Mount Airy mayor to resign By Jennifer Jiggetts
Times Staff Writer Tuesday, February 03, 2009
MOUNT AIRY — Mayor Frank Johnson announced during Monday night’s council meeting that he will step down from his post sometime this month.
Johnson, who is senior assistant county attorney for Carroll County, said his main reason was because he is getting more responsibility at work.
He spends a lot of time in Baltimore and will be spending more time in Annapolis and Washington, D.C., he said.
[…]
Council members were stunned.
Read more: Mount Airy mayor to resign By Jennifer Jiggetts
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/02/03/news/local_news/newsstory3.txt
20090203 Mount Airy mayor to resign By Jennifer Jiggetts
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
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Showing posts with label People Johnson–Frank Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People Johnson–Frank Johnson. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Sunday, August 03, 2008
20080802 MML Scholarship is too important to be mismanaged
20080802 MML Scholarship is too important to be mismanaged
"There are two types of knowledge. One is knowing a thing. The other is knowing where to find it." -Samuel Johnson
MML Scholarship is too important to be mismanaged
August 2, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff
Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson’s assertion in a July 31, 2008 article, “Town asked to cover cost of scholarships” by Times Staff Writer, Jennifer Jiggetts; that “No one was aware that there had been a change.” is not consistent with the Carroll County Chapter of the MML records.
Westminster - On July 31, 2008, Carroll County Times Staff Writer, Jennifer Jiggetts, had an article published in the paper: “Town asked to cover cost of scholarships.”
The article explained, in part:
“The president of the Carroll County chapter of Maryland Municipal League is asking each county municipality to pay $375 to cover the cost of scholarships the league awarded.
“After a two-year hiatus, the Carroll chapter decided to give three $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing municipal careers. But the chapter was surprised to learn it would have no monetary help from the state association, said chapter president Frank Johnson. The scholarships were awarded in June, the same time the chapter found out they’d have to foot the bill entirely. The checks have recently been sent to students, Johnson said.”
Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League for five years (12/07/1999 – 05/16/2005.) I also served on the Maryland Municipal League board of directors annually for five consecutive years, from June 2000 to May 2005.
The municipal scholarship referenced in the article was first adopted by the (statewide) MML board of directors for FY 1991.
It was continued for twelve years through FY 2002.
At that time, according to the September 4th, 2003 Quarterly [Carroll County MML] Chapter Meeting Minutes Dutch Corner Restaurant, 3154 Main Street, Manchester, Md., the (statewide) MML board of directors “re-directed funds that had helped to support the Chapter Scholarship Program, in order to support a new academic fellowship/intern scholarship program initiative, which will create a partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs and the MML.”
For five years, from 2000 through 2004 - during my tenure as secretary/treasurer – the chapter tasked me in my capacity as the chapter secretary/treasurer to administer the Carroll County Chapter of the MML scholarship program.
In those five years the Carroll County Chapter of the MML was proud to have efficiently distributed a total of $11,900.00 to a total of 19 students.
The purpose of the scholarship was to foster an interest in municipal government with the future leaders of our community. The minutes of the September 4th, 2003 Quarterly elaborated:
“… to increase public awareness of municipal government in Carroll County and to foster interest and research in municipal government, to recognize students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, and to provide needed financial support for students pursuing studies leading to a career in government or public service.”
Fast-forward to today. Ms. Jiggetts wrote on July 31, 2008 that “After a two-year hiatus, the Carroll chapter decided to give three $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing municipal careers…”
In response to questions about the management of the contemporary scholarship program, Mayor Johnson asserted that:
… he was under the impression that things stayed the same and the state would continue to supply the funds because they did so in the past.
When the state organization stopped funding the scholarship several years ago and the Carroll County chapter put it on hold, Johnson said he wasn’t around to have found out about the state’s decision.
“Our assumption was that nothing had changed from a few years ago,” Johnson said. “No one was aware that there had been a change.”
Above and beyond conventional fiscal prudence that dictates that the source of funding is determined before a scholarship program begins, it is also wise to research the history – and precedence - of a successful program in order to build upon past performance to ensure future successability when the program is reconvened.
To that end, Mayor Johnson has served on the (statewide) MML board of directors since at least June 2007. His tenure is concurrent when decisions pertaining to the Carroll County Chapter scholarship program were being decided.
In his capacity as board member, is it too far a stretch of the imagination to suggest he could have easily asked about the current status of the old discontinued statewide MML scholarship program?
Of course another way of determining the history of a program is to ask one’s predecessors; which is how I did it…
In reference to “… [t]he checks have recently been sent to students,” basic common sense indicates that a person or an organization have the funds in the checking account before a check is written and distributed.
To further cloud the issues swirling around how the scholarship program has been administered under Mayor Johnson’s leadership; records indicate that he was in attendance at the September 4th, 2003 Carroll County Chapter of the MML Quarterly Chapter Meeting at Dutch Corner Restaurant, 3154 Main Street, Manchester, Md. when changes to the program were discussed.
It was at this meeting when agenda item number 2 pertaining to the scholarship program was discussed and it was “agreed to continue our own self-funded scholarship program within the Carroll County Chapter.”
September 4th, 2003 Quarterly [Carroll County MML] Chapter Meeting Minutes - Dutch Corner Restaurant, 3154 Main Street, Manchester, Md.
[Agenda Item] 2. Discussion of the future of the Annual MML Scholarship.
MML Executive Director Scott Hancock and MML Liaison Candice Donoho gave a presentation on the 12-year old MML Chapter Scholarship Program. The MML Board of Directors has recently re-directed funds that had helped to support the Chapter Scholarship Program, in order to support a new academic fellowship/intern scholarship program initiative, which will create a partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs and the MML.
The MML Board of Directors is encouraging individual MML Chapters to continue self-funded scholarship programs and to develop scholarship program criteria that best fit the needs and desires of our respective chapters.
In the past, the Carroll County MML Chapter has assessed the Carroll County member municipalities a total of $1,500 to add to the $1,000 annual contribution from the MML. We then distributed five scholarships of $500 each at the annual June joint Carroll County/Frederick County Chapter meeting in Mt. Airy.
After thoughtful discussion, it was agreed to continue our own self-funded scholarship program within the Carroll County Chapter.
It was moved by Sykesville Councilwoman Jeannie Nichols and seconded by Hampstead Councilman Chris Nevin to sponsor two $1,000 scholarships for Carroll County students who reside within the corporate boundaries of a Carroll County Municipality and to bill the eight municipalities for the $2,000. The motion passed unanimously.
The purpose of the scholarship is to increase public awareness of municipal government in Carroll County and to foster interest and research in municipal government, to recognize students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, and to provide needed financial support for students pursuing studies leading to a career in government or public service.
Particulars as to how the MML Carroll County Chapter will adapt and implement the Scholarship Program will be discussed after the first of the year. Meanwhile, the Treasurer was directed to assess the eight municipalities pro-rata for the $2,000 for the scholarships.
Sykesville Councilwoman Jeannie Nichols will continue as Chair of the Carroll County MML Scholarship Committee. Anyone who would like to work on the Scholarship Committee should contact Councilwoman Nichols.
As far as the original pro-rated funding plan is concerned – the scholarship levy for the purposes of funding the scholarship program - was adopted at the April 27, 2000 meeting.
It was decided at that meeting to raise the funds on a proportional basis based on precedent that went back to the “Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League Articles of Organization,” which were introduced on April 21, 1988 and adopted August 14, 1988:
Carroll County Chapter Maryland Municipal League Meeting April 27, 2000 Minutes Union Bridge Community Center 4770 Ladiesburg Road Union Bridge, Maryland:
MML Scholarship Levy: It was discussed that the $2,500 needed for the MML academic scholarship was funded: $1,000 from the MML's statewide office and $1,500 raised from the County Chapter's coffers. It was decided that we would levy each Carroll County town a percentage portion of the $1,500. Mr. Dayhoff asked if it would be acceptable to simply use the formula developed by Sykesville Town Manager Matt Candland in his January 17, 2000 Carroll County Census Committee budget. That was accepted.
The Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League ran a very successful scholarship program for five years.
In 2000 we awarded $830.00 each to three students for a total of $2490.00. In 2001 we awarded $625.00 each to four students for a total of $2500.00. In 2002 we awarded $500.00 each to five students for a total of $2500.00. In 2003 we awarded $500.00 each to five students for a total of $2500.00. In 2004 we awarded $1000.00 each to two students for a total of $2000.00.
To state the obvious, the current elected and appointed leadership in our communities are not going to be in office forever and it is critical that we bring along folks who will take our places in the future and carry the mantle of governance into the future.
The program was a great success because of all the hard work of officials in the past such as then-Taneytown Mayor Henry Heine, Hampstead Mayor Haven Shoemaker, Hampstead Councilman Chris Nevin, Sykesville Councilwoman Jeannie Nichols and others too numerous to mention.
To see the program end up on the front page of the newspaper portrayed in a less than favorable light is disturbing – especially since the misunderstandings were all so easily avoided.
Nevertheless, many of us agree and easily understand a quote from a Carroll County Times July 20, 2008 editorial: “Juggling the intricacies of a municipal government can be challenging for anyone, and there are sure to be missteps along the way.”
No citizen expects perfection; however the level of incompetence and mismanagement that once again rears its ugly head in matters of Carroll County local government is unacceptable.
Especially in the light that Mayor Johnson refused to accept responsibility for the mistake by piously suggesting “No one was aware that there had been a change,” when the record does not support that defense.
Perhaps the only explanation for this latest of gaffs and missteps by the Mayor of Mount Airy – President of Carroll County Chapter of the MML – Member the statewide MML board of directors - Senior Assistant County Attorney/Legislative Director – Baltimore Regional Transportation Board empowered representative for Carroll County Commissioner Julia Gouge - - is to revisit a February 9, 2003 20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”:
“… Frank Johnson has been wearing a lot of different hats lately, but the time has come for him to step back and make some realistic decisions about where he believes he can do the most good.
[…]
“Johnson also took a job as assistant to County Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge. And while he and others have said there is nothing legally wrong with collecting paychecks from both the Town of Mount Airy and the county, there likely is an ethical issue involved.[1]
“At the very least, Johnson has spread himself too thin to be entirely effective in any one of the positions. And because his many positions span from Mount Airy to Carroll's municipalities to county government, that means the impact is being felt everywhere in the county.
“Johnson owes it to the people of Mount Airy, owes it to the towns, cities and organizations that make up the Council of Governments and owes it to taxpayers who pay his salary as Gouge's assistant to step back from some of these responsibilities.
“He must assess where he believes he can be most effective, and then concentrate on those areas.
“Wanting to help out in as many different ways as possible is an admirable trait, but it does no good if the person is running in so many different directions that it takes away from all of his various jobs and duties.”
Meanwhile, many of us agree in principle with Hampstead Mayor Haven Shoemaker who noted: “$375 is a fairly small price to pay [for such an important program…].”
However, New Windsor Mayor Sam Pierce is also correct when he “said changes need to be made to the scholarship program.
“‘You don’t go out and spend money before making the budget,’ he said. ‘If we know we’re going to do something, we budget for it. That’s basic. It’s the way towns operate.’”
And finally, Union Bridge Bret Grossnickle was correct when he said: “…the funds were unfairly split. They should have been divided per capita, not by town, he said.”
“‘$375 is not going to break us, but we have to do it differently next year,’ Grossnickle said.”
Nevertheless, as Mayor Johnson said in a Baltimore Sun article on August 22, 2002: “We are all part of the same county," Johnson said. "What happens in one part of this county does have an effect on other parts. There is much more of a connection and a need for ongoing communication, a problem-solving approach that brings everybody to the table.”
Hopefully Mayor Johnson will be able to rekindle an “ongoing communication, a problem-solving approach that brings everybody to the table” and get the MML scholarship program back on track.
####
Related references:
“Town asked to cover cost of scholarships” By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times, Thursday, July 31, 2008 – see: 20080731 Towns asked to cover cost of MML scholarships By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times
20030904 September 4th, 2003 Carroll County MML Quarterly Chapter Meeting Minutes
20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
20000427 Carroll County Chapter MML Meeting at Union Bridge
20060617 Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson joins county attorney staff
MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap. Meeting Minutes
Labels: MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap., MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap. Scholarship Program, Westminster Mayor 200105 200505 Kevin E. Dayhoff, People Carroll Co. Johnson – Frank Johnson,
[1] The matter of any potential conflict… was covered in a June 17, 2006 Carroll County Times article, “Mt. Airy mayor joins county attorney staff.” When Mayor Johnson was hired to be a senior assistant county attorney for Carroll County: “Before accepting the position, Johnson received approval from both the county ethics administrator and the Mount Airy Ethics Commission” See: 20060617 Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson joins county attorney staff
Saturday, August 02, 2008
20080731 Towns asked to cover cost of MML scholarships By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times
20080731 Towns asked to cover cost of MML scholarships By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times
“Town asked to cover cost of [MML] scholarships” By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times, Thursday, July 31, 2008
Town asked to cover cost of scholarships
By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The president of the Carroll County chapter of Maryland Municipal League is asking each county municipality to pay $375 to cover the cost of scholarships the league awarded.
After a two-year hiatus, the Carroll chapter decided to give three $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing municipal careers. But the chapter was surprised to learn it would have no monetary help from the state association, said chapter president Frank Johnson. The scholarships were awarded in June, the same time the chapter found out they’d have to foot the bill entirely. The checks have recently been sent to students, Johnson said.
[…]
Johnson, who’s also the mayor of Mount Airy, said he was under the impression that things stayed the same and the state would continue to supply the funds because they did so in the past.When the state organization stopped funding the scholarship several years ago and the Carroll County chapter put it on hold, Johnson said he wasn’t around to have found out about the state’s decision.
[…]
“Our assumption was that nothing had changed from a few years ago,” Johnson said. “No one was aware that there had been a change.”
Johnson said he has already paid the $3,000 from his personal savings account with the intent of reimbursement from Carroll’s eight municipalities. Johnson told town officials they needed to pay him back in July.
Johnson suggested the $3,000 scholarship bill be split evenly between the county’s eight municipalities.
With tight budgets and limited funds, some Carroll County town officials saw the payment as a surprise. Others were displeased at the proposed $375 amount.
Union Bridge Mayor Bret Grossnickle said the funds were unfairly split. They should have been divided per capita, not by town, he said.
“$375 is not going to break us, but we have to do it differently next year,” Grossnickle said.
New Windsor Mayor Sam Pierce said changes need to be made to the scholarship program.
“You don’t go out and spend money before making the budget,” he said. “If we know we’re going to do something, we budget for it. That’s basic. It’s the way towns operate.”
Haven N. Shoemaker Jr., mayor of Hampstead, said the situation is a misunderstanding.
“Hampstead had no objection,” he said. “$375 is a fairly small price to pay.”
Reach staff writer Jennifer Jiggetts at 410-857-7873 or
jennifer.jiggetts AT carrollcountytimes.com.
20080731 Town asked to cover cost of scholarships By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer for the Carroll County Times
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/07/31/news/local_news/newsstory5.txt
20030904 September 4th, 2003 Carroll County MML Quarterly Chapter Meeting Minutes
20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
20000427 Carroll County Chapter MML Meeting at Union Bridge
20060617 Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson joins county attorney staff
MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap. Meeting Minutes
Labels: MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap., MD Municipal League Carroll Co. Chap. Scholarship Program, Westminster Mayor 200105 200505 Kevin E. Dayhoff, People Carroll Co. Johnson – Frank Johnson,
Monday, June 19, 2006
20060617 Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson joins county attorney staff
20060617 Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson joins county attorney staff
Mt. Airy mayor joins county attorney staff
By Sara Bott, Carroll County Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson started a new job June 12 as a senior assistant county attorney for Carroll County.
Johnson will perform legal duties for the Department of the County Attorney, primarily focusing on legislative services, according to information from the county attorney's office.
[…]Before accepting the position, Johnson received approval from both the county ethics administrator and the Mount Airy Ethics Commission.
Swanson said the commission cautioned Johnson to take a step back from the job if he is faced with town-related issues. Johnson said if something should come up, the county office would have someone else deal with the case and Johnson would take a step back.
Dick Swanson, a member of the Ethics Commission … said all four members agreed that Johnson's new job will not conflict with his job as mayor of Mount Airy. Swanson added that Johnson was not required to seek the opinion of the Ethics Commission.
He said Johnson told the commission that his job requirements are on a state and federal level, not a municipal level; therefore, the commission doesn't foresee any issues.
[…]
Read the entire article here: Mt. Airy mayor joins county attorney staff
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2006/06/17/news/local_news/news4d.txt
Related: 20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
Friday, June 16, 2006
20060615 KDDC Mayor Frank Johnson and Deja Vu
Mayor Frank Johnson and Deja Vu all over again
June 15th, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff
Several folks have called this to my attention: "Frank Johnson named Senior Assistant County Attorney/Legislative Director," posted on the Carroll County Government Web site on June 13th, 2006. You can go here and read it.
I have also been reminded of an editorial by the Carroll County Times pertaining to the matter of Mayor – then Council President Johnson, holding two public positions concurrently.
I have found the editorial in my archives. The editorial was written on February 9th, 2003 and it was entitled: “A problem of wearing many hats.”
Since the Carroll County Times does not use permalinks, I will paste the editorial, in its entirety, below.
With respect to the Mt. Airy Ethics Commission; one wonders how it is that the commission was able to make a determination as to whether or not Mayor Johnson holding two positions of public trust and profit simultaneously was an impropriety - and keep matter the confidential.
Although my ear to the ground never indicated that the information was leaked by anyone associated with the commission; it has been persistently alleged to be an open secret that nothing is confidential in
In the previous
Deja vu seems to be the operative word in
Although such meetings may be appropriate, if not necessary, meetings such as this were characterized in the press, among advocacy groups and in the May 1st, 2006 election as inappropriate.
A community certainly has a right to determine for itself what meetings are to be public and not public as long as such determinations are consistent with current
So what has changed - except perhaps, the folks involved in the current meetings? Hmmmm?
Back in March 2006, I wrote a piece on the open meetings issue, or rather the suggestion that “secret” meetings were taking place in
As far as Mayor Johnson holding an appointed position in County government and being the mayor of
Mayor Johnson’s sense of public service to our greater community is to be admired.
However, I believe that I read where he said that he was going to resign from his county position, if – or upon his election as mayor. I just did a quick search of my archives and I cannot find where it is that I read that information. Perhaps a kind reader may have the cite and forward it to me?
The problem appears to be one of consistency. It is a problem that frequently presents itself with legislative bodies and elected officials. It certainly has raised its ugly head in
The other challenge called to my attention in Mt Airy seems to be the matter of the “town administrator” position that has quickly been raised since the election. This issue has also been a hot potato in
Perhaps, if a candidate for the position of mayor, has in mind that they want to hire a town administrator to do their job after they are elected, maybe they ought to disclose that to the voters before the election and let the voters decide if that is how they want their town run.
In Mt. Airy, the concept of having a town administrator run the town appeared out of nowhere immediately after the election. When folks said, hold on here, let’s talk about it, the mayor and some members of the
The very same folks who suggested that this was the approach of the previous administration, are the ones leading the way. What has changed? What is different? It certainly does not meet either the optics test or the smell test and to be perfectly blunt, appears to be situational ethics.
Mayor Johnson said in a letter to the editor in the Carroll County Times, earlier today, June 15th, 2006: “A few days ago, the Times excoriated me for asking the town council to approve a town administrator at the June council meeting rather than tabling the idea… This decision was not made behind closed doors. The proposal was on the pre-announced public agenda for the council meeting, and it was openly discussed. In fact, I answered more than a dozen specific questions. The town council took public comment on the proposal. Even if one takes umbrage at my request for a decision, this all occurred in an open meeting to which the public was not only invited, but in attendance.”
(For more background: Editorial for Thursday, June 8, 2006: “Campaign promises apparently mean nothing to the newly elected mayor and council members of
This response, although certainly plausible for this columnist, was not acceptable for issues in the previous administration. There’s the rub. What has changed? What is different? Why were these things unacceptable in the previous administration, but perfectly fine now?
Read the rest of his letter to the editor, “Government is open in
Things just get curiouser and curiouser in
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
State refuses to help in Mount Airy ethics leak investigation: “The state prosecutor's office has refused to help investigate an alleged leak of confidential information regarding a pending ethics investigation in
_________________
Open-government mayor stops taping meeting Publish Date: 06/08/06; By Katie E. Leslie News-Post Staff: “MOUNT AIRY -- Minutes into Monday's public hearing about a new downtown zoning classification, Mount Airy Town Council Secretary Peter Helt realized the meeting was not being recorded.
When he asked newly elected Mayor Frank Johnson why, Mr. Johnson said he made the decision to stop taping after a conversation with town attorney Lynn Board, who was hired by the council following Mr. Johnson's inauguration.
Mr. Helt appeared stunned….”
Read the rest here.
_________________
Mt. Airy council resumes taping, Jun. 9, 2006: “After a two-week hiatus the Mount Airy Town Council will resume tape recording council meetings. When a citizen expressed concern about an unrelated proposed ordinance during a public hearing at Monday night's meeting, councilman Peter Helt asked why...” Read the rest here.
_________________
“Two public hearings not taped” Thursday, June 8, 2006 by Carolynne Fitzpatrick, Gazette Staff Writer “Mayor decides not to record hearings; reverses decision after realizing it violated town code:” “The public will not have a chance to review the tapes of two hearings that took place on Monday, after Mayor Frank Johnson decided not to continue taping public meetings — a decision that was revoked after council members discussed it….” Read more here.
_________________
A problem of wearing many hats
Mount Airy Town Councilman Frank Johnson has been wearing a lot of different hats lately, but the time has come for him to step back and make some realistic decisions about where he believes he can do the most good.
The councilman was instrumental in rallying support and bringing together a Council of Governments in Carroll at a time when communication between the county office building and Carroll's municipalities was sorely lacking. He remains a vocal advocate and is actively involved as the organization gets up and running.
Johnson also took a job as assistant to County Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge. And while he and others have said there is nothing legally wrong with collecting paychecks from both the Town of Mount Airy and the county, there likely is an ethical issue involved.
That issue is compounded by Johnson's other involvement in
At the very least, Johnson has spread himself too thin to be entirely effective in any one of the positions. And because his many positions span from Mount Airy to Carroll's municipalities to county government, that means the impact is being felt everywhere in the county.
Johnson owes it to the people of Mount Airy, owes it to the towns, cities and organizations that make up the Council of Governments and owes it to taxpayers who pay his salary as Gouge's assistant to step back from some of these responsibilities.
He must assess where he believes he can be most effective, and then concentrate on those areas.
Wanting to help out in as many different ways as possible is an admirable trait, but it does no good if the person is running in so many different directions that it takes away from all of his various jobs and duties.
©Carroll County Online 2003
####
Thursday, June 15, 2006
20060615 KDDC Mayor Frank Johnson and Deja Vu
20060615 KDDC Mayor Frank Johnson and Deja Vu
Mayor Frank Johnson and Deja Vu all over again
June 15th, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff
Several folks have called this to my attention: "Frank Johnson named Senior Assistant County Attorney/Legislative Director," posted on the Carroll County Government Web site on June 13th, 2006. You can go here and read it.
I have also been reminded of an editorial by the Carroll County Times pertaining to the matter of Mayor – then Council President Johnson, holding two public positions concurrently.
I have found the editorial in my archives. The editorial was written on February 9th, 2003 and it was entitled: “A problem of wearing many hats.”
Since the Carroll County Times does not use permalinks, I will paste the editorial, in its entirety, below.
With respect to the Mt. Airy Ethics Commission; one wonders how it is that the commission was able to make a determination as to whether or not Mayor Johnson holding two positions of public trust and profit simultaneously was an impropriety - and keep matter the confidential.
Although my ear to the ground never indicated that the information was leaked by anyone associated with the commission; it has been persistently alleged to be an open secret that nothing is confidential in
In the previous
Deja vu seems to be the operative word in
Although such meetings may be appropriate, if not necessary, meetings such as this were characterized in the press, among advocacy groups and in the May 1st, 2006 election as inappropriate.
A community certainly has a right to determine for itself what meetings are to be public and not public as long as such determinations are consistent with current
So what has changed - except perhaps, the folks involved in the current meetings? Hmmmm?
Back in March 2006, I wrote a piece on the open meetings issue, or rather the suggestion that “secret” meetings were taking place in
As far as Mayor Johnson holding an appointed position in County government and being the mayor of
Mayor Johnson’s sense of public service to our greater community is to be admired.
However, I believe that I read where he said that he was going to resign from his county position, if – or upon his election as mayor. I just did a quick search of my archives and I cannot find where it is that I read that information. Perhaps a kind reader may have the cite and forward it to me?
The problem appears to be one of consistency. It is a problem that frequently presents itself with legislative bodies and elected officials. It certainly has raised its ugly head in
The other challenge called to my attention in Mt Airy seems to be the matter of the “town administrator” position that has quickly been raised since the election. This issue has also been a hot potato in
Perhaps, if a candidate for the position of mayor, has in mind that they want to hire a town administrator to do their job after they are elected, maybe they ought to disclose that to the voters before the election and let the voters decide if that is how they want their town run.
In Mt. Airy, the concept of having a town administrator run the town appeared out of nowhere immediately after the election. When folks said, hold on here, let’s talk about it, the mayor and some members of the
The very same folks who suggested that this was the approach of the previous administration, are the ones leading the way. What has changed? What is different? It certainly does not meet either the optics test or the smell test and to be perfectly blunt, appears to be situational ethics.
Mayor Johnson said in a letter to the editor in the Carroll County Times, earlier today, June 15th, 2006: “A few days ago, the Times excoriated me for asking the town council to approve a town administrator at the June council meeting rather than tabling the idea… This decision was not made behind closed doors. The proposal was on the pre-announced public agenda for the council meeting, and it was openly discussed. In fact, I answered more than a dozen specific questions. The town council took public comment on the proposal. Even if one takes umbrage at my request for a decision, this all occurred in an open meeting to which the public was not only invited, but in attendance.”
(For more background: Editorial for Thursday, June 8, 2006: “Campaign promises apparently mean nothing to the newly elected mayor and council members of
This response, although certainly plausible for this columnist, was not acceptable for issues in the previous administration. There’s the rub. What has changed? What is different? Why were these things unacceptable in the previous administration, but perfectly fine now?
Read the rest of his letter to the editor, “Government is open in
Things just get curiouser and curiouser in
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
State refuses to help in Mount Airy ethics leak investigation: “The state prosecutor's office has refused to help investigate an alleged leak of confidential information regarding a pending ethics investigation in
_________________
Open-government mayor stops taping meeting Publish Date: 06/08/06; By Katie E. Leslie News-Post Staff: “MOUNT AIRY -- Minutes into Monday's public hearing about a new downtown zoning classification, Mount Airy Town Council Secretary Peter Helt realized the meeting was not being recorded.
When he asked newly elected Mayor Frank Johnson why, Mr. Johnson said he made the decision to stop taping after a conversation with town attorney Lynn Board, who was hired by the council following Mr. Johnson's inauguration.
Mr. Helt appeared stunned….”
Read the rest here.
_________________
Mt. Airy council resumes taping, Jun. 9, 2006: “After a two-week hiatus the Mount Airy Town Council will resume tape recording council meetings. When a citizen expressed concern about an unrelated proposed ordinance during a public hearing at Monday night's meeting, councilman Peter Helt asked why...” Read the rest here.
_________________
“Two public hearings not taped” Thursday, June 8, 2006 by Carolynne Fitzpatrick, Gazette Staff Writer “Mayor decides not to record hearings; reverses decision after realizing it violated town code:” “The public will not have a chance to review the tapes of two hearings that took place on Monday, after Mayor Frank Johnson decided not to continue taping public meetings — a decision that was revoked after council members discussed it….” Read more here.
_________________
Mount Airy Town Councilman Frank Johnson has been wearing a lot of different hats lately, but the time has come for him to step back and make some realistic decisions about where he believes he can do the most good.
The councilman was instrumental in rallying support and bringing together a Council of Governments in Carroll at a time when communication between the county office building and Carroll's municipalities was sorely lacking. He remains a vocal advocate and is actively involved as the organization gets up and running.
Johnson also took a job as assistant to County Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge. And while he and others have said there is nothing legally wrong with collecting paychecks from both the Town of Mount Airy and the county, there likely is an ethical issue involved.
That issue is compounded by Johnson's other involvement in
At the very least, Johnson has spread himself too thin to be entirely effective in any one of the positions. And because his many positions span from Mount Airy to Carroll's municipalities to county government, that means the impact is being felt everywhere in the county.
Johnson owes it to the people of Mount Airy, owes it to the towns, cities and organizations that make up the Council of Governments and owes it to taxpayers who pay his salary as Gouge's assistant to step back from some of these responsibilities.
He must assess where he believes he can be most effective, and then concentrate on those areas.
Wanting to help out in as many different ways as possible is an admirable trait, but it does no good if the person is running in so many different directions that it takes away from all of his various jobs and duties.
©Carroll County Online 2003
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Sunday, February 09, 2003
20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
Editorial for Feb. 9, 2003
February 09, 2003
A problem of wearing many hats
Mount Airy Town Councilman Frank Johnson has been wearing a lot of different hats lately, but the time has come for him to step back and make some realistic decisions about where he believes he can do the most good.
The councilman was instrumental in rallying support and bringing together a Council of Governments in Carroll at a time when communication between the county office building and Carroll's municipalities was sorely lacking. He remains a vocal advocate and is actively involved as the organization gets up and running.
(Webmaster’s note: The idea that Mr. Johnson “was instrumental in rallying support and bringing together a Council of Governments in Carroll” is not consistent with how many of us remember it. See: 20020822 “Mayors consider an area council” By Mary Gail Hare, Sun Staff)
Johnson also took a job as assistant to County Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge. And while he and others have said there is nothing legally wrong with collecting paychecks from both the Town of Mount Airy and the county, there likely is an ethical issue involved.
That issue is compounded by Johnson's other involvement in Mount Airy, where he serves as zoning administrator and is the council's liaison to the planning commission.
At the very least, Johnson has spread himself too thin to be entirely effective in any one of the positions. And because his many positions span from Mount Airy to Carroll's municipalities to county government, that means the impact is being felt everywhere in the county.
Johnson owes it to the people of Mount Airy, owes it to the towns, cities and organizations that make up the Council of Governments and owes it to taxpayers who pay his salary as Gouge's assistant to step back from some of these responsibilities.
He must assess where he believes he can be most effective, and then concentrate on those areas.
Wanting to help out in as many different ways as possible is an admirable trait, but it does no good if the person is running in so many different directions that it takes away from all of his various jobs and duties.
20030209 Carroll County Times editorial: Frank Johnson – “A problem of wearing many hats”
Labels: People Carroll Co. Johnson – Frank Johnson, People Carroll County
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