Leonardtown, MD — Proposals that would affect the St. Mary’s County Board of Education, Metropolitan Commission and the sheriff’s office will be on the agenda when the county commissioners meet Nov. 17 with the county legislative delegation.

The commissioners are proposing specific legislation to limit the tenure of school board members to three consecutive terms. If the law passed, it could affect members Cathy Allen and Mary Washington, who have served three terms.

Commissioner Mike Hewitt [R – 2nd District] suggested a discussion with the legislators on what it would take to bring the Metropolitan Commission under county government. While several of the commissioners questioned the idea, they agreed to allow it on the agenda as a discussion item.

Commissioner John O’Connor [R – 3rd District] suggested legislation to give sheriff’s department deputies and correctional officers the right to collective bargaining similar to school employees. That idea was supported by the majority of the commissioners and was added to the legislative package to be given to the legislators.

Hewitt (shown above) was the most skeptical about collective bargaining. His reaction: “Prices are going up. This is going to cost us more.” He added, “I am not sure I was elected to start any union.”

O’Connor (show at right) said he was pretty sure the study of police salaries budgeted for this year will show they are five to ten percent underpaid when compared to neighboring jurisdictions, so the cost can be expected to go up anyway.

O’Connor strongly argued that the lack of collective bargaining is causing an excessive turnover in the ranks that is costing the county millions of dollars. He says the turnover is every five years which is less than the time it would take to recoup the amount spent on a new deputy for training and equipment.

The collective bargaining was requested by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 in a letter from trustee William Radatz. O’Connor, in response to a question from Commissioner Todd Morgan [R – 4th District] said he was sure that represented the opinion of the board. He said he had not heard from one officer who opposed it.

Commissioner Tom Jarboe [R – 1st District] said, “I have never been a big fan of unions and collective bargaining.” But he added that they worked in some circumstances and gave the school system as an example. He thus said he supported taking it forward.

Commissioner President Randy Guy [R] also said he supported the idea.
Regarding Hewitt’s MetCom idea, he said he believed that the costs for businesses to hookup to the water and sewer facilities operated by MetCom are “keeping businesses from expanding. He said he would like to have more control, and his way of doing that is bringing MetCom into county government.

Morgan noted that the reason MetCom was made an independent agency whose board members are chosen by the county commissioners was to remove politics from their deliberations. Morgan said the recent rate increases were caused by the federally-mandated upgrade of the Marlay Taylor Wastewater Treatment Plant south of Lexington Park.

Jarboe said, “I don’t see any evidence that MetCom is doing anything unusual,” adding he didn’t see how the county could do any better.

O’Connor said, “No one is saying we shouldn’t do anything about MetCom,” adding, “Their rates are out of control.” He said though he wasn’t sure that county control was the answer.

Hewitt said he heard a lot of complaints about the agency’s new rate structure. But Morgan said they needed time to prove or disprove that they did the right thing since the rates only became active in July.

Also included in the legislative package is a proposal that would make it a violation of the county open meeting law for someone to disclose the content of a closed session. Several of the commissioners have complained that an unnamed commissioner is doing that.

The legislative package also contains a request by Charles County Commissioner President Peter Murphy [D] that would require anyone convicted of animal cruelty to pay the costs of the care of the animal while in the custody of the local jurisdiction. A similar piece of legislation passed both chambers last year but was not reconciled in time for passage.

The commissioners’ meeting with the legislators is Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room in the Chesapeake Building at the governmental center in Leonardtown.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com