Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Talbot Council will not hold local hearings on elected school board
Harrington says there’s no basis for suggestion that
proposed local hearing was delaying tactic
By JOHN GRIEP
News Editor
February 14, 2005

EASTON — The Talbot County Council will not hold a local hearing on state legislation concerning the elected school board.

Council President Hope Harrington said the purpose of the hearing would have been to ensure residents were heard on an important local matter.

“It’s easier for people to come out here than make their way to Annapolis,” she said.

“The understanding had been that Senator [Richard] Colburn felt such a meeting was fine with him and that he would attend,” Harrington said. “However, the members of the county council are satisfied to let the delegation assure adequate public hearings in the manner they see fit.”

“The county council fully supports the will of the voters as expressed in the last election,” she said. “Certainly, there is no basis for any suggestion that a local airing of the details of the legislation would have or was intended to delay anything.”

Councilman Peter Carroll had asked at last week’s council meeting for a local hearing or meeting on the state bill. Although voters overwhelmingly supported an elected school board, Carroll said there had been little discussion among residents about the details of an elected board, such as the number of board members.

Legislation introduced by Colburn and Dels. Jeannie Haddaway, R-37B-Talbot, and Addie Eckardt, R-37B-Dorchester, would establish a board with seven voting members elected from seven districts. One district would be a minority district. The first districts are established in the bill and roughly correspond to districts proposed in 2002 by county organizations who wanted the county council elected from seven districts, with one minority district.

Districts would be re-drawn following the census held every 10 years.

The senate version of the bill was introduced Feb. 4 and a hearing was held Feb. 9 in Annapolis. Talbot County Council members were notified of the hearing in a message from Colburn’s office relayed to them during the Feb. 8 council meeting.