Opinions on Question A - should St. Mary's be a code county as proposed by the commissioners?
- Thread starter Popster
- Start date
Lurk
Happy Creepy Ass Cracka
If you want to become P.G. county then you should vote yes.
So, why do ou think this?
I have no problem with our legislative delegation acting as a check & balance on the County Commissioners.
Our Commissioners are easier to throw out of office if they get out of hand. Generally I feel that the more local my government, the more control We the People have over it.
Here is a general description of Code Home Rule:
http://www.stmarysmd.com/pio/codehome.asp
Here is a general description of Code Home Rule:
http://www.stmarysmd.com/pio/codehome.asp
awpitt
Main Streeter
This has nothing to do with "becoming P.G.". in fact, it's quite the opposite. P.G. has a County Council / County Executive for of govt. Under our current form of govt, state delegates and senators from PG and Baltimore get to make decisions about local laws in St. Mary's County yet they are in no way accountable to the voters in St. Mary's County. On top of that, our local state delegation has no decision making powers over PG and Baltimore. Just doesn't seem right. Take a look at what Vrai posted. That's a good primer on what Code Home Rule is all about.
awpitt
Main Streeter
Here is some Q&A that came from the public hearings.... http://www.stmarysmd.com/docs/CodeHomeRulepubliccommenttablethrough5-10-16.pdf
I finally got a chance to talk to my neighbor who was a commissioner in Charles county. He said that he traveled around Md with the county atty talking to other places with this provision in place. He said they all had very positive things to say about it. It allowed them to get things done more quickly and without having to worry about having to cede to state control and demands. He felt that in the hands of a really bad group it could be not so good, but nowhere was there evidence of this happening. He is now a county resident and intends to support this measure. FWIW.
I will be voting YES to Home Code Rule.
awpitt
Main Streeter
I'm voting YES also.
CleanTheSlateInSMC
Infidel
I voted NO. These commissioners just can't legislate. They come up with goofy proposals for laws and then get mad when the Southern Maryland delegation shoots them down. This board needs more oversight from Annapolis; not less.
I'm voting No.
awpitt
Main Streeter
We need autonomy. Heck, even Leonardtown has autonomy. Currently, there are senators and delegates from PG and Baltimore who are making decisions for St. Mary's yet they are not accountable to the voters of St. Mary's. The STATE delegation should be dealing with STATE laws. The LOCAL County Commissioners should be dealing with LOCAL laws.
Most of the time when it comes to legislation, the longer it can be put off the better (with never being the best time).
awpitt
Main Streeter
There has been much talk, during the past few weeks, about tomorrow’s referendum regarding Code Home Rule for St. Mary’s County. It has been suggested that, regarding the current Commissioner form of government, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Something might not be “broke”; however, that does not mean that it is not obsolete or the still best option. This proposal is not about METCOM, the Sheriff’s Office, the detention center, local sign and animal control ordinances, or any other particular issue. Nor is it about the population level in St. Mary’s County. It is about an opportunity for the voters to choose a form of government that is more effective for St. Mary’s County.
With the current form of government, proposed legislation, that effects only St. Mary’s County, must be passed by the Maryland General Assembly. This means that state senators and state delegates from all over the state (Prince Georges County, Baltimore City, etc.) are making decisions for local issues in St. Mary’s County. Yet these people are not accountable to the voters of St. Mary’s County. Under Code Home Rule, the local County Commissioners would enact local legislation. The County Commissioners are accountable to the voters of St. Mary’s county.
With the current form of government, if one wishes to attend a public hearing on proposed legislation, they must take a day off from work and drive to Annapolis. Under Code Home Rule, that same person would only need to drive to Leonardtown in order to attend a public hearing on proposed legislation. It is obvious which one is easier.
Under the current form of government, if a law (impacting only St. Mary’s County) is enacted in Annapolis and one is not happy with it and wants to petition for it to be put to referendum for repeal, they must obtain 51,996 signatures. Under the proposed Code Home Rule form of government, if a law (impacting only St. Mary’s County) is enacted by the County Commissioners and one is not happy with it and wants to petition for it to be put to referendum for repeal, they must obtain 6,571 signatures. It is obvious which one is easier.
The taxing authority of the County Commissioners remains the same under the current system and under Code Home Rule. Additionally, there is no cost in order to change to Code Home Rule. It must also be pointed out that under the current system and under Code Home Rule, the County Commissioners cannot take over METCOM nor can they establish a police department without approval from the Maryland General Assembly.
Code Home Rule will allow the County Commissioners to deal with local issues and the state legislature to deal with statewide issues.
More information about Code Home Rule can be found at: http://www.stmarysmd.com/pio/codehome.asp
With the current form of government, proposed legislation, that effects only St. Mary’s County, must be passed by the Maryland General Assembly. This means that state senators and state delegates from all over the state (Prince Georges County, Baltimore City, etc.) are making decisions for local issues in St. Mary’s County. Yet these people are not accountable to the voters of St. Mary’s County. Under Code Home Rule, the local County Commissioners would enact local legislation. The County Commissioners are accountable to the voters of St. Mary’s county.
With the current form of government, if one wishes to attend a public hearing on proposed legislation, they must take a day off from work and drive to Annapolis. Under Code Home Rule, that same person would only need to drive to Leonardtown in order to attend a public hearing on proposed legislation. It is obvious which one is easier.
Under the current form of government, if a law (impacting only St. Mary’s County) is enacted in Annapolis and one is not happy with it and wants to petition for it to be put to referendum for repeal, they must obtain 51,996 signatures. Under the proposed Code Home Rule form of government, if a law (impacting only St. Mary’s County) is enacted by the County Commissioners and one is not happy with it and wants to petition for it to be put to referendum for repeal, they must obtain 6,571 signatures. It is obvious which one is easier.
The taxing authority of the County Commissioners remains the same under the current system and under Code Home Rule. Additionally, there is no cost in order to change to Code Home Rule. It must also be pointed out that under the current system and under Code Home Rule, the County Commissioners cannot take over METCOM nor can they establish a police department without approval from the Maryland General Assembly.
Code Home Rule will allow the County Commissioners to deal with local issues and the state legislature to deal with statewide issues.
More information about Code Home Rule can be found at: http://www.stmarysmd.com/pio/codehome.asp
MarieB
New Member
Thank you. It's by far the best explanation that I've seen