County Government

Being outraged that the salary for the position of Harford County Council Administrator went from about $72,687 a year before to the retirement of the last person to hold the job to $116,000 in less than a year since the current council administrator took office is a natural. Plenty of people in county government jobs make $46,000 a year or less, and awarding a raise totaling that amount to a person who has been on the job for less than a year is something every taxpayer in Harford County should be concerned about.

Anne Arundel County officials said a renegotiated contract will save taxpayers $17.6 million in prescription drug costs over the next three years. A new $215 million deal with CVS Caremark provides cheaper prescriptions to county government and school system employees, their families and retirees, officials announced Thursday. County Executive John R. Leopold and Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell issued a joint announcement crediting the combined negotiating power of the organizations and the 22,500 people covered by the contract.

Recently, Harford County engaged in a public conversation with its teachers about pay and classroom spending. This problem is not unique to Harford County and is symptomatic of a statewide problem caused by increased state mandates, lack of control over educational spending by the county's funding authorities and increased strain on public dollars in a down economy. On one side was the Harford County Education Association (HCEA), which represents the interests of teachers. They bemoaned that a county that is already spending half of every general fund dollar on K-12 education (this includes operating spending, debt service and other capital expenditures)

Hard to believe though it may be, the Harford County government has been legally able to buy land without first getting it appraised. This seems to defy logic on a number of levels, not the least of which is that when a government is able to buy land without first having a good idea of its value, the system is left vulnerable to the politically well-connected able to sell property at inflated prices with only their allies in office being party...

The State Board of Education was right to reject Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold's attempt to evade the spirit of a law that prevents local jurisdictions from slacking off in their support for public schools. Protest though he might that he had done nothing wrong, Mr. Leopold's budget for the current fiscal year provided less money to support classroom education than in the year before, and had his effort been allowed to stand, that difference - amounting to about $12 million a year - would have been cemented into perpetuity.

Dear Editor: We were very disturbed to read the article about the proposed 2013 Harford County budget. Harford County Executive David Craig proposed no increases in spending for education, emergency service and, most importantly, public safety. Your newspaper regularly reports on a number of serious crimes that occur in many of the communities of Harford County which tarnish an otherwise wonderful place to live and raise children. Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane held a series of town meetings recently and discussed his department's efforts in dealing with the numerous crimes that have been committed in our county.

In a way, the problem with Harford County's ambulance service, which appears to be running in the red these days, according to a recent presentation to the Harford County Council, is emblematic of the problems facing the U.S. health care system. The short version: There's a lot of money involved and a lot of people who aren't directly involved in providing health services have a financial stake in what's going on. The long version is complicated and mind-numbingly detailed, but worth taking the time to understand.

In response to the article "Zoning changes OK'd for swim clubs, Woodbine farm" (March 8), I again note that an exception has been made in the west county for a single individual. The article specifically states that "the legislation is aimed to help Larriland farm. " Infringing on a group's rights and quality of life just to benefit one entity seems to have become common practice (see the Walker case in Woodbine). Evidently, county government has evolved to protect the needs of the one over the needs of the many ("The proposal drew opposition from several farmers")

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold was smiling and upbeat Saturday after eating at a diner in his hometown, part of a county he has led for more than five years and where he now faces the political and legal fight of his career. Just one day before, Leopold was indicted on corruption charges alleging he used his taxpayer-funded security detail to arrange sexual liaisons and to defeat political adversaries. But he didn't want to discuss the allegations on his way out of the Double T Diner in Pasadena.