Del. James: Survey Results, Budget Cuts, and Collective Bargaining for Libraries

From the office of Del. Mary-Dulany James:

Friends,

This week I shared with you a portion of the cost of cuts to local aid that are in some of the bills that are circulating the General Assembly. I want you to know that I have sent letters to our Cecil County Commissioners and Harford County Executive asking them what, if any, programs, jobs and projects would have to be reduced to accommodate this loss of funds. I want their input so I can make the best decisions for the people back home. I need to know that while we balance the budget and find places to cut we are also guarding the things about which people need and care.

Now that I have conducted three surveys and gotten a substantial number of responses, I want to share the results of the votes for those that responded through my email updates. The first survey regarding collective bargaining showed that the majority of people support only mediation or no collective bargaining with some support lent to non-binding arbitration. The second survey regarding two pieces of legislation I am sponsoring showed that the vast majority of you support the idea of an agriculture exposition center and even more overwhelmingly support setting a procurement goal for service disabled veterans. The most recent survey regarding attendance to an important budget hearing showed that most of you feel as I do, when we are experiencing a budget crisis and there is a call for a bipartisan meeting, everyone, especially the leaders, ought to be present.

This week I was briefed by local librarians about their thoughts regarding a bill before the General Assembly that would require library employees to join a bargaining unit. They expressed concerns that it would have “huge fiscal implications” and stated their feelings that this issue be left to the local governments. We often talk about State’s Rights but rarely about those of counties and municipalities. I’d like to know how you feel about “County Rights” or “Local Rights”. Please take this week’s survey by clicking here!

I am really enjoying the survey responses and appreciate that so many of you take the time to answer the questions each week. I look forward to seeing what you all have to say this time around.

Also, save the date—March 31st for a town hall meeting to discuss Veterans’ Issues, Public Safety and Police, and Property Tax legislation. More details to follow.

Very Truly Yours,

Mary-Dulany James
State Delegate
Harford and Cecil Counties