Weather Radar for
Chesapeake Bay Region

McKay Goes His Own Way

Votes against School Construction

By Adam Bednar

ST. MARY’S TODAY

Every county and Baltimore city representative to the Maryland Association of Counties voted to approve a letter asking the governor to spend $400 million dollars from the state’s surplus funds on school construction -- every county except St. Mary’s County.

During their meeting September 20, county commissioners supported a letter being sent through the association asking the governor for more funds for school construction.  Thomas McKay (R.), St. Mary’s Board of Commissioners president, voted against the letter being sent to the governor.

“That was not a board action and he did not represent the opinion of the board,” Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R.) said.

McKay was criticized by his fellow commissioners after they learned of his vote. Commissioner Thomas Mattingly (D.), who was with McKay at the time he voted against sending the letter, criticized McKay for not representing the board’s position.

“It was contrary to the position the board had taken last week and when you take a position that is the position,” Mattingly said. “We (the board) want to encourage the legislature and the governor to put more money into school construction.”   

McKay said in an interview Monday that he believed there was no “legitimacy” to the $400 million dollar increase in school construction funds the counties are asking for.

He said according to a prior study, the counties only needed $250 million for school construction, and that he would not waste tax payer money unless the $400 million increase can be supported.

“We’re for education, but we’re not for throwing around tax payer money without some legitimacy,” McKay said.

McKay said the counties’ asking for additional funds was part of a plot by Maryland Democrats looking to unseat the current Republican governor. He said the letter was part of a plan to make it look like Gov. Robert Ehrlich is not funding education.