The post Bob Gatchel calls out conflict of interest. appeared first on Cecil County News.

                This Christmas, Cecil County once again took its place on the national stage by providing the country with America’s Christmas Tree. As the lights are turned off and the decorations are taken down in Rockefeller Center, county residents can take comfort in knowing that in a turbulent time our county was able to provide a token of unity for everyone to gather around. Many of the visitors may not have known where the tree came from or may not have recognized the town of Elkton when they read the name, but no one could miss the beauty and elegance that the America’s Christmas Tree provided and the spirit of the holiday that it symbolized.

It may be easy to forget in recent times, but our little community has, throughout its history, routinely played a role in momentous events and occupied positions of national importance. During the Revolutionary War Cecil County was a strategic location for the Royal Navy. In 1777, 300 British ships sailed up the Elk River and off-loaded 15,000 soldiers who set up an encampment in Elkton. In the 1800’s Cecil County was a transportation hub with canals and railroads delivering the nation’s goods. Throughout the Civil War, Cecil County served as part of a passage for the Underground Railroad. The funeral train of Abraham Lincoln and Robert F. Kennedy passed through Cecil County with groups gathering along its path, most notably at the Elkton train station. The same train route was taken as a pilgrimage by President Obama on the way to his first inauguration. And of course, in the early 1900’s Cecil County was the premier wedding destination for the East Coast, resulting in quite a few celebrities finding their way to our wedding chapels.

                In addition to pivotal events, Cecil County has been home to many prominent figures. There have been professional musicians, athletes, and entertainers. As well as educators, writers, and luminaries who have all at one point or another called Cecil County home. Our county has produced governors, senators, congressmen, and even a Supreme Court Justice, David Davis. Davis was not only instrumental in getting Abraham Lincoln elected as his campaign manager, but was also single-handedly responsible for the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes.

                It is no wonder then, that residents of Cecil County can tend to transfix their focus on national events. So much so that at times we end up overlooking what is happening in our own back yards (except when our backyards are producing the country’s Christmas tree). Our County has undergone a fundamental transformation in the last decade, and it is difficult to stay informed with the rapid changes while also trying to balance a busy work and family schedule. It has been less than a decade since we replaced our Commissioner style of government with a County Charter, upending how our local government functions.

                A new form of government brings new systems and processes and even new authority. To the average person working full-time and trying to provide the best life they can for their children, there isn’t time to research what the new administrative details will look like or even the exact limits of power their local government now has. They will continue their lives until an event takes place that alerts to a problem, and rightfully so. Local residents should expect that their elected officials act in their best interest, and anything to the contrary would be a betrayal of the public trust.

                Without engaged citizens, power can easily concentrate in the hands of a select few, and the interests of the connected displace the interest of the County. As other articles have demonstrated, this has manifested locally in the form of the Cecil Business Leaders PAC (CBL PAC). As power centralizes their actions are more easily hidden by ensuring a recurring list of individuals routinely occupy positions on committees, commissions, and administrations. This has a compounding effect as local journalism begins to relay on a small cast of characters, effectively handing over their megaphone to those in charge with power to dispense and interests to protect.

                However, even with nearly limitless funding, a grip on influence, and control of the press, officials become complacent and their words on the campaign trail contrast with their actions in office and soon become so obvious that their true motives become exposed. Nowhere has that been more obvious than with the McCarthy administration. In exposing the actions, connections and administration of Alan McCarthy, County residents had their eyes opened to the kind of corruption plaguing our County.

                Although McCarthy is out of office, his affiliates and those connected to him still hold positions of influence and power, resulting in the corruption and back room deals still taking place. However, one thing that has changed over the last few years is an awakening by the citizens to the culture of corruption that has been pervasive throughout local government. As we close the book on 2021, we encourage all of our readers to perform their due diligence on the municipal and county candidates up for election in 2022. We must demand transparency and hold our elected officials accountable. In 2022 we hope that our County can continue to make a national impact by retaking control of our own backyard.

The post What is the future of our own political backyard? appeared first on Cecil County News.

  At the close of business on Friday August 27^th, the Cecil County Council were continuing their efforts to block citizen participation on the Redistricting Commission. In response to the Council’s insistence to bar members of the Democratic and Republican Central Committee from serving on the Redistricting Commission Vincent Sammons, the Chairman for the Republican Central Committee and nominee to be the Republican representative for District 5 on the Redistricting Commission, has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cecil County to compel the County Council to abide by the law in the Charter regarding the formation of the Redistricting Commission.

As previously reported, the Cecil County Charter requires a Redistricting Commission to be formed each year following the U.S. Census. Each party that earns at least 25% of the vote share for County Executive is entitled to nominate five members (one from each district in the county) to serve on the Redistricting Commission. So long as those nominees meet the eligibility requirements to serve, the County Council is required by the Charter to appoint the members selected. The Council’s actions to prevent Mr. Sammons from serving on the Commission were centered on an objection that he was an elected official as a member of the Republican Central Committee, and is therefore ineligible under the provisions of the Charter. The full context of these events were dealt with in a previous article that explored the Council’s claims in greater detail.

Now, new information has been gathered that shows Mr. Sammons has informed the Council of the objections to his removal and has asked the Council to reconsider. In his role as Chairman of the Republican Central Committee, Mr. Sammons is responsible for selecting the individuals appointed for the Redistricting Commission. Ironically, this has made him the point of contact that the Council must communicate with regarding their decision for his removal. In email exchanges with the Council and the Council’s legal advisor, Mr. Sammons has provided Maryland Statute, Maryland Case Law, and other examples of Central Committee members serving on Redistricting Commissions throughout Maryland in an attempt to urge the Council to reverse their decision. Despite Mr. Sammons request for reconsideration, the Council has refused to yield, and gave Mr. Sammons an ultimatum that he must submit the new name of a District 5 Republican by September 1^st. In light of this deadline Mr. Sammons had three options: withdraw his name, resign as a committee member, or seek judicial relief. With little time to secure counsel and mount a defense, Mr. Sammons chose to represent himself and challenge the Council’s actions in court. On Monday, August 30^th, Mr. Sammons filed a lawsuit asking the court to compel the Council to follow the law, naming Council President Bob Meffley as the Defendant.

The ongoing saga surrounding the redistricting process is marred by intra-party politics and petty political grudges held by Councilman Meffley. Not only do his actions impede the redistricting process, but it also throws the credibility and purpose of the Redistricting Commission into question. The Commission is designed to be composed of individuals chosen to represent their districts and their parties independent of the elected office holders who are currently representing those districts, namely the County Council. If the Council is unjustly interfering in the formation of the Redistricting Commission, then they are also interfering in the redistricting decisions arrived at by the Commission. Not only does this circumvent the letter and intent of the law as outlined in the County Charter, but it also undermines the faith voters have in the ability of the Redistricting Commission to submit a fair proposal, free of influence from those currently holding office.

In addition to the irreparable harm done to the integrity of the 2021 Redistricting Commission, the Council’s actions are now beginning to have long term ramifications as well. The Charter requires that the Redistricting Commission is appointed April 1^st, and the Commission’s plan and report are to be sent to the Council no later than November 15^th. With April far behind us and November quickly approaching, the Redistricting Commission, once appointed, will have little time to complete a thorough assessment and put forward a well thought out proposal. This abbreviated timeline as a result of the Council’s actions will further weaken voter’s trust that the Commission was given the necessary time to complete their work. The result of the redistricting plan will be in place for another ten years, meaning the next five elections will take place with voters placed in, what are at this point bound to be hastily constructed districts.

In order to hold the responsible parties accountable, it is worth noting the timeline in which these events unfolded. The appointees of the Redistricting Commission on the Republican slate, which are the ones with which the Council originally took issue, were submitted in March in advance of the April deadline set out in the Charter. No objection to any of the names were noted until recently in August, when the Council was preparing the resolution to confirm the appointees in advance of the September Legislative Meeting. Mr. Sammons was contacted on August 16^th with the notification that he was ineligible to serve on the Commission due to the fact he was a central committee member. After pushing back on this determination based on the fact that other central committee members from both parties were not also determined to be ineligible, the Council Attorney sent a notice on August 27^th to both Mr. Sammons and the Chair of the Democratic Central Committee, Patricia Folk, informing them that they had until September 1^st to submit alternate names. Providing three business days when the Council had since March to make these determinations is by all objective standards an unreasonable request.

The Council’s decision to drag their feet throughout the entire redistricting process has led to delays, a total lack of trust by the voters in our leaders and the redistricting process, and now legal action. While the final outcome of the pending judgement is not yet known, what is abundantly clear is that the members of the Council who supported these actions being carried out in the way that they were must be held accountable. Citizen participation is fundamental to our political process, and the decisions carried out by Councilman Meffley, if left unchallenged, would have set a precedent that discouraged individuals from stepping forward on the grounds that a particular Council member may object to their involvement at the last minute and arbitrarily prevent their participation with very little opportunity for redress. Community and political participation should be encouraged. The Council’s actions are having a negative impact on community involvement and the function of government. Should Mr. Sammons’ lawsuit fail, voters will have to remind our elected officials at the ballot box that Cecil County wants honest, fair, and transparent government.

The post County Council’s failures on redistricting commission appeared first on Cecil County News.

                After an exhausting 2020 election cycle that left even the most ardent political spectators feeling fatigued and with the next election over a year away, few County residents are focused on the upcoming political happenings of 2022. Despite the seemingly distant events that will unfold in advance of County residents next visit to the polling booth, the County redistricting process is already underway, which will have a major impact on the 2022 race. As required by the Charter of Cecil County, the County Council is required to form a Redistricting Commission each year following the U.S. Census. The Redistricting Commission is responsible for submitting a plan that outlines residency districts, along with a report explaining it, no later than November 15^th of the year before the plan is to take effect. While redistricting is an inherently contentious process, this Redistricting Commission has been faced with last minute obstacles imposed upon them by the County Council, and Council President Bob Meffley in particular.

                In accordance with the County Charter, each party that earned at least 25% of the vote share for County Executive is entitled to nominate five members (one from each district in the county) to serve on the Redistricting Commission. As long as those nominees meet the eligibility requirements to serve, the County Council is required by the Charter to appoint the members selected. These names are to be submitted by the Central Committees of the qualifying parties (in this case, Democrats and Republicans) and confirmed by the Council no later than April 1^st. That date has come and gone, and while the Commission was established by the Council in March, the composition of the Commission has recently been thrown into question.

                On August 17^th, 2021, the Council proposed the resolution to appoint members to the Redistricting Commission, which will be voted on during the next legislative session on September 7^th. While the Democratic slate was full, the Republican slate had two noticeable absences for District 4 and District 5. Sources familiar with the matter have provided documents that show the circumstances surrounding those vacancies. The District 4 nominee lived outside of the district, making her ineligible for appointment. The District 5 nominee, however, was removed under the pretense that he was an elected official as a member of the Republican Central Committee and was therefore ineligible for appointment, because the Charter prohibits elected officials from serving on the Redistricting Commission.

                The grounds on which the District 5 nominee was blocked is legally dubious, and definitionally absurd. The Republican Central Committee, like all parties’ central committees are not a public body and are certainly not officers of the Cecil County Government. Members of the central committee are selected by the members of that party, not by the voting public. Furthermore, the County Charter doesn’t list any position in a political party as a public office, which is why the conduct, function, and members of the committees are not bound to the same laws as County Officials. Central committee members are party officers, not public officers. Therefore, a central committee member although “elected” by their respective party would not fit the definition of an elected official in the County Charter any more than a CEO elected by a board of directors, or a deacon elected by a congregation would. The provision in the County Charter is designed to prevent public officials from appointing themselves to positions that give them control over issues that affect their current office.

                Definitions of elected officials aside, the actions taken by Councilman Meffley appear to be political retribution rather than an honest, good-faith effort by our government to enforce a fair composition of the Redistricting Commission by following their best interpretation of the law. For one, other nominees listed on the resolution for appointment are also members of their party’s central committee. This means that Councilman Meffley is either targeting the District 5 nominee, or has failed to do basic due diligence on those nominated. Secondly, sources shared that the decision to disqualify both members were received on August 11^th. The Republican Central Committee was then given three days to appoint new members in advance of the legislative session where the appointments were to be confirmed. Not only is that an overly burdensome timeframe, but it also made it all but impossible to mediate the dispute over the District 5 nominee before a decision was needed.

                In light of the obvious double standard of barring one nominee from serving on the Commission on the grounds he is a central committee member and not others, sources share that the Council has removed the other nominees who currently sit on a central committee. However, the initial actions of Councilman Meffley are telling. The nominee from District 5, Vincent Sammons, is an outspoken anti-corruption advocate in the County. Many of Mr. Sammons targets are those with whom Bob Meffley has close ties. This incident, paired with past actions taken against Mr. Sammons by Councilman Meffley, reinforces the notion that Mr. Sammons removal from the list of nominees was politically motivated.

                Whether the one-sided actions taken by the Council were motivated by malevolence or are the results of incompetence, speculation can only answer. Regardless of intent, the actions taken are directly blocking eligible individuals from serving on the Commission in contravention of the Charter, and are indirectly disenfranchising Republicans who may not receive the representation on the Redistricting Commission that their party chose, potentially affecting the results of redistricting. Councilman Meffley’s actions have exposed the County to possible litigation, should the determination of the status of Mr. Sammons eligibility be taken to the courts. If pursued, the County’s limited resources will now be diverted to legal costs, and the work of the Redistricting Commission could be delayed. If not challenged, Councilman Meffley will have successfully blocked those within his own party from serving on the Commission and speaking up for voters throughout the redistricting process.

The post Last minute obstacles for the Redistricting Commission appeared first on Cecil County News.

“But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

– John 4:14

Water is life, it’s a simple fact. Most of our bodies are made of it. The plants we grow in our gardens need it as much as clean air and sunlight. Every single beverage we consume is based on it. To live properly, we must consume at least eight 8oz cups of clean water daily. Droughts kill farms and starve populations.

For the town of Rising Sun, Maryland, the state-mandated pursuit of providing a modern water and sewer system has been an arduous task, needlessly overcomplicated by interference from the Cecil County government and complaints by those advocating for well water, such as former mayor Robert Fisher.

In 2005, the town devised a comprehensive plan to resolve the issue as required by the state of Maryland by building a wastewater treatment plant and running water lines from the Chester Water Authority. This would allow them to import one million gallons of water every day and provide the town’s own needs, as well as allow them to sell to outlying properties that request it, partner with the county on their economic development initiatives, but more importantly provide resources to alleviate documented water quality issues in the region.  

In 2006, a building moratorium was placed on the town due to its inability to meet the water and sewer requirements and stunted the town’s growth. This brought on a $90 million lawsuit by developer Frapple LP, which planned to construct a 120-house subdivision dubbed Wellington Manor. To remedy their issues, the town began moving forward on the $14 million wastewater plant and the deal with CWA.

While it is true that well water is sometimes higher quality than water that has been purified by chemicals, it is not an absolute certainty, nor is it unlimited. Previous wells had been drilled to no avail. Wells also dry up whereas a reservoir fed by the Susquehanna will not. Town Commissioner Augie Pierson clearly explained to the Cecil Whig in 2012 that not only can new well water not promise to consistently meet the town’s demands, existing regulations requires public water systems drawing from the ground to be treated by chlorination, which renders the quality point moot.

The town employed multiple engineering firms which estimated a cost of $30 million to find, drill and pipe wells that would ultimately provide a low yield, and the idea was ruled impractical. Running a pipeline from the Chester County Water Authority came at lower cost and guaranteed a yield of one million gallons per day, enough to abolish drought restrictions that have frequently plagued the town. An additional $1 million would later be saved thanks to a change in material to be used in the pipes.

On April 11, 2012, they broke ground on the new wastewater treatment facility. As the legal battle with Frapple continued, all but one of the counts against the town of Rising Sun were dropped, and they declined a $5 million settlement. Eventually, the judge presiding over the case ruled in favor of the town.

PNC Bank initially funded the wastewater plant project via a construction loan that was repaid by a low-interest loan to the town from the United States Department of Agriculture to be paid back over the next 40 years. In 2013, the town extended a contract with Davenport and Company, of Towson to protect themselves from PNC calling in the tab before the USDA came across with their loan, which finally arrived in early 2015.

Rising Sun Town Administrator Calvin Bonenberger Jr. was accused of working for the interests of developers, due to the fact that the map of the water line from CWA ran over land owned by George Beer, a developer who built Maple Heights in Rising Sun. Keith Campbell, a former member of the RS board of appeals made an accusation that Bonenberger was tied to Beer and acting for his own enrichment.

Bonenberger responded to the allegation by filing a grievance against himself to force the ethics board to perform an investigation and held an open forum to answer questions of 75 people from the community, intent on clearing the air. He was later vindicated of any malfeasance.

In December of 2013, it was proposed for commissioner George Walker to take over water and sewer from commissioner Lyn Duggar after she worked with Mayor Fisher to undermine the town’s water plan by spreading a questionable survey implying that well water. Days later, the switch was approved. The survey pushed by Fisher and Duggar was debunked by legal research carried out by the town attorney, which revealed the land they sought to drill on was protected.

In August of 2015, as the wastewater plant neared completion, the Rising Sun town hall began receiving calls from interested developers looking to build in the town. Once the wastewater plant was completed, the next phase was the pipeline project to connect to Chester Water Authority. Current estimates placed the project at $10 million. In August of 2016, the town made a grant application to cover some of the current estimated $10 million cost of connecting to CWA and spare residents some expense. Mayor Travis Marion and the board of commissioners spoke to Governor Larry Hogan and asked for assistance.

County Councilman Dan Schneckenberger voiced support for the agreement with CWA and promised to help find more grant money to finance the pipeline. Unfortunately, sewer costs rose along the way. But with the future looking bright, the town looked at lifting the building moratorium that had halted development for a decade since the water issue arose. Soon after, however, changes to the USDA’s policy for low-interest loans left the town looking for a new way to pay for the connection to CWA, and they were forced to take another loan out from PNC Bank.

In a measure to save money, the pipeline map was rerouted and construction on the Pennsylvania side began in February 2018. In April, the Maryland Board of Public Works awarded Rising Sun a $500,000 grant for the water line project. On May 2nd, Rising Sun broke ground.

The next hurdle was funding the installation of out-of-town fire hydrants, a measure that would help protect residents outside the town limits of Rising Sun by allowing fires outside of town to be better fought. The topic was discussed with County Executive Dr. Alan McCarthy, who refused to issue county funds to install hydrants. Despite this, the town were under pressure from state and federal lawmakers to install the hydrants regardless. McCarthy reneged on a budget allocation and directed them to apply for casino funds.

Later that month, Wellington Manner was purchased by Patricia Wagner, Rising Sun’s public accountant, and a town resident expressed concern that the town was risking another lawsuit, or worse, that Wagner was receiving undue benefits by letting the pipe run through her land. Wagner however, addressed his concerns by pointing out that she is paying for and using the land for pasture, and that her cows cannot drink chlorinated town water. Even though all private property owners allowing the water line to go through their property get a five-year window to link up for free, it was of no use to her pasture and she only asked if it be transferred to her other property.

When $350,000 of Hollywood Casino revenues were divided among 48 applicants of the Video Lottery Terminal Grants, Rising Sun received $21,428 of these moneys, which fell short of the $57,200 they needed to pay for the hydrant project. Mayor Marion expressed dismay at the County’s inability to pass a budget amendment to finance the project for the safety of county residents. As a result, the people of Rising Sun had to pay to protect people outside of Rising Sun in order to comply with state and federal orders.

Concerns arose again in September 2018 when Chester PA planned to sell the Chester Water Authority to a private company. What this meant for the town’s water supply was in question. Commissioner Alan Authenreath assured that there was nothing to worry about. Protections had been set for the town’s sake just in case such an event occurred, such as a non-competition clause that precludes CWA from running any lines within five miles of the town.

In November 2018, the building moratorium was finally lifted after a dozen years of town development being halted. Rising Sun was declared open for business by Mayor Travis Marion.

In March 2019, just as everything was ready to launch, the County blocked Rising Sun’s long pursued comprehensive plan, arguing falsely that their plan extended along 273 to Wilson Road, up to the PA state line, and six miles south down 276 and clashed with the McCarthy administration’s 2018 Master Water and Sewer plan, which alongside the County’s previous 2010 comprehensive plan focuses on development along the intersection of Route 40 and Interstate 95.

Mayor Marion and Town Administrator Bonenberger stood their ground, arguing that their plan had already been discussed and approved with the county representatives and the state. Several properties around the town had requested their service be extended to them; among them Ramsey Ford, Calvert Elementary, Calvert Manor, and Rising Sun High School. Contrary to the claim of extending from Wilson to the PA line, the water line would only go as far as Rising Sun High School to service the aforementioned locations, as well as a few other properties looking to reduce maintenance issues and the costs of maintaining their wells and septic systems.

The town’s comprehensive plan, drafted in 2005, was in line with the County’s 2010 comprehensive plan and well in progress before County Executive Alan McCarthy’s administration put forth their own Master Water and Sewer Plan in November 2018, which clashed with the plans Rising Sun made first. County officials claimed not to know that Rising Sun was seeking a quota of one million gallons of water per day to distribute. Mayor Marion responded to this by reminding that he sent them the documents when the town filed paperwork in 2016 to supply as much as 1.8 million gallons per day.

County Council President Bob Meffley accused their plans of conflicting with the Rural Legacy Program.  A claim echoed by County Administration Director Al Wein, who also released a statement favoring the County’s plan over Rising Sun’s and claimed that the Code of Cecil County prohibits municipalities from extending water and sewer service beyond their boundaries without the consent of the County Executive. Wein also echoed the accusation that Rising Sun did not inform the McCarthy Administration of their plans.

The accusation against Rising Sun is easily proven false by years of reporting in the Cecil Whig by Jane Bellmyer. It has been clearly stated in articles going back as far as 2012 that the town sought one million gallons of water daily so that they could provide their own needs and sell to neighboring towns and properties within the map of their approved municipal growth area in order to bolster revenues and lower the water and sewer costs for their residents. Unless then-Councilman McCarthy has been living under a rock and never reads the newspaper, it would be impossible not to know.

McCarthy spread a rumor without evidence that Rising Sun planned to run lines as far as Newark DE and vowed to halt any attempt by Rising Sun to run water outside of their borders. To justify his position, he claimed that it would violates the county’s comprehensive plan because of the area’s designation as a rural conservation district.

Vincent Sammons, a local businessman and current chairman of Cecil County’s GOP Central Committee, was told by Executive McCarthy at the recent County Fair that he was concerned about Chester Water Authority’s nitrate levels being too high compared to Artesian Water Resources, which services Elkton and has the rights to service properties along Route 40 and Interstate 95 (the same path as McCarthy’s conflicting water and sewer plan).

However, Artesian Water’s own nitrate levels are no less than Chester Water Authority’s simply because they buy and resell water from CWA to Elkton and properties with a 20% upcharge, making the Executive’s claim absolutely ridiculous. Artesian provides the exact same water as CWA that has won awards for its quality and taste.

The real issue is that Rising Sun’s Comprehensive Plan makes it a direct competitor to Artesian for providing water to surrounding areas. The County had previously sold all its water plants to Artesian, giving them a monopoly in the area and total power over pricing that would be tacked onto their customers’ property taxes at a flat rate. That monopoly lasted until Rising Sun’s wastewater plant and CWA pipeline completed and they were ready to start selling to their neighbors.

It would seem that to protect Artesian Water’s monopoly and ensure water sales along Route 40 and I-95 that had been guaranteed, the County trampled over Rising Sun’s plans and pulled rank when they took issue with it.  In that effort, the County abused its power and overstepped by rejecting Rising Sun’s Master Water and Sewer Plan in favor of its own.

Measures by the town to address water concerns expressed by the Maryland Department of Environment that could only be solved by piping water out of town limits were blocked. Among them were Rising Sun Elementary School ( Executive McCarthy also blocked a grant application to the USDA which would have paid entire cost for water to Rising Sun Elementary), which has suffering from high nitrate levels in its current water system, fourteen residential Southern States properties at Wilson and Telegraph that are suffering water quality issues and have been ordered by MDE to resolve them, two residential wells contaminated by underground fuel tanks, and 30 residential properties that are identified in the County’s own water and sewer plan.

All of these locations fall within the approved map of the Town of Rising Sun’s municipal growth area described in the comprehensive plan they have worked toward since 2005, thirteen years before McCarthy’s pipe dream was put forward. But the County, instead of working out a compromise with Rising Sun to allow both water and sewer plans to coexist went as far as to remove the Southern States from the map.

Is it really rural reservation that they are thinking of, or has service to these properties already been promised to Artesian? The pretense of protecting rural areas was never an issue until the McCarthy administration devised its own plan and promised business to the Artesian Water Resource, one of his large campaign donors.

The County had no legal rights to step on the previously approved municipal growth area of Rising Sun that had been part of their state-mandated municipal growth area and comprehensive plan. Rising Sun’s plan had been entirely transparent with the County and Maryland Department of Planning’s clearing house since its inception.

On July 22, 2019, following a visit to the town of Rising Sun by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, the Maryland Department of the Environment approved a version of the Cecil County Master Water and Sewer Plan amended to allow Rising Sun to run its water outside their limits and service outlying properties. Town officials declared victory on the matter, despite other commentators seeking to downplay it by pointing to small technicalities and parroting the McCarthy’s administrations falsehoods.

Rising Sun has fought long and hard to comply with the state of Maryland’s demand to modernize their water and sewer system and pave the way for growth. They have cleared significant hurdles such as lawsuits, cost and funding issues, slander of town officials and interference from biased parties. The County Executive deliberately obstructed them in favor of his own pursuits and was reprimanded by the Maryland Department of the Environment for it, providing another stain on his record to go with the recent news of his violation of the County Charter Article 4, Section 405 (b).

But in the end the facts are clear, the MDE has amended the County’s plan to allow Rising Sun to run water lines outside municipal limits. The town of Rising Sun does not look to disturb the rural charm of the Calvert area, or annex it entirely into the town, but only to provide clean water to locations that the state has demanded action on and provide better means for firefighters to protect them.

In our investigation of the matter, we have found no malfeasance by the Town of Rising Sun, and nothing but salacious misconduct by the McCarthy administration and well advocates amounting to public corruption. No sane individual should condemn a measure that will provide the homes of people in rural areas with clean water to drink and protect them from fire.

The post The War Waged Against Rising Sun’s Water Supply appeared first on Cecil County News.

“The Executive shall devote full-time to the duties of the office. The Executive shall not participate in any private occupation for compensation. During the term of office, the Executive shall not hold any other office of profit.”

County Charter; Article 4, Section 405 (b) – Qualifications for the County Executive.

The rules of the Cecil County Charter are very clear in the matter of outside employment for the position of County Executive. After taking the role upon democratic election, an individual must end any employment in the private sector and step away from any business enterprises they may run.

In the case of retired veterinarian Dr. Alan McCarthy, the rules of his office need not apply apparently. His role in land development and real estate continued into his term as Executive.

Baker’s Hill LLC (McCarthy, plus Kenneth Simmons, Jay C. Emery III, and Stephen Baker) acquired a swath of land from Willard E. Megonigal Jr. of New Castle, DE, and developed the land into a townhouse community.

Initially, this was nothing out of the ordinary, just a group of investors looking to make a profit. But when the housing market tanked and sparked the Great Recession in 2008, the investors of Baker’s Hill fell on hard times and were unable to meet their financial obligations.

One by one, Baker, Simmons, and Emery withdrew from the LLC in 2013 and assigned all their interests to Dr. McCarthy (who as of 2012 was sitting on the Cecil County Council), leaving him the last remaining member of Baker’s Hill. In effect, McCarthy had bought out their stakes in Baker’s Hill and indemnified them from any future financial obligations.

Rather than pay the debt to Megonigal when it was due in July of 2016, Councilman McCarthy let it go into default while selling homes and collecting rent from more than thirty tenants; and making his bid for the position of County Executive.

On December 20^th, 2016, County Executive Alan McCarthy (newly sworn in and bound to Article 4, Section 405 (b) of the County Charter) received a certified letter from the attorneys of Willard Megonigal stating that if the debt and interest were not paid, legal action would be taken against McCarthy and the other three investors.

On January 26^th, 2017 the debt of $250,000.00 and interest of $6472.25 referred to as the Megonigal Note was paid off by Baker’s Hill LLC.

However, a one-member LLC called Ulysses claimed to have paid off the debt soon after and proceeded to sue Kenneth Simmons, Jay C. Emery III, and Stephen Baker to pay debts they were indemnified of when they assigned their interests to McCarthy. Any liability that may still exist vanished the moment the Note was paid off.

Ulysses LLC, which is owned by Dr. Alan McCarthy, and is therefore his proxy, appears on none of the checks written. McCarthy wrote checks from his personal PNC Bank checking account to Baker’s Hill and wrote checks from Baker’s Hill’s Harford Bank account to Willard Megonigal. His other LLC, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, has no role in any transaction.

The entire lawsuit was without merit and amounted little more than a scam by McCarthy to recoup his money.

In his efforts to save political face and commit fraud to shirk his debts, County Executive Alan McCarthy has broken charter laws and violated the Clean Hands doctrine. During his term as County Executive, he continues to collect rent as a landlord.

In February 2019, the lawsuit against Baker, Simmons and Emery by Ulysses LLC was dismissed by Judge Colleen Cavanaugh after proof was established that Ulysses had no role in paying the Megonigal Note.

*Copy of court documents can be found here: cecilcounty.news/downloads/McCarthy-Baker.pdf

The post McCarthy Violates Charter Laws appeared first on Cecil County News.

Journalism is a craft that can be dated back to Rome before the rise of the Empire. Because of the boundless curiosity of common men, as well as the methods which rulers and administrators can abuse their positions for personal gain, there have always been a cause for brave and worthy individuals to find and report the truth.

Often in history, reporting on the government has been charged as sedition and punished. In other cases, the government has controlled the news and spread propaganda, abusing the trust placed by the everyday individual to be informed. This is an instrumental part of similar collectivist structures like communism, socialism and fascism.

In modern history, the industrialization of journalism transformed reporters from being watchdogs into little more than providers of entertainment; a commodity. Rather than by virtue of telling the truth, news became more concerned with getting a juicy scoop before the competition to boost ratings and bring in more revenues from sponsors.

The most powerful means of capturing an audience are by fear and scandal. As much as we enjoy seeing a heartwarming story on the news about an everyman rising to the occasion and saving a life, or starting a nonprofit to help those less fortunate, salacious tales and gossip tickle our darker passions and intrigue us. When times are tough or uncertain, those looking for solace take comfort in the words of like-minded men the same way the religious find it in the word of God.  

We as a society place great faith in journalism, often forgetting that the journalists are as corruptible as any statesman or businessman. Which begs the question: who checks the journalists and keeps them honest?

Of their own free will, they can become deceptive and predatory for their own profit. They can ally with the corrupt government for mutual gains and fool us into hating their enemies.

There are too few willing to do this.

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