LEONARDTOWN --- Just two days after Maryland Day, four
commissioners rose above all considerations, personal or political, to make
it clear the interests of St. Mary’s County and its people were closer to
their hearts than any other loyalty.
The four commissioners Kenny Dement (R. Piney Point),
Larry Jarboe (R. Golden Beach), Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) and Tom Mattingly
(D. Leonardtown) sent this message out almost in chorus to Commissioner
President Tommy McKay (R, Hollywood) during the budget work session on
Monday afternoon.
McKay has made the tax refund a major plank of his run for
the senate seat in this year’s elections.
But Raley came up with the his suggestion of reducing the
energy tax by 50 percent on monthly electric bills, fuel oil bills, and
propane costs for 20 years. “All citizens get relief on a recurring basis,”
Raley said of his proposal.
Much was at stake was clear as the least-spoken
commissioner, made it a point to speak out his mind Monday afternoon.
“I am on fixed income,” said Dement, but he added rather
than getting $300 refund he would want that money to remain with the county
to be spent on much needed social services like schools and roads.
Dement requested McKay not to take it personally, as what
he was doing by not supporting his idea of refunds was in the interest of
St. Mary’s County and its future.
McKay stood completely isolated, though he cited a private
survey of 100 people that showed 76 percent supported his refund idea. On
Raley’s question, McKay stood by his words on the four commissioners being
on a “spending spree”, the way he was quoted in a DC-based conglomerate of
newspapers at the time he unveiled his tax proposals.
Raley counseled McKay the affairs of the county should not
be handled in the manner of a grocery business.
“I will support Commissioner Raley’s proposal,” said an
affable Larry Jarboe (R. Golden Beach). For the collective good, Jarboe
sacrificed his idea of constant yield, which he calls a gift that keeps on
giving. After the commissioners made it clear they reject McKay’s proposals,
the commissioner president asked Jarboe if he wanted to have discuss his
constant yield, but Jarboe said he would rather go with Raley’s proposal.
McKay said the perception his attitude was “I don’t care
because I won’t be here,” was incorrect. Raley promised McKay that if he
withdrew from the senate run and filed for the commissioner president’s
seat, he would be willing to support his proposal of a tax refund.
“You won’t be here next year,” Raley told McKay, reminding
him it would be unfair of him to let a future board of commissioner face the
music. An irate McKay told Raley he should not be so sure that he would
return to the commissioner’s table.
When Raley said to make his proposal simpler he would like
to draw an analogy with the credit card system, McKay likened Raley’s
proposal to that of a juvenile with a $3000 credit limit on his card, who
has run out of money being bailed out by his parents.
Raley said if his proposals were okayed, “The county will
not have to go to the bond market for two years and as a result will save
the county over one million dollars per year for the next 20 years in debt
service.”
He said by eliminating 50 percent of the energy tax and
paying down debt by over 14 million dollars the county would have give all
citizens recurring tax relief and save the county over one million dollars a
year for the next 20 years. “And we will have enhanced the county’s ability
to address sold waste cost and other capital projects such as schools, jail
additions, roads etc. that we all know will face the county in the very near
future,” Raley said.
