The County Executive's Budget Proposal

On Thursday, April 12, the County Executive presented his Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal to the County Council. The Council will now spend the next month pouring over details of the budget plan.

Over the past two years, I have publicly complimented the County Executive’s overall approach to the budget. Baltimore County has been managed better than many other jurisdictions around the United States. The administration deserves credit for not raising tax rates, for consolidating agencies, and for trimming the number of employees to the lowest point since the early 1980s.

The County Council has supported many of these initiatives. Taxpayers expect us to act like grown-ups and solve the county’s problems. They want us to have an open line of communication with the executive branch of government. I believe my colleagues on the County Council are prepared to demonstrate maturity and a sense of fiscal discipline as we move forward.

The budget addresses operating and capital expenses. Operating expenses represent the everyday administration of government, while capital projects are those that improve roads, infrastructure, parks, and schools.

On the capital side, I am very pleased that the budget follows through on earlier commitments to address school overcrowding in the Towson area, which I represent. The York Road corridor includes the most crowded schools in Baltimore County. I have been a strong supporter of additions at Stoneleigh Elementary School and Hampton Elementary School, as well as a new school at Mays Chapel. I will vigorously defend these projects in the proposed budget.

I am disappointed at the level of investment in schools in Parkville, Carney, and Perry Hall. The choice was made not to fund new air conditioning at a single school northeast of Towson. I am also disappointed that certain road construction projects were deferred, but I recognize that these are very expensive. There is a $20 million resurfacing program that is not broken out by community. Hopefully, this will be utilized in a fair and balanced manner.

Over the past 16 months, our office has been able to get a lot done in northeastern Baltimore County: a commercial revitalization district in Perry Hall, funding to start the Northeast Trail, new sidewalks, and approval for a regional dog park, among other items. Districtwide, my rezoning initiative looks at the development potential of more than 480 acres to make sure our neighborhoods are not overwhelmed by future growth. This is especially important given limited funding for schools and new infrastructure.

I will continue to work on these important projects and always look forward to partnering with the administration in the future.

Honeygo Park Picked for New Dog Park

I am very happy to announce approval from the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks for a dog park at Honeygo Run Regional Park in Perry Hall.

The dog park will be located on the eastern edge of Honeygo Park, at a small field that is isolated from the athletic fields and picnic pavilions.   This area has been informally used as a playing field for dogs for several years.

I would like to thank County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and the Department of Recreation and Parks for their support of the Perry Hall Dog Park.  We spent many weeks going back and forth about an ideal location, but I believe this will be a great new resource for the Perry Hall and Kingsville communities.  

I would also like to thank the committee I appointed last summer to advance this concept.  The committee will now focus on fundraising and the logistics needed to get a park open in 2o12.
 

For more information, visit the Perry Hall Dog Park page on Facebook.

The Mays Chapel Elementary School Site

I provided the following as a response to a request from the Forge Flyer:

The Mays Chapel and Dulaney Springs sites.
Source:  Towson Times

I support the Mays Chapel site for a new elementary school, and I have communicated that to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Superintendent Joe Hairston, and my friend and colleague County Councilman Todd Huff.  Councilman Huff has heard from many constituents who oppose the Mays Chapel site, and I can understand why they would want to preserve such a large, undeveloped area.  But I am motivated to support the Mays Chapel site for a number of reasons. 

First, it offers the fastest way to provide relief to overcrowded schools along the York Road corridor.  The property is already owned by Baltimore County and there are fewer environmental constraints than the alternate location at Dulaney Springs.  I am told the school can be opened by the fall of 2014.

Second, if the school system moves forward with the proposal to move some West Towson Elementary School students to Ridge Ruxton Elementary School, I want a plan that makes this disruption as brief as possible.  I understand the concerns of parents from both schools.  The Mays Chapel location offers the fastest route to a solution.

Third, the Mays Chapel location has been "on the books" for decades.  

Fourth, geographically the Mays Chapel location seems to make sense.  The September 2011 enrollment numbers demonstrate that school overcrowding affects elementary schools along the entire York Road corridor, from Towson to Hunt Valley.  Mays Chapel will help reduce overcrowding not just in Towson, but in Ruxton, Lutherville, and Cockeysville as well.

Although I know my position will be criticized by some, I will defend the Mays Chapel location because it offers the fastest relief for schoolchildren in central Baltimore County.

Movies Returning to Downtown Towson

The Towson Circle III announcement.

I was very happy to join the County Executive and other civic and business leaders at today's announcement that Cinemark has agreed to operate the movie theatres at Towson Circle III.  Cinemark is one of the nation's premier theatre companies.  Locally, Cinemark operates the theatres at Arundel Mills Mall.

I have fond memories of going to the movie theatres at Towson Commons in the early 1990s.   There was an electricity in the air as the Towson Commons project sparked revitalization throughout the downtown core.  

I have been a strong supporter of the Towson Circle III project.  It's important to have a blend of restaurants and entertainment options in Downtown Towson, and I hope we can bring back some of the energy we had in Downtown Towson when Towson Commons opened in the 1990s.   Today's announcement was yet another signal that revitalization is underway.