The bill to establish an independent Inspector General for M-NCPPC and WSSC is long overdue. It was introduced by Del. Ben Kramer (District 19) and was voted out of committee, although three of our representatives, Kumar Barve (District 17), Anne Kaiser (District 14), and Charles Barkley (District 39), voted no and did not want to see it get out of committee.
We understand both agencies are opposed to this effort at some control and transparency and are working either to kill the bill or water it down. Members of the County Planning Board have stated their difficulty with this effort at transparency, so MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN ANNAPOLIS!
The bill information is here. The bill is MC/PG 110-17.
Please contact your House and Senate representatives and tell them we need a strong independent Inspector General for these agencies and independent audits. At the moment there is no oversight and little transparency at these agencies.
Also please contact Mike Miller, President of the state senate who has the ultimate say in whether a bill will pass. His email is: thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us.
Among the bills they discussed is MC/PG 110-17 or HB321, sponsored by Delegate Ben Kramer, which would establish a very much needed Office of Inspector General for our Bi-County agencies, WSSC and the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). Due to their unique structure as bi-County agencies, they are not under the jurisdiction of the Montgomery County Ethics Commission . In addition, the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General does not have the same oversight of these 2 Bi-County agencies as it does for other County agencies.. They are also not subject to performance audits by the State's Office of Legislative Audits as other State agencies are.
The members of the Montgomery County Delegation Metro Area Committee will be the first to discuss in a worksession next week.
Metro Washington Area Committee: This committee works on all WSSC bills as well as M-NCPPC bills which do not deal with land use or transportation issues. Al Carr, Chair Pam Queen, Vice-Chair, Kumar Barve, Kathleen Dumais, Ben Kramer, Shane Robinson
In addition to contacting the Metro Washington Area Committee members, please contact your State Delegates to request support for this very important bill that will resolve the inconsistencies and lack of clarity, and help promote the public's trust.
It is hard to imagine why anyone would vote against having these agencies under the jurisdiction of an IG just as all other County and State agencies are (except MCPS). Delegates Barve, Kaiser and Barclay voted against scheduling this bill for hearing but fortunately, 18 other delegates voted to have a hearing which was held on Friday.
So far, the Montgomery County Civic Federation, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, and Montgomery County Taxpayers League testified in support of the bill. WSSC and the Montgomery County Planning Board are trying to kill the bill. They claim it's duplicative because they have an internal auditor. An internal auditor with an annual contract is not comparable to an independent Office of Inspector General who can investigate a variety of matters while remaining independent and not subject to annual contract cancellation by the Commission that approves their contract.
During the briefing yesterday, the County's intergovernmental relations representatives stated that County Executive Leggett supports the concept of an Inspector General for both of these agencies. Several Councilmembers commented that they get more complaints from constituents about these 2 agencies than any others. Having an IG in place is a very important step toward improving the public confidence in these agencies.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to contact your Maryland State Delegates and Senators to support this Bill.
Is your local Montgomery County Public School overcrowded? Are your children spending their days in classroom trailers instead of school buildings?
Peary High School, Rockville, Maryland
You can thank the Fabulous 5 that are still on the Montgomery County Council for the loss of public school classrooms. As recently as 2010, current CouncilmembersNancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Roger Berliner, Nancy Navarro and Marc Elrichall voted to give away an entire MCPS high school building for free.
State Delegate Ben Kramer and StateSenator Roger Manno were instrumental in shepherding this sweetheart deal through the Maryland Board of Public Works.
And let's not forget the person behind this deal, County Executive Ike Leggett who made sure that public school children were robbed of classrooms at a time when MCPS was using over 400 classroom trailers. The deal that County Executive Ike Leggett sealed called for the buyer to only pay for the land and get the entire public high school building (a building that was bought and paid for with your property taxes) for free.
#EducationFirst
#FooledYou
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
County Council approves sale of Peary High School
Andrews opposes deal, but many in Aspen Hill say decision was appropriate
by Erin Cunningham and Margie Hyslop | Staff Writers
Montgomery County government will sell the former Robert E. Peary High
School to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy despite protests from the
county's Board of Education...
...The County Council voted 8-1 on Tuesday to allow the sale, which is expected to become official in the next several weeks.
Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg voted against
the sale, saying the site in Aspen Hill could be needed for a public
school in the future.
The council's decision ratifies a deal proposed by County Executive
Isiah Leggett (D) to sell the 19.5-acre site in Aspen Hill for $1.9
million. It includes a provision making it possible for the county to
repurchase and occupy the site five years after a judge decides the
county needs it for a school.
The state's Board of Public Works, which is composed of Maryland's
governor, comptroller and treasurer, must sign off on the deal...
However, Leggett's plan has drawn criticism from those who say the price
is too low and from the county school board, which says the move is
ill-advised given public school enrollment is growing, and large tracts
of land are scarce in the downcounty area.
Those claims were disputed Tuesday by some council members who said the
school system has 51 unused school buildings and no immediate need for
the Hebrew Academy site. "The school system is accustomed to having it all," said Councilman
George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park. "The school system
wants everything. It wants its cake and to eat it, too."
Council Vice President Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring said
Monday the school system was not persuasive in making its case for the
school. Ervin is expected to be sworn in as council president next week...
...Leventhal said it was not convincing to hear school officials say they
don't need the site now, but might at some unspecified date...
For background on this private school giveaway, click here.
Remember to thank the Montgomery County Delegates and Senator who are giving away State School Construction money to a private school rather than funding repairs for Montgomery County Public Schools.
Is your child in a classroom trailer? You might want to consider a private school that is the recipient of consistent, significant State funding, including an entire free high school building!
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, located in Montgomery County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.
In 2010, Senator Roger Manno and Delegate Ben Kramer worked very, very hard to make sure that a MCPS high school building was given away for FREE to a private interest. They attended local meetings, gave public comment before the Board of Public Works and even showed up at a little known meeting in Baltimore. What a team!
Yes, an entire public high school building that had been paid for with Maryland State tax dollars was given away for free in 2010. MCPS schools were overcrowded in 2010, But Senator Manno and Delegate Kramer made sure that this high school would never again be used for public school students.
Now, here we are in 2014, and Senator Roger Manno and Delegate Ben Kramer are whining for school construction money. Maybe Senator Manno and Delegate Kramer should have noticed back in 2010 that MCPS buildings were already severely overcrowded?
MCPS needs school construction money, right? Here's a MCPS closed school that was constructed with State funds that was turned over to a private school for pennies. Now, the private school wants more funding from taxpayers and our Montgomery County Delegates are pushing a bill to do just that. Public school students? This property belonged to you, but our County Executive, County Council, State Delegates and the Governor worked very hard to turn this entire high school building and property over to a private interest. Public school students can stay in trailers as far as they are concerned. By: Delegates Bonnie Cullison, Sam Arora, and Ben Kramer Introduced and read first time: February 24, 2014
HB1478
2014 Regular Session
Entitled:
Creation of a State Debt - Montgomery County - Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy
Sponsored by:
Delegate Cullison
Status:
In the House - Hearing 3/10 at 10:30 a.m.
SummaryDocumentsHistory
Synopsis:Authorizing the creation of a State Debt in the amount of $65,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy for specified development or improvement purposes related to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, located in Montgomery County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; prohibiting the use of the loan proceeds or matching fund for sectarian religious purposes; etc.
Analysis:Not available at this time
All Sponsors:Delegates Cullison, Arora, and Kramer
Additional Facts:Cross-filed with: SB0917
Bill File Type: Regular
Effective Date(s): June 1, 2014
Committee(s):
Appropriations
Broad Subject(s):State Debt (Bond Bills)
Narrow Subject(s):Montgomery County
Private Schools
Religion -see also- Churches
State Bonds
Here is the update on the schedule for our MoCo Annapolis Delegation. Public hearings will be held in November and December. Got a bill you would like your representatives to introduce in Annapolis this upcoming session? Want your gasoline taxes raised? Let them know. Go here to contact your representatives in the State House.
Monday, October 17, 2011 -- 2011 Special Session Convenes
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 -- Sponsor Approval Deadline for local and bi-county bills (This is the deadline for the requesting legislator to approve legislation in order to be guaranteed a hearing without the bill considered to be "late filed.")
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 -- Joint House and Senate Priorities Hearing - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850 - This hearing is an opportunity for the public to respond to the Road Show and to bring other issues of importance for the 2012 Session to the attention of the legislators. The Priorities Hearing will be carried live over County Cable Montgomery (Channel 6 on Comcast and Channel 30 on Verizon). Click here to sign up to testify
Monday, December 5, 2011 -- House Hearing for local bills - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850 - Local bills refer to legislation affecting issues specific to Montgomery County. Click here to sign up to testify
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 -- House Hearing for bi-county bills - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850 - Bi-County bills refer to legislation that requires the approval of the Montgomery County and the Prince George’s County Delegations. Click here to sign up to testify
In a Maryland State Department of Education document (see below) obtained by the Parents' Coalition the public learns that Montgomery County invested $1,095,387 in the Peary High School building between the time the property was transfered to the County and the sale to the private entity.
The $1,095,387 was spent by County taxpayers to remove the asbestos in the building at a cost of $795,387 and to put a new roof on the building for $300,000.
Both of these improvements were apparently made when Peary High School was no longer in use as a public school and was under the control of the County government. (Neither of these expenditures appear to have been mentioned by the County Executive or the County Council during the recent discussions over the sale of the Peary High School site to a private entity.)
Yet, when Montgomery County entered into a lease/option to buy agreement with the private entity in 1996 the deal was premised on the assumption that the building had NO VALUE. The only appraisals that were used to sell the Peary High School site were appraisals of the land ONLY. No value was given to the existing school building. When the sale was finalized last month, the county received $0 for the Peary High School building. The sale terms only compensated the County for the transfer of the land.
Who removes the asbestos and puts a new roof on a building that has no value and should be demolished?
Montgomery County taxpayers, here's the question: If you put a new roof on a structure and removed all the asbestos would you then declare the structure to have NO VALUE and give it away for free? That's what your County government just did according to the information from the Maryland Public School Construction Program shown below.
Peary school's 19.5 acres of public property in Aspen Hill sold for $1.9 million to a private party? The blatant corruption of this outrageous theft of public property to benefit private parties highlights the extent to which the governing class of Montgomery County has sold itself to special interests. Every council member who voted for this is corrupt, as are the recipients of this stealing of public property. Yes, I know, all done under the color of legality. No one can be prosecuted, but it is theft nonetheless. All should be ashamed.
John Haynes, Kensington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Haynes might want to check on that "color of legality" thing. He might be interested to read the County Regulation on selling of public school land and see if any of the Regulation was followed in the Peary High School sale. He might also be interested to know how the public was excluded from speaking when this issue went before the Governor on December 15, 2010. The Governor and the Board of Public Works flipped the agenda for that day and didn't allow the public in the room to speak in opposition to the sale. This made for a nice happy-to-sell-Peary-High-School-site video which we will post soon.
In the same week that County Executive Ike Leggett pushed hard (even sending his staff attorney to Baltimore for the Nancy Grasmick committee review) to see a 19.5 acre public school site sold to a private organization for an estimated net proceeds of $800,000 to the County, he is also proposing cuts to vital county services including ambulance services.
Note to County Executive Ike Leggett: If you needed an extra $14 million from the ambulance fees legislation that didn't pass why didn't you sell the 19.5 acre Peary High School site for market rate?
Also note: No mention of cutting up the County credit cards floating around...or cutting day trips to Baltimore for his staff.
At the IAC meeting held today in Baltimore to approve the transfer of Peary High School to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, the Montgomery County Board of Education failed to show up or submit their view in opposition to the sale to the IAC.
The IAC committee members stated that they received four submissions: two from private citizens opposing the property transfer, one from some members of Montgomery County's Legislative Delegation, and one from the County Executive in support of the sale. At least two members of the Montgomery County delegation (Senator-elect Roger Manno and Delegate Ben Kramer) were present at the IAC meeting, along with a representative from the Berman Hebrew Academy and a representative from County Executive Ike Leggett's office.
Next the Board of Public Works reviews this public school site transfer on December 15, 2010.
This weekonly!19.5 acres of county land on sale at the Montgomery County Council!
Grab 19.5 acres of County land at a super low price of just $1.9 million!
And this super sale is supported by the entire District 19 delegation to the Maryland General Assembly: Senator Roger Manno, Delegates Ben Kramer, Bonnie Cullison and Sam Arora. Maybe the District 19 Delegation should read this report? This may not be the best time to be selling a County asset at a bargain basement price? Here's the last minute memo from the Planning Board that was made public after the Planning Board's vote. The Planning Board's staff had recommended that the sale not be approved by the Planning Board, but as the Planning Board hearing began a new recommendation was announced. Maryland state law actually has a procedure for disposing of public school land, has that procedure been followed in this fast-tracked sale?
