Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Journalists Tomlinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journalists Tomlinson. Show all posts

Monday, February 04, 2019

Commentary Tomlinson: Pay attention, but don't fear idea of charter government

Commentary Tomlinson: Pay attention, but don't fear idea of charter government


On Jan. 10, the Board of County Commissioners had a lengthy conversation about charter government and a motion was made — not a motion to transition our county to charter government, but a motion to learn more about charter by having county leaders from across the state come to Westminster to educate the board

The commissioners are not the only ones considering menu options that include charter government. Recently, readers of the Carroll County Times have been served several helpings of articles and columns discussing the issue. Folks navigating the waters of social media have to navigate the facts and fake news about charter that been posted like a boat skipper steering his boat through sunken debris in the Chesapeake Bay. However, for the majority of us who call Carroll County home, pay our taxes, and make an honest living, the idea of charter government is a foreign concept that means very little.

The counties of Maryland operate under one of three forms of government; Commissioner, “Code” Home Rule, or “Charter” Home Rule. There are currently six counties operating under the commissioner-style of government, including Carroll County. The largest share of Maryland’s counties (11 in all) have adopted a charter form of government. How do these two forms differ from each other?


*****

Christopher Tomlinson in the Carroll County Times


Christopher Tomlinson in the Carroll County Times

February 4, 2019

A collection of the results of a recent search on mentions, articles, columns, and work by local writer Chris Tomlinson…

Well-written, thoughtful, and interesting. Give him a good read….


Christopher Tomlinson
On Jan. 10, the Board of County Commissioners had a lengthy conversation about charter government and a motion was made — not a motion to transition our county to charter government, but a motion to learn more about charter by having county leaders from across the state come to Westminster to educate...

Christopher Tomlinson
The year 2018 has left us, but not without bringing some intriguing and exciting changes in local and state politics. Two new county commissioners took their seats as two longtime members of the board were retired by term limits. Carroll County voters managed to complete the reboot of the Board...

Christopher Tomlinson
Last week, the Board of County Commissioners met with our Annapolis delegation to propose several bills they would like to see introduced during the upcoming General Assembly Session. The commissioners and members of our legislative delegation discussed a number of bills that focused on everything...

Christopher Tomlinson
For most, December means the start of the holiday season. For some, the start of season is marked by unboxing lights and decorations. For others, December is when newly-elected officials across Carroll County take their seats. On Dec. 4, both the new Board of County Commissioners and the new Board...

Christopher Tomlinson
Across the country, cable news pundits and talking heads are breaking down the results of the 2018 midterm general election like coaches breaking down film on a Monday. Democrats want to run the I formation (investigate and impeach) now that they have recovered the ball in the House of Representatives,...

Christopher Tomlinson
Last month, Commissioner Richard Weaver asked his fellow commissioners if they would consider opening North Carroll High School’s beautiful auditorium for public usage — an auditorium that is still in pristine shape. Weaver made the motion, but he was unable to get a single commissioner to second...

Christopher Tomlinson
This month, the 11th installment in the “Halloween” film series hit theaters. Once again, moviegoers were terrified as Michael Myers raised hell and committed dreadful acts. Unfortunately for Marylanders, it is not Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger they should fear. The real horror...

Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, possibly the next Speaker of the House, spoke at Martin’s Westminster at a fundraiser for the Carroll County Republican Central Committee. Representative Jordan spoke about his faith, politics, family and even his days as an amateur wrestler. What registered...

Christopher Tomlinson
Last Monday, Maryland voters tuned into to watch the first and only gubernatorial debate between Gov. Larry Hogan and his challenger, Ben Jealous. Hogan reminded viewers what Maryland looked like before he took over as our state’s executive, and made the argument why we need four more years of...

Christopher Tomlinson
At the July 25 Board of Education work session, the clouds parted, the heavens opened up and the prayers of thousands of Carroll residents were answered. At long last, Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Guthrie announced his long-awaited retirement. Now, before any readers get...

Christopher Tomlinson
Early last month, a downtown Westminster resident expressed her concern at a Common Council meeting over the spike in criminal activity in her neighborhood. A few weeks later, two separate shootings and an armed robbery occurred in the heart of Westminster. More recently, a car was stolen and later...

Christopher Tomlinson
Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners organized the Carroll County Long Term Advisory Board. This advisory board was put together to think past the usual five- to 10-year horizon line commonly seen in county planning. They are tasked with advising the commissioners on decisions and...

Christopher Tomlinson
On Sept. 5, the Mayor and Town Council of Manchester hosted a meeting to discuss the traffic issues on Main Street. Drivers can spend up to 20 minutes crossing only a 2-mile stretch of road during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Many Pennsylvanians use Md. 30 as part of their commute to travel...

Christopher Tomlinson
This past Saturday, Democrat candidate for House of Delegates in District 5, Emily Shank, held a fundraiser in downtown Westminster. Her special guest was none other than Maryland’s Attorney General Brian Frosh, who was greeted by two dozen rambunctious protestors (myself included). I have to give...

Christopher Tomlinson
Maryland’s 2018 primary election has come and gone, and what an election it was! Democrats selected Bernie Sanders-lite, Ben Jealous, to challenge Gov. Larry Hogan. Four Democratic legislative leaders, Sens. McFadden, Conway, Middleton and Del. Vallario, lost their primary races, which means they...

Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, on Westminster’s Main Street, two women participating in a peaceful protest were hit with small fireworks by an unknown assailant. Thankfully the women only received minor injuries, and nobody was terribly hurt. This was an assault pure and simple. Westminster Police are taking the matter...

Christopher Tomlinson
Last week, Commissioner Doug Howard presented an idea to the residents of Hampstead that would not only utilize the former North Carroll High School campus but bring a high school back to their town. The idea that Howard proposed was a charter school. According to the Maryland Alliance of Public...

Christopher Tomlinson
Since the beginning of time in Maryland, our governor and General Assembly reserved the power to decide on whether to sue the federal government to themselves. If they decided to exercise that power, then the attorney general would be instructed to move forward and file suit. This all changed this...

Christopher Tomlinson
Less than two weeks ago, the board of trustees of Carroll Community College made a decision that will change our local community college landscape forever. The board decided to move forward with submitting applications to the two major junior college athletic organizations with the full intention...

Christopher Tomlinson
As a North Carroll High School graduate, I wistfully watch with envy as other Carroll graduates prepare to attend their alma maters’ fall homecoming football games. For those of us who claim North Carroll High as our home, we will never again find ourselves seated in the bleachers of Powelson Field...

Christopher Tomlinson
I spent this past Labor Day weekend in Ocean City, and had an absolutely splendid end-of-summer getaway. The sun was shining bright, the waves were crashing, and the crabs were jumbo-sized! However, what stood out for me was the large number of tourists, particularly the number of families with...

Christopher Tomlinson
Union Bridge, located in northwestern Carroll County, with a population of under 1,000 residents, is a nice throwback to what a small rural town may have looked like in the late 19th or early 20th century. This year, my girlfriend and I visited this wonderful town several times: to attend the Union...

Christopher Tomlinson
Millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Whether it be to start attending the gym, or to save money, we’ve all heard the same old resolutions time and again. It would be refreshing to see local politicians and candidates come out and say what they resolve to do in 2018. Since the chances...

Christopher Tomlinson
Since the massacre that occurred Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, Carroll County has witnessed multiple false alarms within our own public school system. First, it was Francis Scott Key High School, followed by North Carroll Middle School and Manchester Valley High School,...

Christopher Tomlinson
’Twas a few nights before Session 2018, when all through the State House every legislator was stirring, thinking of ways to make Maryland great. On Jan. 10, all 188 state senators and delegates will reassemble for 90 days in Annapolis. With the governor and all members of the General Assembly up...

Christopher Tomlinson
Before nibbling at some leftovers, I would like to confirm that I did not receive a concussion on Thanksgiving Day playing touch football in the backyard. With that being said, please brace yourself for the next few paragraphs. Uncharacteristically, I am about to express some glowingly positive...

Christopher Tomlinson
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, the Westminster Police Department and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office were able to work together and take down two suspects who they believe are the culprits behind almost a dozen vehicle break-ins in the Westminster area committed over a five-day span. The man and woman, both...

Christopher Tomlinson
With the 2018 legislative session now underway, one may have missed the passage of one of the most controversial bills in recent memory. Unfortunately, between the local media’s fascination with whether students in our public schools can dress like cousins Bo and Luke Duke, or the national media’s...

Christopher Tomlinson
It’s hard to fathom that Thanksgiving will be here in only 10 short days. As sure as the first frost, I will travel with my immediate family up the mountainside to the cozy little town of Boonsboro out in Washington County where my extended family lives. One of our cherished traditions on Thanksgiving...

Christopher Tomlinson
On Dec. 22, President Donald Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The final version of the act brought several changes to our tax system that many tax reform advocates have long desired. The act repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate. The corporate tax rate was reduced from...

Christopher Tomlinson
In the recently released second season of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” police Chief Jim Hopper explains to the young telekinetic Eleven the definition of compromise. “It’s something that is kind of in-between. It’s like halfway happy.” That’s exactly what Gov. Larry Hogan’s Paid Leave...

Christopher Tomlinson
The Democrats in Annapolis have called an all-out blitz on parental rights and youth recreational sports programs in Maryland via the introduction of House Bill 1210. This bill introduced by Del. Terri Hill, representing Baltimore and Howard counties, would ban — most commonly played under the...

Wiley Hayes, Carroll County Times A question about residence is settled, allowing a run for mayor

Christopher Tomlinson
This past spring, Carroll's cities and towns held their municipal elections. Turnout was less than desirable. Some towns had fewer than 35 ballots cast, while others, such as Manchester, went from having nearly 500 residents vote two years ago, to barely tallying 100 voters in this year's election....

Emily Chappell
The Carroll County Republican Central Committee added a new member last week, though no vote was officially taken, creating internal conflict among the group. Chris Tomlinson was officially sworn in on Tuesday, Nov. 14, after being chosen by committee Chair Larry Helminiak. Tomlinson was one of...

NEWS 
Editor: I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate my full support for Chris Tomlinson for mayor of Manchester. Although I currently reside in Hampstead and (until very recently) served that town as a councilman, I was born and raised in Manchester. More importantly, my family and many of my...

Wiley Hayes, Carroll County Times
A hearing will be held soon to determine if Chris Tomlinson, a resident of Manchester who filed a certification of nomination to run for mayor in the upcoming municipal election, is eligible to seek town office. The town's Board of Supervisors of Elections issued a letter Friday, April 10, informing...

Extended bar hours won’t reduce drunk driving As someone who has personally experienced the loss of a father-in-law due to a drunk driver — and seen his broken family’s never-ending anguish — I found Mr. Christopher Tomlinson’s Dec. 24 opinion letter “Keep Carroll Bars Open and Hour Later” as appalling...

Wiley Hayes
Manchester will be moving forward with construction of a new town hall expected to cost $2.1 million, but the means of financing the project won't be decided until later this year. The Manchester Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the project on Victory Street near Christmas...

My name is Christopher Tomlinson and I am a member of the Carroll County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC). All nine committee positions are up for grabs in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, June 26. With 19 candidates on the ballot, how do Republican voters in Carroll decide who to...

Christopher Tomlinson
Carroll County taxpayers who send checks to the Comptroller in Annapolis soon should pay close attention to who they send to Annapolis to represent them in the newly-created District 5 for House of Delegates in the upcoming election. An examination of the voting records of the three incumbents reveals...

Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, Donald Elliott, an incumbent in the House of Delegates for nearly 30 years, defended his votes to levy both the flush tax and the car tax.He said that he voted for these taxes at the urging of the Ehrlich Administration to fund transportation projects and the Chesapeake Bay cleanup. Now,...

Not that I don't find qualities in Carroll County to be thankful for in your recent column Chris Tomlinson, but the headline made me think about throwing up because make nice is not what I like to be told in my morning newspaper.As disconcerting as bad news (and opinions) may be, I prefer the precious,...

Incumbent delegates have been AWOL I am writing in response to Mr. Tomlinson’s editorial that ran in the Times this week that told us ridiculous stories about the “horrors” of electing Democrats to local office in Carroll County and how we desperately need to re-elect our incumbent state delegates....

Carroll Democrats condemns editorial cartoon The members of the Carroll County Democratic Central Committee unanimously condemn the editorial cartoon in the Nov. 15 Carroll County Times. The cartoon targets Dr. Brenda C. Snipes, who was appointed by former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush as Broward...

A ray of light With all the upheaval in our country and around the world, I recently has the opportunity to see a ray of light through all this darkness. At an event at McDaniel College a few weeks ago, I met several senior cadets of the college’s ROTC (Reserve Officer’s Training Corps) program....

Oesterreicher would be asset as Circuit Court Judge I would like to recommend Maria Oesterreicher as candidate to appointment in the Circuit Court for Carroll County. Maria was appointed my attorney in a domestic violence case. Not only did she see that I was represented, she worked hard to ensure...

MAGIC held its fifth Capture the Flag Cybersecurity Competition on April 21, with a new record set for total participants. More than 160 students registered across nine locations throughout the country, including the main arena located at the Community Media Center in Westminster, as well as the...

I recently received a mailer from Sheriff Jim DeWees asking me to support candidates on the ballot on Tuesday, June 26 in the Republican primary. At the top was Gov. Hogan, who is running unopposed. There were other familiar names such as Dels. Susan Krebs, April Rose, and Haven Shoemaker, who...

Disagreements among GOP Central Committee members As a member of the Carroll Republican Central Committee I want to alert voters about deceptions being perpetrated by our committee. In September, we authorized our current Chair and Vice Chair, Larry Helminiak and Karen Leatherwood, to create a...

Programs offered at Lifepoint Church aim to help those raising preschoolers

Emily Chappell
Seven people have applied for an open seat in the Carroll County Republican Central Committee.The county's Republican Central Committee received applications for a vacancy until June 17. The vacancy occurred when Don Hoffman resigned during the monthly meeting in May.The applicants are: Commissioner...

Heather Mongilio
Remarkable. Memorable. Historical. That was how Carroll County residents who attended President Donald J. Trump's inauguration described the experience. The new president was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts at almost exactly noon on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Among...

NEWS 
In his March 1 letter to the editor, Manchester mayor candidate Chris Tomlinson pushed his fictional narrative of speed camera use in Manchester to create an issue where none exists. Apparently his mentor, Del. Haven Shoemaker, was issued a traffic ticket due to speeding in a construction zone....

The Lineboro-Manchester Lions installed several new members at the club's dinner meeting Sept. 17 at Spargos restaurant in Manchester. Christopher Tomlinson, Kim Boucher and Bruce Kleb were sponsored by club President Andrew DeMario and past President Andrew DeMario Jr. The installation was performed...

Apathy is the fuel for which the monster known as the status quo thrives and survives on. In April 2015, I said that "the town (of Manchester) is currently governed by apathy." Apathy meaning a lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern. That statement could not be more true than in 2017 as we approach...
  
With the presidential race dominating the headlines, it is easy to forget that voters will be able to decide on other races on Nov. 8. One of those races is for the vacant United States Senate seat. Voters should think long and hard about which candidate will put the safety and security of our...

NEWS 
Editor: On May 19, Manchester residents will have an opportunity to break with the status quo and elect a new leader as mayor. My name is Christopher Tomlinson and I ask for your vote this Tuesday. If elected, I will promote business development, hold the line on taxes and unnecessary spending,...

Carroll County Times staff
The filing deadline for the 2018 primary election was 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27. Here is a list of candidates in local races that affect Carroll County, according to the Maryland Board of Elections, including state legislative and U.S. congressional races. An (i) after a person’s name indicates they...

Westminster is only Carroll municipality that requires reporting

Emily Chappell
Almost three months after an inconclusive vote, the Carroll County Republican Central Committee named its newest member. Fallon Patton, 21, of Finksburg, was named the newest member of the committee Tuesday, after Don Hoffman resigned during the monthly meeting in May. Patton’s position was filled...

Board of Education candidate Julie Kingsley's recent reflection on Carroll County Public Schools' predicament regarding funding offered no concrete solutions. However, Kingsley, a Howard County teacher and union member, has made it abundantly clear via her statements in public candidate forums...

On April 26, you published two letters from candidates for the two different Carroll County central committees. I was struck by how different the two letters were. Mr. Edelman's letter was urging all citizens to vote without any pressure to vote for a particular person. Mr. Tomlinson's letter basically...

Anyone reading District 5 Commissioner Doug Howard's recent comments in the Carroll County Times slamming Gov. Hogan and our county legislative delegation for not providing enough funding for education in Carroll might have spit out his coffee and dropped his toast over Howard's outrageous and...

NEWS 
Recently the Carroll County Times castigated Del. Haven Shoemaker, R-District 5, over his bill prohibiting the use of automated speed cameras on state roads under the headline: "Break the law, pay the price." Using machines to enforce speed limits deprives drivers of their constitutional right...

In the very near future, the Board of Education will have to choose one of four options that the Boundary Adjustment Committee has presented them. If one is given the opportunity to take a good look at all of the proposed options, it becomes clear that only one option is best for the entire county....

Editor: The 2015 Manchester Municipal Election was held a little over a month ago. It was quite the journey leading up to May 19, but I would not have had it any other way. I want to thank the residents of Manchester for the great election cycle we had in our small town. The results were unfortunately...

Jon Kelvey
Vincent Pacelli and Jennifer Warner won council seats

Jon Kelvey
Three candidates are running for mayor in Manchester's May 19 election, while an additional three candidates are competing for two seats on the Manchester Town Council. The mayor and council members will each serve four-year terms. The mayoral race features incumbent Ryan Warner, current Councilwoman...