Commissioners Present Legislative "Wish List" To Local Lawmakers

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Dec. 23, 2010

The Garrett County commissioners met with Sen. George Edwards and Del. Wendell Beitzel on Tuesday morning to discuss their "wish list" of legislative items for the upcoming General Assembly session, which begins on Jan. 12 in Annapolis.

County administrator Monty Pagenhardt noted that the county's list this time was shorter than in past years.

"This year, we really don't have a lot of issues, but there are a lot of important issues open for discussion," he said.

The commissioners requested that Edwards and Beitzel introduce two "house cleaning" bills to amend codes pertaining to local issues. The first proposed piece of legislation would clarify language in the county's delinquent property tax sale code and increase the tax sale auctioneers' fee from $3 per property sold to $8 per property sold.

"This fee change for Garrett County would put us more inline with the fees of other counties and, at the same time, provide a benefit for the auctioneer, making his time more worthwhile," explained Director Wendy Yoder, Department of Financial Services.

Currently, she noted, there are 13 counties that have fees higher than the standard rate of $3. Those fees range from $7.50 to $10.

The second proposed bill would enable the commissioners to amend the county's Code of Ordinances regarding a vacancy on their board. Following the death or resignation of a commissioner, the Central Committee of that person's political party would submit the name of replacement to the governor, who would then nominate/appoint that person to the board.

Pagenhardt noted that, currently, the county code states the replacement filling out the term must be from the same district. It does not mention party affiliation. The state code, however, requires that the replacement be from the same party.

"All we're requesting is that the county code be amended to read as the same language as the state code," he told Edwards and Beitzel.

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