Power struggle in Harford County as executive vetoes budget charter bill

BEL AIR, Md. — Harford County’s operating and capital budgets are costing taxpayers more than a billion dollars this year, and County Executive Bob Cassilly nixed an estimated 75 million dollars in additional requests.

“It doesn’t make you any friends,” Cassilly told WMAR 2News.

Now, on the same day that voters were re-electing the county’s top executive, he vetoed a bill, which ultimately could have given county council members more control over how the money is spent.

“It’s an effort to move that fiscal accountability from the administrative process for which the county executive is totally responsible to the political process,” said Cassilly. “It would politicize it, because then your county executive is no longer singularly responsible to taxpayers to say, ‘Hey, the buck stops here.’”

But the sponsor of the bill, which the council passed, would have let the voters decide whether to change the charter.

“We have very little say over the budget and I believe that each council representative should have the opportunity to advocate for budget items that could strengthen their council district, right?” said Councilman Aaron Penman, “Strengthen their area, and I’ll give you an example. The Humane Society has asked for funding for shelters for years and they haven’t received that funding.”

The county executive says such a change would lead to higher taxes, something he’s avoided for the last four years, and he questions who is really behind it.

“This goes back to Councilman Penman being a shill for the big government unions. That’s all the guy is,” Cassilly said.

But the outgoing councilman isn’t out just yet and has not given up hope of giving other elected leaders a chance to deliver for their constituents.

 “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the council for a discussion of a veto,” said Penman. “The veto will require a special session so I look forward to working with those colleagues on the council that supported this legislation, which were five. We had five votes, which it would take… that’s what it would take to override the veto.”