Commissioners will discuss issue over next several weeks, reports administrator
Matthew Bieniek Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND —Garrett County leaders have not committed to join with other Western Maryland counties to hire a lobbyist to represent the region, County Ad-ministrator Monty Pag-enhardt said late last week. He said statements that the five counties had reached a consensus about hiring a lobbyist were incorrect.
“The Board of Garrett County Commissioners has asked that I let you all know that no final decision has been reached on participating in the five Western Maryland counties funding of a paid lobbyist. … The board has taken the matter under advisement and will be discussing in the next few weeks,” Pagenhardt wrote in an email.
“We’ve had no discussion and our commissioners have some real questions … we have not agreed and may not agree to hiring a lobbyist,” Pagenhardt said in a phone interview.
Last week, Allegany County Commissioner Michael McKay said Allegany County planned to join other counties in hiring a Western Maryland lobbyist. McKay did not say the counties had formally agreed to the idea. The plan was for each of the five counties to put about $5,000 into the till to hire a lobbyist to represent the interests of the region in Annapolis.
The five Western Maryland counties are Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll. A few thousand of the total will also help pay for an “event” hosted by the counties aimed at highlighting Western Maryland.
“It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way things work down there,” McKay said of the event.
The lobbying effort will be focused on the Maryland General Assembly session of 2012, McKay said.
The counties will probably come to a decision about their plans in October, McKay said. He’ll be part of a meeting of Western Maryland commission presidents planned for early October.
The idea of hiring a lobbyist started at this year’s Maryland Association of Counties meeting over the summer. County leaders discussed significant issues, including the controversial PlanMaryland. The discussions solidified the similarity of interests be-tween the counties, McKay said, which are dominated by rural landscapes and have strong agricultural roots. Many of the more rural counties believe PlanMaryland will usurp local planning decisions.
McKay said after further meetings he’ll have a better idea about possible candidates and the price to be paid for the hired hand in Annapolis.
In the past, Allegany County has at times hired a lobbyist, the most recent being former House Speaker Casper Taylor Jr., although the contract was with the firm for which Taylor works, Alexander and Cleaver. The firm was paid $17,000 a year and expenses, according to past Times-News reports. That contract began in 2008 and has subsequently expired.
Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com
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