Westminster City Elections May 14, 2019 for three members of the Common Council.

Westminster City Elections May 14, 2019 for three members of the Common Council.

Retrieved February 15, 2019 from the city website here: https://www.westminstermd.gov/390/Elections

According to the website:

The next general election will be on May 14, 2019 for three members of the Common Council.

Declarations of Candidacy

Qualifications for Common Council Members:

Must be at least 21 years of age or older; and,

Have resided within the corporate limits of the City for at least one year.

To check the corporate limits, you may visit our map here.

How to become a Candidate:

Each candidate for election shall file a Declaration of Intent.

You may either receive a form from the City Clerk or visit this link.

Each candidate is required to submit payment of $25 at the time of filing with the City Clerk.

All Declaration of Intent forms must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on April 15, 2019.

Announcement of all qualified candidates will be held during the Mayor and Common Council Meeting on April 22, 2019.

Absentee Ballots:

Per City Charter §C-3.1 (d) An absentee resident shall be entitled to be sent an absentee ballot as hereinabove provided only if the application therefore is received by said municipality at least ten days before the date of an election; therefore, the request to submit an absentee ballot will be no later than 5 p.m. on May 6, 2019

Absentee Ballots must be submitted by the close of the voting polls at 8 p.m. on May 14, 2019.

Polling Place Information

Residents living WEST of MD31 will vote at the Community Building, 325 Royer Road

Residents living EAST of MD31 will vote at John Street Quarters, 28 John Street

Election Judge Information

If you would like to apply to be an Election Judge for the upcoming election, please click here for the application form.

For more information on becoming an Election Judge, please send us an email or call 410-848-9000.

Interested in Being on the City Board of Elections?

Are you a Westminster City resident who would like to help out your community? Want to help the City of Westminster have a successful municipal election process?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then consider submitting an application to serve on the City of Westminster’s newly established Board of Elections!

Applicants must be a registered voter living within the Westminster City limits.

The next City of Westminster municipal election will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. For more information, visit www.WestminsterMD.gov/elections.

Submit an Application for Nomination to Boards and Commissions to the City Clerk today!

Voter Registration Information

Not sure if you're registered? Need to change your address? Find out how to do this and more at the Carroll County Board of Elections website or the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

++++++

Kevin Dayhoff for Westminster Common Council

Westminster Municipal election May 14, 2019

Authority Caroline Babylon, Treasurer.

Carroll County Times: www.tinyurl.com/KED-CCT

Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: http://tinyurl.com/KED-Sun

Westminster Patch: https://patch.com/users/kevin-e-dayhoff

Facebook Dayhoff for Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/DayhoffforWestminster/

Facebook: Kevin Earl Dayhoff: https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff

Dayhoff for Westminster: www.kevindayhoff.info

Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net

Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org

Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/

Kevin Dayhoff Time Flies: https://kevindayhoff.wordpress.com/  

Congratulations to Commissioner Steve Wantz for graduating from the Univ. of MD Academy for Excellence in Local Governance

Congratulations to Commissioner Steve Wantz for graduating from the Univ. of MD Academy for Excellence in Local Governance

Commissioner Steve Wantz, District 1, graduated from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance on Sunday, September 24, 2017

 

September 28, 2017 by Kevin Dayhoff

It was announced today that Commissioner Steve Wantz, District 1, graduated from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance on Sunday, September 24, 2017.

The graduation ceremony took place at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy Academy Fellows graduation ceremony in the University of Maryland Memorial Chapel.

I would like to be among the first to congratulate Commissioner Wantz on his accomplishment. Graduating from the academy takes long hours, and a great deal of perseverance, and dedication, on top of attending to the day-to-day time and energy challenges of being an elected official.

Westminster Common Council Member Suzanne Albert and I graduated among a total of five local Carroll County officials on June 2, 2001. We are well-aware of the challenges of attending out of town classes and spending long hours in the classroom in order to complete a minimum of 12 classes in a two year period, in order to be eligible to graduate.

In 1999, I was encouraged to take the classes, by my late father-in-law Dave Babylon, who had served on the Westminster Common Council for 25 years in the 1970s-1980s. He was a big supporter of the MML and emphasized looking beyond our walls – beyond of city limits for learning opportunities in order that we maintain Westminster’s reputation for being on the cutting edge of forward thinking governance.

On October 18, 1999, I explained in a memo, “The Academy is a joint effort of the Maryland Municipal League (MML), the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT,) and the University of Maryland Institute for Governmental Service (IGS.)

“The Academy is a voluntary training program designed as an educational response to the professional needs of local officials in Maryland. Local Officials are increasingly asked to do more, often with fewer resources. As more governmental decision making is made at the local level, increasingly, local officials are called on to understand and make decisions on highly complex issues with weighty implications to their jurisdictions.

“The Academy has been designed to help local officials meet the challenges of their roles. To receive the Academy certificate local government officials must complete training sessions on six core topics and six elective topics. Classes will be of varying lengths. On average, it is expected each Fellow will have completed between 25 and 40 hours of training.” 

On September 28, 2017, Carroll County government announced that “Commissioner Wantz joined more than 90 public officials from across the state to receive an Academy certificate in the presence of family and friends. All Academy Fellows completed a substantial number of program hours, which included core and elective classes designed to meet their professional needs as municipal or county officials in local government. Through the program, Academy Fellows not only enhanced their understanding of local government issues and ethical standards for public service, but also developed a foundation for informed policy making and effective governance.

Commissioner Steve Wantz said in a county media release, “This professional development program greatly increased my knowledge as a government official. The curriculum was challenging and included topics such as risk management, county financial management, employment issues, ethics, open meetings, and the Public Information Act. I thoroughly enjoyed working with officials from other jurisdictions and believe the program made me a stronger, more informed and effective leader for Carroll County.”

The release further explained “The Academy, which offered its first classes in 1998, is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, the Maryland Municipal League, the Maryland Association of Counties, and the Local Government Insurance Trust.

“The School of Public Policy is recognized as one of the country’s premier programs in public policy and management. The School has more than 25 years of experience delivering acclaimed leadership development and public policy programs to public (federal, state and local) clients as well as for- and non-profit organizations and government agencies from abroad.”

Congratulations Commissioner Wantz. The classes you took to graduate from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance will serve you well and all of Carroll County will benefit.

https://patch.com/maryland/westminster/congratulations-commissioner-steve-wantz-graduating-univ-md-academy-excellenc

https://my.patch.com/content/articles/published

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kevin-earl-dayhoff/congratulations-to-commissioner-steve-wantz-for-graduating-from-the-univ-of-md-a/10154994997047654/

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

20050620 Carroll County Times: New mayor eager to work with employees

By Robert Brodsky, Times Staff Writer

Monday, June 20, 2005

Q&A

Name: Thomas Ferguson

Residence: Westminster

Age: 63

Job: Mayor of Westminster

Reason for becoming involved in city government: Was involved for many years in civic and community groups, but, following his retirement, he wanted to provide a greater contribution to the city.

On May 9, Thomas Ferguson was elected mayor of Westminster, besting former Mayor Kevin Dayhoff by more than 120 votes. Ferguson, a retired bank executive, served nearly four years on the Westminster City Council before taking over as mayor.

Q: How has life changed since becoming mayor of Westminster?

A: I still take the garbage out and still have to walk the dog. Obviously, it hasn't been a dramatic change for me. I've only been retired for about a year. I was used to keeping a regular schedule, and I intend to maintain regular hours here. I've been spending a lot of hours here in the initial days and weeks just to get up to speed about what's going on. But not a lot has changed. I guess the only difference now is that I get to sign things.

Q: What changes have you put in place since taking office and what other changes are on the immediate horizon?

A: I started a regular staff meeting with the folks that report directly to me. We had our first staff meeting last week, and we're going to do that on a monthly basis. It's something that's important and needed, and it's new. Most of the first month has been spent figuring out how this place operates and getting a better understanding of the decision-making process.

Longer term, I want to start a formal strategic planning process. We are going to do a citywide employee opinion survey to get an understanding of how they feel about their jobs. That's the basis for another part of the strategic plan. What is it that employees need and want and what improvements do we need to make as an employer? It's a 360-degree look at ourselves. My experience in all the years that I have been doing this kind of stuff is that the best place to get information is from employees. They'll tell you the truth as long as their opinions and comments are protected and confidential. Sometime - I suspect this summer - we are going to do a citywide analysis of how our jobs are ranked; how we evaluate our jobs and whether or not our job categories are properly structured.

Q: Keeping with the subject of employee relations, you expressed concern during your campaign about the morale of city workers. Do you believe that your concerns were accurate and, if so, what can be done to improve the situation?

A: Part of the purpose of the opinion survey is to get to that question. Is morale an issue and, if so, what are the factors causing concerns among morale? I think my instincts are going to be true and that employees are looking forward to getting their opinions out. ... We are going to get the answer to that in the next few months.

Q: How will your administration be different than that of your predecessor, Kevin Dayhoff?

A: I am going to be here on a regular basis and be accessible for citizens and employees. I tend to be involved with what's going on in city government. Not to the degree of doing any micromanaging. That's what we hire experts to do. But to understand how we operate and ask questions about why we are doing what we are doing and is there a better way to do it? I am very interested in finding ways to make this place more efficient and more cost-effective. I am confident the employees will help us identify areas where we can find some productivity improvements and cost savings. So, I am going to be very much interested in getting employees involved in their day-to-day work life here and telling me and the council and the supervisory management staff what they think can be improved.

Q: What are some of the biggest issues facing the city of Westminster?

A: We have a flood of lots outside the city limits of Westminster that have an awful lot of potential development. I think the pressure the city will be facing is the question of annexation. How big do we want the city boundaries to become? Because the number of available building lots is going to be stunning. I think that's a big issue and one we have to get our arms around pretty quickly. That's why we need to have a full-blown strategic plan that talks about where the future city boundaries should be. We have this thing on a map now. There's this hypothetical line - and literally it's a line on the map - that says "future city boundary." And we have the city water and sewer service area and then we have the actual boundary. We need to ask ourselves a question: Where did that come from and is that what we want? Do we want the boundaries of the city of Westminster to be as big as that? And what are the implications for services and taxpayers? And along with that comes growth and questions about water and where it is going to come from.

Q: How does the city balance continued residential and commercial growth while also remaining a small Main Street town?

A: First of all, we need to make a decision on size and what we are going to look like. Get that down in the form of a document that everybody has bought into and then stick to it. How much more annexation do we want to do? And where do we want that to occur? The whole question of planning for growth and where we want that to occur has to be part of our overall plan. And what kind of growth? Do we want all our neighborhoods to look alike? I live in a neighborhood that is mixed. Different-style houses. Different architectural features. Multifamily, single-family, small houses and big houses. That's the kind of neighborhood that used to be typical. Mixed use has sort of gotten a bad name somewhere along the line. But that's kind of how we all grew up in small-town America. We can't turn the clock back, but I think there's something we can be doing better in our planning process to make the neighborhoods look less homogeneous.

Q: What do you envision Westminster will look like 20 to 25 years from now?

A: Well, growth is inevitable. We're blessed in many ways. We are in a beautiful part of the state, geographically convenient to places like Baltimore, [Washington] D.C., Philadelphia, Gettysburg and, for that matter, even New York. It's three hours to the ocean and four hours to the far western part of the state. Geographically, we are in a wonderful situation. We still have an awful lot of open farmland that is very attractive to people, so we are going to be a magnet for growth. And we're not going to be able to avoid that. I am hoping what we can do is deal with that in a way that doesn't turn this community into something that looks like everything else.

We have beautiful architecture in these older neighborhoods. You see some of that late 19th-century, early 20th-century architecture that's still very visible, particularly in some of these older neighborhoods on Main Street. These are things worth preserving. I would like to see more and more opportunities for people to live here and to work here. Not much in that regard the city can do by itself. But we need the help and cooperation of the county. I am hoping we can find ways to make it affordable.

Reach staff writer Robert Brodsky at 410-857-7865 or RBrodsky@lcniofmd.com.

20050525 Westminster Advocate Election Concession

Westminster Advocate Election Concession

by Former Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff

May 25th, 2005

It has been a great honor to serve the citizens of Westminster as your Mayor for the past four years as Westminster has continued to adjust to positive changes and prosper. Indeed, it has been a special privilege to serve as a Westminster elected official for the last six years and work with so many dedicated and talented elected and appointed officials, Westminster Boards, Commissions and Westminster employees.

A personal thank you goes out to each and every citizen, Westminster employee, community organization, Home Owners Association, business, service organization, and faith institution; with which I had the distinct pleasure to work. I have been truly blessed to have been a part of your efforts in our community. Thank you.

I congratulate Tom Ferguson, Roy Chiavacci and Kevin Utz on their election victory. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud all the hard work and efforts of not only the winning candidates, but also Greg Pecoraro, Josie Velázquez, Jeff Dixon, Kevin Alt and their families; all of whom worked hard and greatly contributed to getting out the vote and raising and discussing important issues about our community’s future.

A public thank you is also appropriate to Damian Halstad and his family for his 12 years of service to our community.

Everyone is a winner for getting involved and Westminster is the winner because of their involvement.

Westminster is only as strong as the citizens who are involved and participating in shaping our shared future. It is therefore equally important to celebrate the active participation of so many friends, family members, citizens and community organizations; who gave of their time and effort to actively participate in everyone’s campaigns.

The Carroll County Landlords Association, WTTR, Adelphia Channel 3, the Community Media Center, the Carroll County FOP and all of our local newspapers, worked hard and played an important community leadership role in getting valuable information out to the public so that citizens could make an informed decision about our future leadership.

It was exciting to see that 1106 local citizens took time out their busy day to vote and play a key and critical role in determining how Westminster will continue to prosper. Voting in the City of Westminster has been a time-honored tradition since our community’s first election on April 5th, 1819. Voicing our opinions, voting and participating in choosing our leaders is a right that none of us should take for granted. As Memorial Day approaches, it is important that we recognize that many have gone before us and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can go to the polls and vote.

I deeply appreciate the support of all those who voted for me, and worked hard for my re-election campaign. I urge everyone to join me in supporting the new mayor and council. There is much more work to be accomplished and by staying positive and working together, we will all do better.

Meanwhile, my wife has given me a long list of things to do around the house as I personally look forward to other opportunities to stay involved in our community. Please join me in sharing my excitement and enthusiasm for Westminster’s future.

####

20050513 The Maryland Unemployed Mayor’s Association MMLUMA

The Maryland Unemployed Mayor’s Association MMLUMA
Main Street
Anywhere Everywhere, MD 21158-1245

Exulted Ruler elect: Presently Unemployed
Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff

Exchequer of the Treasury elect: Presently Unemployed
Berlin Mayor Rex Hailey

Exceptional Secretary elect: Presently Unemployed
Forest Heights Mayor Paula Noble

May 13th, 2005

MML President Barrie Tilghman
Maryland Municipal League
1212 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-3635

Dear Maryland Municipal League President Barrie Tilghman,

Unemployed Berlin Mayor Rex Hailey, Unemployed Forest Heights Mayor Paula Noble and myself would like to take this opportunity to petition the MML for the formulation of a new Maryland Municipal League Department to be so entitled “The Maryland Unemployed Mayor’s Association” (MMLUMA).

The MMLUMA could be of invaluable service to elected and appointed Maryland public officials, although, we would agree to not ever give anyone, any election advice. We anxiously await your decision, please advise.

Meanwhile, as I am sure you are aware, Tom Ferguson was elected Mayor of the City of Westminster on May 9th, 2005. Mayor Ferguson will do a fine job for our community. Please join me in welcoming and wishing Mayor Ferguson, Godspeed and the best of luck. Please take every opportunity to speak with Westminster Mayor Ferguson about the benefits and value of the MML.

It is with deepest regret that I resign my position as Member at Large of the Maryland Municipal League Board of Directors.

I was first elected to Maryland Municipal League’s Board of Directors, Member-at-Large on June 13th, 2000. I have had the honor to serve on the Board of Directors for the past five years.

It has been a great pleasure working with you, the other Board members, MML Executive Director Scott Hancock and the wonderful, capable and competent MML Staff, elected and appointed public officials throughout the State of Maryland.

It has been an enormous joy to have witnessed the MML continue to grow, prosper, and make an invaluable contribution to all the citizens of Maryland, for whom we have the honor to serve.

If the Board should decide to appoint a replacement for my vacated Member at Large seat, I highly recommend Mt. Airy Council President John Medve.

As I look forward to taking some time off to spend with my family and look forward to whatever opportunities await in the future. I will greatly miss working the MML.

Again, it has been my pleasure to work with you and I wish everyone associated with the MML the very best future. Thank you for all your work.

With best regard, I am

Very truly yours,

/s/

Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff, P. O. Box 1245, Westminster, MD 21158-1245

20050509 City of Westminster Statement Of Return Of Election

City of Westminster Statement Of Return Of Election

May 9, 2005

The meeting was then reconvened as Chief Election Judges Nancy Smelser and Susan Thomas submitted the 2005 election results for the Westminster Common Council. The following Statement of Return of Election was read aloud by Mrs. Smelser:

STATEMENT OF RETURN OF ELECTION

Mayor Dayhoff and Members of the City Council

Today’s election results are as follows. The total number of votes cast is 1,106. Of that number, the votes cast for each candidate are as follows:

FOR MAYOR: NUMBER OF VOTES:

Kevin J. Alt 48 or .043% of the vote

Kevin E. Dayhoff 467 or .422% of the vote

Thomas K. Ferguson 588 or .531% of the vote

Margin of Victory is [588 – 467] divided by [588 + 467] or 121 / 1,055 = 11.5%.

The candidate with the highest number of votes for the office of Mayor is Thomas Ferguson.

FOR COMMON COUNCIL: NUMBER OF VOTES:

Roy Chiavacci 536

Jeffery Dixon 248

Gregory Pecoraro 436

Kevin Utz 505

Josephine Velazquez 305

The two candidates with the highest number of votes for Common Council are Roy Chiavacci and Kevin Utz.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Smelser and Susan Thomas

20050508 Carroll County FOP Lodge # 20 endorsements

Carroll County FOP Lodge # 20 endorsements

May 8^th, 2005

Westminster May 9^th, 2005 mayoral election

Perhaps you may want to read:

20050429 CC FOP Lodge #20 Candidate questionnaire

and

20020414 Police object to pension proposal

and make you own decision...

20050429 CC FOP Lodge #20 Candidate questionnaire

Fraternal Order of Police Carroll County Lodge No. 20 candidate questionnaire

2005 Mayoral/City Council Candidate Political Survey - Due April 29th, 2005

Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff

Fraternal Order of Police Carroll County Lodge No. 20

P. O. Box 302, Westminster, MD 21158 (410) 876-0115

April 8th, 2005

2005 Mayoral/City Council Candidate Political Survey

Due April 29th, 2005

Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff

P. O. Box 1245, Westminster, MD 21158

April 29th, 2005

1. What do you feel is the most positive strength you would add to the City of Westminster as Mayor?

Experience and the energy, drive, accessibility and ability to make that experience work for positive change.

2. What has been your most positive non-work related leadership experience?

The Civil Rights Movement in the south in the early 1970s.

3. What role, if any, do you see public safety playing in the future economic development of the City of Westminster?

How would that affect the Police Department?

The Westminster Police Department plays a critical role.

4. Do you support rank and file negotiations for benefits? Please expand on your answer.

No.

5. What do you feel can be done to support public safety in the City of Westminster?

Public Education. Accreditation. Technology. Landlord Training Program.

6. The current administration of the Westminster City Police Department has taken a positive step towards recruitment of police officers. What idea(s) could you give the Chief to help recruit quality police officers for the City of Westminster?

Officer to Officer contact, recruitment and promotion including FOP promotion.

7. The current administration of the Westminster City Police Department has taken several positive steps to retain qualified police officers. What idea(s) could you give the Chief to help retain them?

Shift differential pay. Self-actualization. Esprit de corps. Degree of Openness.

8. What do you feel is the most pressing issue relating to the City of Westminster Government as a whole? How will this issue affect the Police Department?

Pay and strategic planning.

1. What do you feel is the most positive strength you would add to the City of Westminster as Mayor?

Experience and the energy, drive, accessibility and ability to make that experience work for positive change. I love my job. I have a passion for Westminster and its citizens and employees. I will continue to make a difference and contribution. Championing quality of life, family values and change in Westminster requires leadership, tenacity and a lively step. There is much more to achieve and with your help.

I have the unique qualifications to positively affect the day-to-day quality of life for Westminster and its citizens and employees. I have been involved in government for 25 years and I have 25 years of business experience as a small self-employed business owner. As an elected official for the past six years, I have worked hard to bring informed opinions, raise creative new ideas, and make us think innovatively and differently on many community and government issues.

Change can be difficult, but over the years, by working together with other community leaders and Westminster’s employees, we have formed a bright, energetic and passionate team, that knows how to execute ideas and plans. Rest assured that Westminster is not only taking actions to be successful today, but we are seizing all opportunities to remain relevant and ready for tomorrow.

I offer the citizens of the City of Westminster experience, energy, accessibility and vision. It would be an honor and a privilege to serve another term as Mayor.

2. What has been your most positive non-work related leadership experience?

Working in the Civil Rights Movement in the very early 1970s in the south. It taught me discipline, perseverance, tolerance for physical, psychological and verbal abuse and focus. It taught me patience (don’t sweat the small stuff) and to keep in mind the big picture in working towards positive social change.

3. What role, if any, do you see public safety playing in the future economic development of the City of Westminster? How would that affect the Police Department?

The Police Department plays a key and critical role in future economic development. As you know, 40% of the tax base in the City of Westminster is commercial, industrial or retail. This gives Westminster a great revenue stream and keeps residential tax rates from increasing. In order for Westminster to have the revenue it needs to keep up with increasing demands for service, to address the increasing complexity of government and unfunded mandates from the State and Federal government, we simply must continue to aggressively attract more economic development.

Potential businesses look at many factors when choosing to move to a municipality such as Westminster. Of course, they first look at sustainable statistics and demographics. Potential businesses also look for a viable workforce and appropriate tax base and necessary infrastructure which includes, but is not limited to; roads, water and sewer, recreational, artistic and cultural opportunities and the health of the non-profits and charitable organizations.

It will affect the Westminster Police Department by requiring more innovative and cutting edge customer service oriented policing (such as Community Policing and S.E.R.A.) out of the officers and the department. Westminster Police Officers are our 365/24/7 ambassadors for Westminster.

It will also require more police officers. However, economic development usually pays for itself. That stated, I have suggested for several years that Westminster explore a Public Safety Benefit Assessment (Fire, EMS and Police Impact Fee) to be applied to growth to provide non-tax revenues to go towards the accompanying additional demands placed upon public safety protection. Apparently, there are some legalities that have to worked through in order to move that initiative forward.

How can the FOP play a role in economic development, and attracting more jobs and businesses, to the City of Westminster?

4. Do you support rank and file negotiations for benefits? Please expand on your answer.

I’m curious – what do you mean by “rank and file negotiations for benefits”? If this is double-speak for collective bargaining or bringing a union into the City of Westminster - the answer is NO. You tried that before with IUPA in 2001. IUPA just took money out of your pocket and didn’t do anything for you. I do not support collective bargaining in the City of Westminster for any of our employees.

Pay and benefits are one area of personnel where the City has to speak with one voice and have a clear consensus. When it doesn't happen that way, false hopes are created and disappointment is sure to occur. It is also one thing to understand that pay and benefits must increase in order for the City to stay competitive and remain on the cutting edge of providing customer service for our citizens and it is another thing for the employees to have an ownership stake in the organization and understand that we often have finite resources with which to work.

It has been my experience that often Unions do not understand the big picture and instead they foster friction, dissension and acrimony among the very folks who are already pre-disposed to do everything possible to provide the best for the employees. Unions pit employee against employee and employee against management. I have no interest in anyone or any organization getting between me and the employees whom I serve.

I urge the rank and file to continue to work through the chain of command to articulate what is needed and what can be done. If the chain of command is not working to facilitate getting the rank and file’s message to me then I need to know about that. Otherwise, I have yet to find a Westminster Police Officer who has not found me anything but accessible, ready and eager to listen, at all hours of the night and day, 365/24/7.

What additional benefits does the FOP think are needed by Westminster Police Officers? I worked hard in the past for Westminster Police Officers and I understand that there is more to achieve. By working together, we can all do better. Meanwhile, I have heard you in the past and worked hard for minimum court overtime, minimum emergency call out overtime, expanding the take home car policy, LEOPS, more training opportunities and I supported the expansion of the CRT to a countywide team; among many initiatives in which I heard you and went to work for you.

5. What do you feel can be done to support public safety in the City of Westminster?

Public Education, Accreditation, Technology and Landlord Training Program are some ideas that quickly come to mind.

Public Education is self-explanatory. The local public has long since begun to take for granted that we have an excellent police department. By putting our heads together, perhaps we can arrive at some innovative approaches to letting the public be aware of the excellent policing that everyone in Westminster has long since come to expect.

Accreditation. With a long term goal of accreditation comes an emphasis on additional training opportunities beyond certification standards, including Executive Development Training, Incident Management, advanced Crisis Response Training.

Technology. Stronger emphasis placed upon the use of available technologies including the use of computers and other modern advances.

Landlord Training Program. By working directly with the Landlords we have found that they are a very effective key to the solution. Criminals when arrested are normally released pending trial and when sentenced serve little or no time and then return to what they consider is their home. It is important that we collectively work with the landlords to screen tenants, and put into place strict rental agreements proscribing an intolerance of crime or drugs, along with advocacy that landlords proceed quickly with the eviction process to help eliminate the ability of the criminal to return to live in the neighborhood and increase our calls for service.

What does the FOP think needs to be done to support public safety in Westminster?

6. The current administration of the Westminster City Police Department has taken a positive step towards recruitment of police officers. What idea(s) could you give the Chief to help recruit quality police officers for the City of Westminster?

The issue of Take Home Vehicles has recently been addressed. Issues such as pay are being addressed immediately by the proposed FY 2006 budget and a salary study is in that budget. LEOPS is in place… A signing bonus is in place.

Officer to Officer contact, recruitment and promotion. One idea that I’d like to share with the rank and file and the Chief is how can we get the rank and file to participate in attracting additional police officers to the Westminster Police Department. With an emphasis on laterals, how can we empower the rank and file to have a stake in the recruitment process? The best advertisement for the Westminster Police Department are the officers out there talking up the Department and the City of Westminster.

How about the FOP participating? Perhaps the FOP could run some ads for all the agencies in the County and talk up our Carroll County quality of life, good schools, low crime rate and a great working environment where Police Officers and their work is greatly appreciated by the general Carroll County population.

What does the FOP think needs to be done to recruit quality police officers for the City of Westminster?

7. The current administration of the Westminster City Police Department has taken several positive steps to retain qualified police officers. What idea(s) could you give the Chief to help retain them?

Shift differential pay. Self-actualization. Esprit de corps. Degree of Openness.

Above and beyond issues such as pay, better equipment, LEOPS and more training opportunities…

Degree of Openness. Continued change towards a more open system of management where information and explanations flow from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom fluidly and easily. Understanding that there must be a clearly defined chain of command, it is possible for lower ranking officers to be provided the opportunity to give additional feedback and be a part of the future planning of the department. I believe that the greater the amount of information shared by a policing system with its environment (command staff and the Chief and the Mayor), the greater the degree of openness and opportunities for change.

Esprit de corps. By team building, officers can take pride that they are part of one of the finest police agencies in the region.

Self-actualization. Creating and giving police officers more opportunities to access responsibility for the future of the department

Shift differential pay. I believe that shift differential pay is important for all nightshift employees in the City of Westminster, including Police Officers.

I would like to hear what ideas does the FOP have to better recruitment and retention of Police Officers in the City of Westminster?

8. What do you feel is the most pressing issue relating to the City of Westminster Government as a whole? How will this issue affect the Police Department?

Pay. In my FY 2006 Budget, I have included money for a comprehensive administration and salary study. To the best of my knowledge, this has not been done since the late 1980s. I don’t think that the salaries of Westminster employees has kept pace with the upward pressure and stressors on pay for public sector employees. In recent years gifted and skilled management has gravitated from the private sector towards leadership in local and state government. With this talent pool focusing on employment with local and state government, there has been the commensurate pressure on local and state government to increase the compensation packages that are offered to this leadership in order to remain competitive.

How will this issue affect the Police Department? It is my goal that you will be paid more.

What does the FOP feel is the most pressing issue relating to the City of Westminster Government as a whole; and how does the FOP think that this issue will affect the Police Department?

Kevin Dayhoff, Westminster Mayor April 29th, 2005.

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20050427 Budget to give police a raise The Advocate by Jamie Kelly

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 THE ADVOCATE OF WESTMINSTER AND FINKSBURG

Budget to give police a raise Council to hold a public hearing May 3 on proposed Budget

BY JAMIE KELLY, ADVOCATE STAFF WRITER

In Westminster’s proposed budget, introduced at Monday’s Council Meeting, the police are slated to get a large raise as a way to keep more officers and better recruit highly-qualified officers to join the force.

During a budget workshop April 28, the council agreed to change the proposed budget to give the officers a three-step pay raise, two steps more than the other employees will receive. In the original proposal, all employees would have gotten a one-step raise, like they do each year, with more money possible after a planned salary study.

The proposal came from Council Member Thomas Ferguson, who asked Joseph Urban, city finance director, to determine how much it would cost to increase police salaries by two extra steps. That would cost $125,686.

Council Member Roy Chiavacci strongly supported that measure. When his turn came to ask questions about the budget, nearly all were concerned with the police department.

Police Chief Jeff Spaulding sent out a survey to other departments that
Westminster competes with for recruits. He said that new police officers in Westminster make around 20 percent less than those in other jurisdictions.

That, he said, will keep people from applying. Chiavacci said that the police need more help than other departments, because they have seven vacancies out of a staff of a little more than 40, while other departments have only a few with staff size of about 100.

Spaulding asked the council for the pay increase, because while the council has already done some to help with recruitment, pay is a major issue. He said he didn’t expect the problem to be solved overnight, or even in one fiscal year, but that the raise would be a big step.

But both Mayor Kevin Dayhoff and Council President Damian Halstad opposed the raise.

Dayhoff said that since the budget already includes money for a salary study, it wouldn’t be fair to other employees to raise police salaries before everyone’s salary has been looked at.

Rather, he said, the council should approve the budget, which already gave every employee a one-step increase.

The other employees have seen the council repeatedly favor the police department, he said, and if that continues to happen, it could hurt morale.

He said the other employees of the city also have an effect on public safety, and that should be recognized.

Halstad said his major problem was that Westminster’s salary was being compared to those in Baltimore, Baltimore County and other, larger jurisdictions.

While Westminster might compete with those places for officers, he said, the city can’t afford to pay as much as they can, and the salaries don’t necessarily need to be as high, because there’s less danger.

But four council members voted to change the budget to include the raises for the police.

“It’s a leap of faith, but it’s a good leap,” said Council Member Suzanne Albert.

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20050427 Budget to give police a raise The Advocate by Jamie Kelly

20050427 Vogel receives award for fundraising

Vogel receives award for fundraising

PAGE 18 Wednesday, April 27, 2005

THE ADVOCATE OF WESTMINSTER AND FINKSBURG

Vogel receives award for fundraising

On April 12, the American Legion Auxiliary Post 31 presented Dylan Vogel a Certificate of Appreciation.

The 6-year-old collected $1,904 at TownMall of Westminster for the victims of the tsunami.

The ladies presented this award for outstanding service.

The mayor of Westminster also presented him with an award. Pictured, left to right, are Auxiliary president Sheila Staley, Dylan Vogel and Mayor Kevin Dayhoff.

20050330 A Tribute to Richard N. 'Dick' Gehr

A Tribute to Richard N. 'Dick' GehrFirefighter, Veteran, Husband, Father and Friend

On March 30, 2005, the greater Westminster community suffered a great loss with the passing of Richard N. "Dick" Gehr.

Dick Gehr was born in Westminster on June 25, 1917, and lived here for 87 years. Uncle Dick was the son of the late Denton and Anna A. Whitmore Gehr. He was the husband of Charlotte L. Marker Gehr, to whom he was married for 25 years and the late Dorothy V. Starner Gehr, who predeceased him in 1977.

Dick Gehr graduated from Westminster High School in 1934 and attended Western Maryland College. He served in the Navy during World War II.

He was retired from the state of Maryland, where he worked as a project engineer. Following his retirement, he worked for Wadel Kitchens and for auctioneers, Russell Kerr and David Redding.

Dick Gehr was an active life member of Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Company No. 1, having served since August 2nd, 1939, and was one of the last members with over 50 years of service. He served as president, secretary and chaplain of the fire department. He later served on the Fire Police Auxiliary.

Dick Gehr was a member of the American Legion Carroll Post No. 31, the MD Retreads and Maryland Gold Wings and was an avid antique collector.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are son Terrence N. Gehr of Westminster; stepdaughters Tamara Teaff of Lexington, Va. and the Rev. Sue Shorb-Sterling of Lusby; sister-in-law Juanita Senseney of Westminster; grandsons and spouses Anthony and Deborah Gehr of Manassas, Va. and Timothy and Juliana Gehr of Westminster; step-grandchildren Elizabeth and Robert Teaff, Margaret Sterling Brubaker and George and Christopher Sterling; great-grandchildren Kelsey, Dylan Richard, Zachary, Madison and Emily Gehr; nephews and spouses Thomas and Barbara Senseney, Jeffrey and Jill Senseney and Christopher Senseney and Darlene Rae Breining.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wonderful family as they adjust to life without him. Our community will miss Uncle Dick very much.
This memorial tribute was signed in Westminster City Hall,
this April first, in the year Two Thousand and Five.

Westminster Mayor Kevin E. Dayhoff

20041202 Youth Service Bureau Support Letter from Carroll County Chapter Maryland Municipal League

20041202 Youth Service Bureau Support Letter from Carroll County Chapter Maryland Municipal League

CARROLL COUNTY CHAPTER

Maryland Municipal League, Inc.

Kevin E. Dayhoff, Westminster Mayor, Secretary – Treasurer, Carroll Co. MML Chapter

P. O. Box 1245, Westminster, MD 21158

The Honorable Robert Ehrlich

Governor of the State of Maryland

State House

Annapolis, MD 21401

The Honorable Michael Steele

Lt. Governor of the State of Maryland

State House

Annapolis, MD 21401

December 2^nd, 2004

Re: Request that the State increase the funding of the 21 Youth Services Bureaus by $2.1 million, or $100,000 for each existing youth Services Bureau. This request is in line with the State’s and local governments’ priority goals of positive youth development and creating communities where families thrive.

Dear Governor Ehrlich:

I have spoken with my fellow Mayors in Carroll County about requesting that the State increase the funding of the 21 Youth Services Bureaus by $2.1 million, or $100,000 for each existing youth Services Bureau. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read why we feel this increased funding will aid in our shared vision of comprehensive and results-based solutions to the problems of the young adult population in our communities.

Youth Services Bureaus provide our communities with a great strategy to address juvenile crime. Youth Services Bureaus help expand access to mental health and substance abuse services, and to address the factors in each young person's life that inhibit them from reaching their potential as productive members of our community, thereby saving our cities and towns untold amounts of money should our communities have to address the results of their unproductive behavior.

As Mayors of cities who benefit from the important services of Youth Services Bureaus, we ask for your support in future funding of these important community resources. State statute mandates that Youth Services Bureaus provide counseling and community outreach services. These services are designed to prevent juvenile delinquency, minimize family disruption while promoting positive youth development. Ultimately, these services divert youth from the more costly juvenile and criminal justice system.

In our cities, Youth Services Bureaus are often the first resource for troubled youth and families. Their strong connection to local schools, law enforcement, and community agencies means they work with youth facing multiple problems such as substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, chronic family conflict, teen pregnancy, and school problems. Without places to address these issues, youth often spiral out of control and become involved in delinquent behaviors. When youth are identified early and diverted from future problems, they become assets to our communities rather than liabilities.

Youth Services Bureaus consistently evaluate their services to ensure quality. They have impressed both local leadership and the state legislature with their proven outcomes. The most recent study found 93% of youth who had completed formal counseling had not been adjudicated delinquent two years later.

In recognition of the cost effective success of existing Youth Services Bureaus and their potential for replication in other counties, the Joint Chairmen of the Budget and Taxation and Appropriations Committees requested that by October 1, 2004, the Office of Children, Youth and Families report its plan to expand the services of Youth Services Bureaus throughout the State.

Since 1990, $2.1 million State dollars annually have been allocated to Youth Services Bureaus to provide extensive unique programming in 21 areas of the state aimed at improved youth and family functioning and diversion from the more costly Juvenile Justice System.

In fiscal year 2003 Youth Services Bureaus generated $7.6 million additional funds from local governments, grants, fees and donations, increasing the $1.2 million annual investment to over $9 million dollars. Despite their ability to raise these additional funds, many Bureaus have waitlists and are unable to serve all youth and families in need of their services. Appropriate State funding is now necessary to strengthen existing Bureaus’ capability to provide needed services in their communities and allow the development of new Bureaus in unserved areas.

We ask that the State increase the funding of the 21 Youth Services Bureaus by $2.1 million, or $100,000 for each existing youth Services Bureau. This additional funding will achieve two outcomes: First, it will increase the number of youth and their families receiving counseling, decreasing the likelihood of their involvement in the more costly juvenile Justice system. Second, it will increase the provision of more community specific services, such as truancy prevention or substance abuse assessment and treatment by agencies with established relationships and reputations in their communities

These outcomes are in line with the State’s and local governments’ priority goals of positive youth development and creating communities where families thrive.

In addition, we support the proposal to expand the number of bureaus and suggest that over the upcoming three years, six new Youth services Bureaus be established in rural areas of the State, which are (1) currently unserved and (2) reflect the greatest unmet need. To effectively establish these Bureaus in their communities, a minimum of $200,000 new state funding per new Bureau would be required.

Additional Bureaus can be modeled after existing bureaus that serve a similar rural community. This will allow new Bureaus to utilize existing models to creatively access other funding sources to maximize the State appropriations.

Our vision is a State where each and every child has the opportunity to grow into a healthy and productive adult who in turn, will serve to benefit our future generations. Guaranteeing that all our children can access these valued services will help insure this aim.

Sincerely,

Kevin E. Dayhoff, Westminster Mayor

Secretary – Treasurer, Carroll Co. MML Chapter

P. O. Box 1245, Westminster, MD 21158

CC:

Carroll County Delegation to Annapolis

Carroll County Board of Commissioners

Carroll County Municipal Mayors

Members - Carroll Co. MML Chapter

Ms. Lynn Davis, LCPC, Exe. Director, Carroll Co. Youth Service Bureau

*Hampstead Mayor Haven Shoemaker President CC Chapter MML

*New Windsor Mayor Sam Pierce Vice President CC Chapter MML

*Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff Secretary - Treasurer CC Chapter MML

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