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…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The 10-term Republican state delegate will challenge First-term incumbent Todd Huff in the 2014 primary election.
State Del. Wade Kach Tuesday announced he will challenge fellow Republican Todd Huff for the 3rd District seat on the Baltimore County Council. Kach made the announcement on his Facebook page. “When I look at the 3rd District, I see a need for an experienced, tested legislator to deal with the challenges we face,” Kach wrote on his Facebook page. “I believe that by moving from the House of Delegates to the County Council, I can bring the kind of responsive public service that the citizens want and need.” Kach was expected to make the announcement. In March he said he was considering the campaign. Sources who know Kach said the delegate began to consider the race in February after Huff was arrested on drunken driving charges. Huff pleaded …
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 …
Councilman Todd Huff's defense attorney had been seeking probation before judgement.
Councilman Todd Huff was sentenced Tuesday to one year in jail suspended and 24 months supervised probation after pleading guilty two weeks ago to one count of drunken driving. Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Martin said Huff's probation will be supervised by the Drunk Driving Monitoring program. Huff will also have to remain alcohol free for the term of his probation and submit to random urine tests. An alcohol restriction was also placed on his license for the next 24 months. Additionally, the sentence carries 12 points on his drivers license and could lead to revocation following an expected administrative appeal by Huff. Huff, a first-term Republican from Timonium, pleaded guilty on April 18 to one count of driving under …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Baltimore County Ethics Commission should review the early-morning call, according to the government watchdog group.
A phone call from Councilman Todd Huff to Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson should be reviewed by the Baltimore County Ethics Commission, according to one government watchdog group. The call, made by Huff following his arrest for driving under the influence raises questions about whether or not the councilman attempted to use his office in order to get out of trouble. "You want to make sure when a case like this occurs that there is an appropriate response so other people don't think 'Here is my way out, too,'" said Jennifer Bevan-Dangle, executive director of Common Cause Maryland. County ethics laws prohibits public officials from using the prestige of their office for personal benefit. Huff made the call to Johnson following his…
Thursday, April 25, 2013
A 2012 college teaching position held by Councilman David Marks, while legal, should have triggered an amended financial disclosure report.
Baltimore County Councilman David Marks said Thursday that a 2012 teaching job at a local university should have been part of his required financial disclosures. Marks acknowledged the job and failure to file an amended report last year with the Baltimore County Ethics Commission during an interview. "It was an oversight," Marks, a Perry Hall Republican, said after being asked about the job. The undisclosed teaching job as well as two previously disclosed consulting positions do not appear to violate county law. Marks said the teaching job will appear in disclosure forms that he has already filed that will be made public next month. Following the interview, Marks issued a statement by email: "As soon I was offered a three-month teaching …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Towson resident known for her school advocacy sees vulnerability in Todd Huff's land use decisions.
An education advocate from Towson is considering challenging Baltimore County Councilman Todd Huff in the 2014 election. Laurie Taylor-Mitchell said Wednesday that she has formed an exploratory group to look at a run for the 3rd District seat currently held by Huff. Taylor-Mitchell said she believes zoning made last August by Huff make the first-term Republican vulnerable to a challenge. She said she would likely make land preservation—an important issue in a district that is mostly rural—and school construction her primary focus if she decides to run. That decision is not expected to come before late spring or early summer, she said. During that time, Taylor-Mitchell will test the waters. She already had a campaign website and has created…
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Sentencing for the first-term Republican Councilman has been delayed until the end of the April.
UPDATE (3:51 p.m.)—Baltimore County Councilman Todd Huff will have to wait until April 30 to learn his sentence after pleading guilty to driving under the influence. Huff pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement for the Feb. 23 arrest. In return, prosecutors agreed to drop all other charges. Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. Martin said he needs additional time to consider Huff's sentence. John Grason Turnbull III, Huff's defense attorney, is asking for probation before judgment. Chris Smith, a Harford County state's attorney assigned to prosecute the case, said probation before judgment is not appropriate in the case and is asking Martin for a sentence that could lead to the revocation of Huff's driver's license. Turnbull …
Monday, April 15, 2013
The Baltimore County Coucil gives nonprofits a 48 percent discount that will be offset by residential property owners.
UPDATED (8:54 p.m.)—Nonprofits in Baltimore County will pay a lower stormwater management fee courtesy of residential property owners. The Baltimore County Council Monday approved new stormwater management fees by a vote of 5-2. Councilmen Todd Huff and David Marks voted against the amended bill. One of the main amendments adopted by the council reduced the fees that will be charged to nonprofits. Under the proposal submitted by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, nonprofits would have paid $36 dollars for every 2,000 square-feet of impervious surface. The council amended the bill to reduce that fee to $20—a 48 percent discount. To offset the reduction, the council voted to increase residential fees by $3. Under the newly approved bill, …
Monday, April 1, 2013
The bill, introduced last month, has come under fire for being unconstitutional.
A bill restricting protests near schools in Baltimore County will not get a hearing or a vote later this month. Councilman Todd Huff said Monday that he will withdraw the bill that bars protests within 300 feet of a school and prohibits protests within one hour before or after school starts and ends. It would have also been illegal to block or prevent the use of public streets, sidewalks or other spaces while protesting. Violators would be subject to a fine of $1,000 or up to a 90-day jail sentence or possibly both. The bill has been criticized since it was introduced two weeks ago. Huff was not available for an interview following a Monday evening Baltimore County Council meeting but confirmed he would withdraw the bill. "I'm pulling the …
Paul Dongarra
8:38 am on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Here is another great article regarding the particulars of this situation. http://burbtrustbanter.blogspot.com/2013/05/8-facts-about-open-space-waiver-fee.html?spref=fb more ›