Friday, May 24, 2013
The spending plan contains no income or property tax increases.
The Baltimore County Council unanimously approved a $2.8 billion spending plan proposed last month by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. The budget for the year that begins July 1 contains no property or personal income tax increases. The county has not raised property taxes in 25 years. The county income tax rate has not been raised in 21 years. Spending on education continues to represent the largest portion of the county budget. The county spends about 53 cents of every county tax dollar on K-12 education. Included school spending in the proposed budget includes: The council last week concluded two weeks of budget hearings after which the seven-member legislative group cut just $100,000. That reduction represented the correction of a math…
The Baltimore County Council lowers open space waiver fees charged to developers but gives more money to a group that protects open space in urban areas.
Developers will pay a little less to side-step open space requirements for residential projects but a group that helps protect open spaces in urban areas of the county will get a bigger cut under a bill passed by the Baltimore County Council. The council Thursday approved the bill that lowers the county's open space waiver fees. As part of the bill, the council also approved an amendment sponsored by Councilmen Quirk and David Marks that will give NeighborSpace of Baltimore County 20 percent of the fees collected. Six of the seven councilmen voted in favor of the bill. Council Chairman Tom Quirk voted against the measure. Prior to the passage of the bill Thursday, NeighborSpace could receive up to 10 percent of the waiver fees collected …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The timing of a bill that reduces fees for developers comes as an August deadline looms for more than a dozen projects.
The Baltimore County Council Thursday is scheduled to vote on a bill that would lower the rates charged to developers who would rather pay a fee in lieu of setting aside a portion of a proposed development as open space. Michael Harrison, a lobbyist for the Home Builders Association of Maryland, said his group asked for the rates to be updated last November—the first such change in seven years. "The fees were set at the peak of the market and developers could afford those prices," Harrison said, adding that later it became apparent that a number of developers were in danger of losing their ability to move forward because they had not yet paid the waiver fees. If the council adopts the new fee schedule, developers would pay rates equivalent…
Monday, May 20, 2013
Residency requirements could thwart Timothy Tenne's efforts to get his name on the 2014 ballot
Timothy Tenne has lived in Baltimore County nearly all his life except for the time he spent in the Air Force. The retired Lt. Colonel and commercial airline pilot wants to be Baltimore County Executive but he may need a little help to meet the residency requirements. "There is going to have to be some kind of an opinion from the Attorney General or we're going to need a Charter change," Tenne said speaking of his eligibility. Tenne filed earlier this year and is listed on the Maryland State Board of Elections website as a provisional candidate. "He is provisional until he satisfies his residency requirement of 5 years living in Baltimore County," wrote Katie Brown, director of elections for the Baltimore County Board of Elections. The …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Council correction of a $100,000 math error represents the smallest budget reduction in the last three years.
The Baltimore County Council Thursday took a little off the top of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's third budget. The council cut just $100,000 from Kamenetz's proposed $2.8 billion spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1. That plan includes nearly $1.7 billion in general fund spending paid for with county property and piggyback income taxes. "It's a fiscally prudent budget," Council Chairman Tom Quirk, a Catonsville Democrat, said, explaining that the small reduction taken by the council was a reflection of the weakened economy and sluggish property tax receipts. "There really wasn't a lot to trim," Quirk said. "It's all muscle and bone." The proposed budget contains no furloughs or layoffs and no property or income tax …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Crime dropped in nine of 10 precincts in the county but increased in Towson. Rapes and some arson, robbery and assault cases also increase.
Baltimore County was a little safer in 2012, according to crime statistics released Wednesday by the Baltimore County Police Department. Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson Wednesday said all crime in Baltimore County decreased 6.7 percent compared to the previous five year average. Violent crime including homicides decreased by 11.1 percent in the same period. "These are some of the best numbers I've seen in my career," Johnson said. "You have to go back 30 years to find crime numbers this low," Johnson said. [Crime statistics released by the Baltimore County Police Department are attached to this article.] Last year, the county recorded 23 homicides. Over the last five years the county average is 29 homicides. There were 30 in 2011…
The Baltimore County Executive speaks about his outburst with senior citizens who heckled him at a school groundbreaking.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz Tuesday used a news conference on rabies shots as an opportunity to joke about a confrontation between himself and seniors who heckled him at a school groundbreaking in Mays Chapel. "Contrary to popular belief, I did have my rabies shot last week at Mays Chapel," Kamenetz said. Attendees of the groundbreaking on Friday and television viewers may have been wondering after video on several news websites showed the executive angrily confronting seniors citizens who came out to heckle him. "Sir let me talk for a second, ok?" an animated Kamenetz shouted at the hecklers. "It's my job to talk and your job to listen right now." [See a short video shot by WMAR television and WBAL TV has a longer cut.] Don Mohler, a …
The Baltimore County Council was about to end a public meeting on the budget as soon as it started but one late arrival arrived with something to say.
It almost happened again. For the second year in a row, the Baltimore County Council was on track to end its annual public hearing on County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's proposed budget as soon as it began. Just as Council Chairman Tom Quirk appeared ready to close the meeting, in walked Jean Suda, an education advocate and member of the Dulaney High School PTA. "I was so flabbergasted by the fact that nobody was there," Suda said following the meeting. The council typically holds the public to a 3 minute rule during public testimony in order to allow everyone to speak and have an equal say. Suda received that and more. In fact, the council staff didn't bother to turn on the timer as Suda addressed her comments regarding teacher to student …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz: "I believe he has the capacity to recognize his failures and learn from them, and can successfully complete such conditions as the court might impose in disposition."
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz was one of three people to write a character reference to a Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge on behalf of Councilman Todd Huff, who has pleaded guilty to DUI. The letter, which carried the county seal, was part of a defendant's exhibit provided to Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Martin two weeks ago as the judge began to contemplate Huff's sentence. The packet included letters from Nancy Hafford, executive director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, and Rev. Paul Cummins, retired pastor of Hereford United Methodist Church and long-time family friend. Kamenetz, a Democrat, was the only elected official to pen a letter on Huff's behalf. The letter did not ask for leniency for Huff or make any …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The state-mandated fee will appear on county property tax bills just in time for the annual July 4 parade circuit.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz may not be looking forward to walking in July 4 parades around the county because of the recently passed storm water fee. Kamenetz, speaking on WBAL TV, said the new fees will appear on county property tax bills this July 1. "It's really a great time," Kamenetz joked during the April 21 interview. "I do all the Fourth of July parades and people are getting their tax bills. They're very happy and waving." We're assuming he meant that the audience used all five fingers. Earlier this month the Council approved the fees, which add a flat $21 fee to townhouses and $39 for single-family detached homes. The fee was increased by $3 after the Council cut rates for nonprofits. Businesses will pay a fee based on the …
Moe green
4:20 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
God forbid the taxpayers should pay less and not be treated like an ATM more ›