Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Kevin Dayhoff: Historic changes in Carroll County government are coming

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Kevin Dayhoff: Historic changes in Carroll County government are coming

Historic changes in Carroll County government are coming

Sunday, August 22, 2010 by Kevin Dayhoff

The 2010 primary election on September 14 is fast approaching and with it, the next step in Carroll County’s great experiment in governance will come one-step closer.

Barrels of ink and antacid has been spilled on the discussions, hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth over the five-commissioner form of government that has had the county transfixed for over twelve-years.

The idea was first publicly floated several years before the failed attempt in a 1998 referendum. That initiative came after years of whispers of discontent in the hallways of power.

This is not the first time folks in Carroll County have changed our form of government – and chances are it will not be the last.

From 1659 to 1837, the eastern half of Carroll County was governed by Baltimore County. From 1695, Prince George's County governed the western portion of Carroll County until December 10, 1748 when Frederick County was formed. (When "Whites Level," which later became part of Westminster, was purchased in 1733, it was actually part of Prince George's County.)

As early as 1785, citizens petitioned Maryland Gov. William Paca to form "Paca County" from parts of Frederick and Baltimore counties.

In the Nov. 25, 1813, issue of the "Engine of Freedom," a newspaper in "The Forks,” later known as Uniontown, wrote that a petition was being forwarded to the Maryland General Assembly to form "Union County," with the county seat in Uniontown. The effort failed

On March 2, 1833, a bill passed the General Assembly authorizing a vote on forming Carroll County in October 1833. The vote failed, 593 to 554; although it was later speculated that it failed because of voter irregularities in the Baltimore County portion.

Finally, a bill was introduced in 1835 and passed the General Assembly on March 25, 1836 to form Carroll County.

This act was confirmed on Jan. 19, 1837. It only took about 50 years, but Carroll Countians had finally changed their government.

From 1837-51 the governing body of Carroll County was called the "Levy Court." It consisted of nine individuals; one from each of the nine existing election districts in Carroll at the time. They were appointed by the governor of Maryland.

The Maryland Constitution of 1851 changed the "Levy Court" to the "Commissioners of Tax" and from 1853 to 1891, there were three at-large commissioners elected to two-year terms. From 1893 to 1921 the county elected one commissioner every other year for a six-year term.

In 1926, the county fully transitioned to electing three commissioners for four-year terms. In 1968, voters in Carroll County rejected both charter government and code home rule. In 1984, code home rule was defeated. In 1992, charter government was defeated at the ballot box.

In 1998, voters rejected a referendum to increase the Board of Commissioners to five at-large members and rejected a charter form of government.

According to an old Baltimore Sun article by John Murphy on November 29, 1999, “In 1998, the proposal for five at-large commissioners carried four precincts: three in Eldersburg and one in Mount Airy, where some residents seek better representation in Westminster, the county seat. The five-commissioner proposal failed, 11,151-6,860.”

Undaunted, on Dec. 8, 1999, State Delegate Don Elliott brought the five-commissioner idea back up at a joint meeting of the county's state delegation and the commissioners.

On November 2nd, 2004 Carroll voters decided to approve a referendum to form a five-commissioner board elected by district rather than having three commissioners elected at large.

But wait, it took another four-years - until Monday, April 7, 2008, before the Maryland General Assembly approved Senate Bill 675 on Option 1 to draw the boundaries of the five commissioner districts among the eight municipalities, 36 election precincts and 14 election districts in the county.

I wonder if anyone will dare to venture a guess as to how long this latest experiment will last.

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http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Carroll%20Co%205%20Commissioner%20Dist%20plan

Labels: Carroll Co 5 Commissioner Dist plan, Carroll Co Delegation to Annapolis, MD Gen Assembly 2008 425,

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2004/09/my-thoughts-on-five-commissioner-form.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2005/10/kevin-dayhoff-many-forms-of-government.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080109-westminster-eagle-districting.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/testimony-of-md-sen-david-brinkley-in.html

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