Thursday, January 3, 2013
Carroll County Commissioner Doug Howard said he still believes it is best to withhold email addresses when it comes to public information act requests.
The State's Attorney General's Office returned its opinion to the Board of Carroll County Commissioners concluding that email addresses should not be unilaterally redacted from Public Information Act (PIA) requests. In a December 2011 board of Carroll County commissioners meeting, the board unanimously voted to redact email addresses from PIA requests, citing security concerns. During the 2011 meeting, Commissioner Richard Rothschild said the deputy legal counsel for Gov. Martin O'Malley did not believe that releasing email addresses was in the public interest because it would have "a chilling effect on communications." Rothschild added that emails are often tied to individual security information and should be kept private. As a result, …
Monday, November 19, 2012
Commissioner Doug Howard will meet with citizens tonight to discuss education and the fire department.
Carroll County Commissioner Doug Howard will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting tonight to discuss topics that include education and Sykesville Fire Hall construction. The town hall meeting will be held tonight, Monday, Nov. 19 at the South Carroll Senior Center, 5928 Mineral Hill Rd in Eldersburg. The meeting will begin at 7pm. What other issues are important to the folks in District 5? Tell us in comments. This Town Hall Meeting will be the second in a series of 8 monthly meetings designed to keep District 5 residents informed about issues facing the South Carroll area according to a news release. Education will be the primary focus of this meeting with Superintendent, Stephen Guthrie speaking, providing information on the challenges and …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Carroll County's commissioners created a list of laws they would to see the state legislature consider in its upcoming session.
The board of Carroll County Commissioners discussed ideas for legislation they would like to see Carroll's state representatives present in the upcoming legislative session. The following are summaries of some of the ideas discussed at an open meeting Tuesday night. Commissioner Robin Frazier was not present at the meeting. Commissioner Doug Howard: Commissioner Haven Shoemaker: Commissioner Richard Rothschild: Do you think there are other laws the county should be pursuing? Tell us in comments.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Commissioner Doug Howard makes his position clear in response to an article posted on Patch yesterday.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
It appeared from the Patch coverage that it was not clear that I am opposed to the ultimatum being given to the Board of Education with regards to school closing or “maintenance of effort”. I was being critical of that approach. If I was not clear in the way it was stated, I am in favor of the facilities study being done, but not for the pre-ordained purpose of determining to close a school. I am also against “maintenance of effort” funding. I believe the $164 million level that was set with last year’s budget for FY14 is appropriate. And, while I am interested in seeing the ideas that come from the facilities survey, I am not in favor of closing schools just based on available seats. To make such a costly and disruptive move should only …
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
What do you think, should the Board of Education close facilities in Carroll County to save money?
As Superintendent Stephen Guthrie prepares to offer cost-saving facility options to the Board of Education, Carroll County commissioners reiterate that there will be budget implications if schools aren't closed as a way to reduce overhead costs. "We've done more than just encourage them to initiate the [facilities study] process, we've tied the outcome of the process to potential decisions we'll make here," Commissioner Doug Howard said in an open-session commissioners meeting last week. "We have said that if the decision is to not close schools then there will be budget implications for that." Should Carroll County schools be closed as a cost-saving meaure? Tell us in comments. School Superintendent Stephen Guthrie told Patch that he will…
Friday, May 18, 2012
Following a commissioner's invitation to county employees to pray in the county office building, the board of commissioners proposed a policy defining how and when employees can use the county office building facilities.
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners, in response to revelations a board member invited county employees to prayer sessions in the county office building, proposed a policy this week allowing such actions but only during off hours such as at lunch or before or after work. The proposal Thursday came on the heels of an email sent earlier this month by Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier. In early May, the county clerk sent an email on Frazier's behalf inviting county employees to pray with her at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the county office building. Patch previously reported that Commissioner Doug Howard had reservations about the invitation because it used the county email system to send non-business correspondence. David Rocah, …
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
On Thursday, Jan. 26 the Board of Commissioners will vote on the Carroll County Regional Airport expansion.
This weekly agenda is subject to change. Please call 410-386-2043 to confirm a meeting you plan to attend. All meetings will be held at the Carroll County Office Building Room 311. (Unless otherwise noted) Tuesday, Jan. 24 9 a.m.: Closed--Board of County Commissioners/Cabinet Meeting 10 a.m.: Closed--Administrative Session 1:30 p.m.: Board of County Commissioners Open Session, County Office Building, Room 311 Wednesday, Jan. 25 8 a.m.: Industrial Development Authority Meeting, County Office Building, Room 105. Will be attended by Commissioners Howard, Rothschild, Roush, Frazier & Shoemaker 10 a.m.: Maryland Association of Counties Legislative Committee Meeting, Annapolis. Will be attended by Commissioners Rothschild & Frazier. 1 p.m.: …
Monday, January 9, 2012
Commissioner Howard announced a new initiative at the Get Business Now! Conference that is expected to help small businesses develop and grow in the county.
Carroll County Board of Commissioner President Doug Howard announced the launch of a new initiative called "The Carroll Business Path" at Friday's "Get Business Now!" Small Business Conference at Carroll Community College. More than 300 people attended the conference. The event brought together established business owners and consultants to speak about finding success in starting and running a small business. The "Carroll Business Path" initiative is the collaboration of four organizations integral to business development in Carroll County--Carroll County, the Chamber of Commerce, Carroll Community College and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The goal is for small, emerging and growing businesses to have one point of contact …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
We know you love to weigh in on the county commissioners, so let us know what you think about their first year in office.
The Carroll County commissioners are approaching the end of their first year in office. If nothing else, their decisions have spurred much discussion and controversy. Patch has chosen just a sampling of the decisions made by the commissioners in the past 11 months, there were certainly many more than what we have posted in our poll. So weigh in on the poll and use the comment box below to discuss other important decisions that were made, or not made, by Commissioners Doug Howard, Richard Rothschild, Robin Frazier, Haven Shoemaker and Dave Roush. Want some background on decisions that we have included in our poll? Here are some articles that have appeared on Patch: Carroll County Commissioners Deny Education Budget Being Cut This article …
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Commissioners Doug Howard and Richard Rothschild detailed their concerns about the PlanMaryland draft.
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners has made it clear from the beginning that it has major concerns about the PlanMaryland concept. In response to decisions the commissioners have made, including their reaction to PlanMaryland, a group of Carroll County residents formed a citizens group called Citizens United for Carroll County (CUCC). The group has been vocal in suggesting that some ideas in PlanMaryland would actually be good for Maryland counties. In a recent interview with Patch, commissioners Doug Howard and Richard Rothschild clarified their positions on PlanMaryland, explaining why they feel that the state's plan for sustainable growth is not a good fit for Carroll County. The two agreed that one of their biggest concerns is …
Buck Harmon
11:38 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Two questions for Commissioner Richard Rothschild.. 1.If the County Commissioners willingly break the law should they be held accountable? 2. Is law a joke or an illusion that does not need to be recognized? more ›