursday of each month, are open to the public, televised, broadcast online, and posted with notice. Find out more at www.frederickcountymd.gov/charter.
Don’t sign the petition. If you have already signed the petition and feel you were misled or have changed your mind, contact the Frederick County Board of Elections at 301-600-VOTE (8683) to ask that your name be removed.
M. Richard ‘Ric’ Adams, IOM
President & CEO
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
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