Lusby, MD – Twenty days after sitting a listening to local residents speak their piece about a plan to make a portion of Lusby a municipality, the Calvert County Commissioners rendered their decision on a proposal to take the issue to the voters. The commissioners chose to accept the recommendation of county government staff and deny the request for a referendum for creation of the Town of Calvert Shores. The board’s vote during the Tuesday, Aug. 1 meeting was 4-0-1, with Commissioner Mike Hart [R – District 1] abstaining since his business is located within the proposed boundaries of Calvert Shores.
Under the proposal submitted by the Calvert Shores Organizing Committee (CSOC), most of the municipality would be comprised of Chesapeake Ranch Estates (CRE). The parameters would also include the Lusby Town Center Business District, including the county-owned Chesapeake Hills Golf Course and the Patuxent Business Park.
In remarks made prior to the vote, the four commissioners weighed in on their looming decision. Commissioner Steve Weems [R – At large] noted CRE was established in 1858, prior to the enactment of planning and zoning in Calvert. Weems commended CSOC for their hard work.
“We did our homework on this,” stated Commissioner Pat Nutter [R – District 2], who recalled the days when CRE was a gated, private community. Nutter stated that if the CSOC proposal was only about CRE his vote might be different. With the inclusion of the businesses and the golf course, and having heard no support from the affected business owners, Nutter stated he could not support sending the proposal to a referendum.
“It’s been thoughtful and thought-provoking,” said Commissioners’ President Tom Hejl [R – At large], who conceded, “the mapping was very disturbing.”
Arguably the most impassioned voice opposing the CSOC request was that of Commissioners’ Vice President Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R – District 3]. “I listened to the arguments pro and con pertaining to putting the proposal for the Calvert Shores Municipality decision placed upon a ballot for voting,” said Slaughenhoupt. “I listened to hear what benefit would occur for anyone outside of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates should the item be placed on the ballot and votes cast. I heard the benefits for only a few who currently reside in the CRE and no benefits for those outside of CRE and still within the proposed town limits, nor any benefit for the rest of the county.”
Slaughenhoupt also offered a response to the speakers who indicated it was not in the true American spirit to deny constituents at least an opportunity to vote up or down the CSOC proposal. “As a veteran myself, my motivation for military service was not to be able to vote, but to uphold the U.S. Constitution, for which I took an oath in 1971, and again in 2010 and 2014.” Slaughenhoupt went onto say that “both majority rule and minority rights must be safeguarded to sustain justice in a constitutional democracy. Majority rule is a means for organizing government and deciding public issues. It is not another road to oppression. Just as no self-appointed group has the right to oppress others, so no majority, even in a democracy, should take away the basic rights and freedoms of a minority group or individual. Therefore, I cannot support bringing the matter of Calvert Shores to referendum.”
In remarks made during the public comment segment of the Aug. 1 meeting, CSOC Chair Cathy Zumbrun (pictured above, left) admitted she was “not surprised” the board voted down the proposal. “We had very valid arguments and data,” said Zumbrun. “This is a political decision. We’ll see what happens in the future after the next election.”
In a statement forwarded to TheBayNet.com after the meeting, Zumbrun noted that Weems and Nutter stated they plan to meet with the CSOC “to see if the county can make changes to increase the funding coming back into our community.”
Zumbrun also indicated that the committee might exercise the option of meeting with state legislators to discuss updating Maryland’s decades-old “muni referendum law” so that the group can bypass the county commissioners and put the proposal on the ballot. She called the current measure “archaic.”
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com