From Patrick McGrady:
Patrick McGrady today filed an official complaint with the Aberdeen Ethics Commission regarding the reported actions of Mayor Michael Bennett.
According to articles published by the Augusta Chronicle and Baltimoresun.com, Mayor Bennett traveled to Augusta, Georgia during the first week of August, 2011 to advocate on behalf of the Ripken Baseball Group. Ripken Baseball owns the Augusta GreenJackets, a team in the same league at the Aberdeen Ironbirds.
After filing the paperwork, McGrady said, “It is up to the people to ensure that their elected officials are acting in an ethical and honest manner. It seems that Mayor Bennett not only had his trip paid for by the for-profit Ripken Baseball folks, but he also mislead the audience in Augusta on this lobbying trip.”
Ripken Baseball wants the City of Augusta to build them a new stadium, with a deal similar to Aberdeen’s. In recent talks, the people of Augusta have been hesitant to agree to a Stadium deal because they heard about the large financial costs to the City of Aberdeen.
This trip was paid for by the Ripken Baseball Group. It is not clear if this is classified as a employment relationship, a gift, or a campaign contribution.
While in Augusta, Mayor Bennett spoke about the relationship between Aberdeen and the Ripken Group to a group of politicians, government employees, and community members.
The Ethics Commission complaint submitted by McGrady was initiated to get answers to serious questions about the Mayor’s behavior and relationship with the Ripken Group.
According to the Augusta Chronicle article about Bennett’s trip, Bennett disputed that the City of Aberdeen loses several thousand dollars per year. Budget documents from the Aberdeen City website show that since the 2007 budget, the taxpayers of Aberdeen have subsidized the Stadium with more than $2,000,000.
McGrady continued “The people of Aberdeen deserve honesty from our elected officials. The people of Aberdeen have been suffering under this Stadium deal for a long time, and it seems odd that Mayor Bennett would tell folks in Augusta otherwise. For the sake of the people of Aberdeen, I hope this isn’t true. With the problems with high taxes and high water bills in Aberdeen, the Mayor should be working for the people in Aberdeen, not lobbying for big corporations.”
Patrick McGrady is a candidate for Mayor in the November 8 Aberdeen election. He is an Aberdeen small businessman who wants to work to make Aberdeen government honest and more efficient. Once elected, he will work to reduce the burden of high property taxes and water bills on the people of Aberdeen. More information about the campaign can be found at www.McGradyforMayor.com.
Why can’t I get a deal like Ripken Stadium. Everyone wants to bend over backwards for the deal and we end up paying the bill. I am sure Joe Average could get the access to city hall? Probally not. I have a deal that aberdeen can buy into, but the only problem is I don’t have the right name to get free money. How much has anyone else put up?
Don’t you just hate it when elected officials are called out for questionable behavior?
Is this the same Ripken Stadium being paid for by the citizens of Aberdeen that can’t be used by the citizens of Aberdeen unless Ripken Baseball gives a nod? Remember when they tried to block the military show? Perhaps a letter or two to the Augusta Chronicle is in order.
One in the same. Look at the problem with there double booking of the military vehicle show and a driving school on the same day this past year.
The states attorney general, and the county states attorney needs to open up an ethics investigation against the City of Aberdeen, in particular the mayor and city council for this and I am sure many more conflicts of interest. The political corruption of this town is sickening the deeper I dive in the rabbit hole.
Many people in Augusta were bewildered by Mr Bennett’s trip here out of the blue. The stadium issue has sort of been on the back burner here because Ripken Baseball has yet to introduce a detailed plan. Some citizen activists did make a presentation to the Augusta commission way back in July warning against committing public funds for construction of a new ballpark and referenced the 2007 Baltimore Sun article that detailed the financial difficulties the city of Aberdeen was having from the stadium deal, most notably the fact that stadium revenue projections had fallen far short of expectations and that the city consistently had to pull hundreds of thousands of dollars from the general fund to pay stadium debt. Mayor Bennett came down here and acted as though none of that had happened and that it had not negatively impacted the city’s budget.. he flatly denied the city was losing money on it. You can read more here and see the video presentation that was made by citizen activists to the Augusta commission which we believe prompted the visit from Mayor Bennett.
http://citystink.blogspot.com/2011/10/truth-is-funny-thing-in-aberdeen-md.html. Judge for yourself on who is right. WE believe the facts are on our side. If Bennett wanted to come to Augusta to advise civic leaders on the prospect of building a new stadium here he could have atleast be upfront and honest about what happened in Aberdeen so as leaders here don’t into into a similarly money-losing financial arrangement.
To clarify, Mr Bennett traveled to Augusta with Ripken Baseball officials on October 3rd. Here is the article that appeared in the local paper:
http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/baseball/greenjackets/2011-10-03/greenjackets-owners-try-save-downtown-stadium-plan?v=1317670966
If I went to work for every day for twenty years, would the city of aberdeen build me a staduim. NOPE Do ya think I would get recognized…..maybe……It’s a shame when we live in a military town that Ripken Staduim has to treat members like that. I think aberdeen needs to wake up and smell the coffee………
I found this site from a posting on Facebook. I live in Augusta, GA and we are not in favor of having our taxes going to build a new stadium. Your mayor came down here and basically spouted off a lot of B.S. that the stadium up there was not losing money for your city. But what I have read, including an article in the Baltimore Sun says that the city loses around $400,000 a year on the stadium. Now Aberdeen seems like a small city and that sounds like a lot of money. Now here in Augusta, we got out of a money losing golf course because it was losing the city $150,000 a year. Lord help us if Ripken Baseball tries to get Augusta to build them a new stadium here. I foresee this as a big money pit. And to me it just seems wrong that your mayor would allow himself to be used as a salesman for Ripken Baseball and be flown down here at there expense and then spread a bunch of lies. That does not seem ethical to me. Based on what I know, if I lived in Aberdeen, I would definitely vote for Mr McGRady.
This is a very convenient letter at election time. Maybe a slimy trick/
Interesting, I wonder why this didn’t come up sooner? The timing seems awfully convenient.
Maybe it just took a prudent, thoughtful individual to delve into the details.
Monster / Ryan….W.T.F. are you talking about? CLEARLY Michael Bennett traveled to Georgia DURING the election season AND lied about the entire Stadium / City financial situation! Wake the hell up and smell the coffee! Obviously the folks in Augusta Georgia are more intelligent than the folks in Aberdeen Maryland! WAKE UP ABERDEEN, it’s already too late for your City to benefit from the BRAC relocated A.P.G. employees, and this stammering stuttering bumble mouthed “mayor” of yours is lying through his teeth! B.T.W. at least he has teeth to lie through. Can’t say the same about at least one of his close “relatives”.
One of my comments was left out, WTF. I said, “how does Aberdeen always shoot itself in the foot. When are they going to blame Bel Air for everything that happens to them.” Interpret that how you want.
The timing? what do you mean Ryan? It was mayor Bennett who decided to come to Augusta on Ripken Baseball’s dime with their head honchos on this little PR extravaganza to try and mislead the folks in Augusta about the city of Aberdeen’s financial situation with Ripken stadium just 12 days ago. Who forced him to do that? The concerns of many Augustans is getting stuck with a debt on a money losing stadium like the taxpayers of Aberdeen have been stuck with for over 8 years. Then he says this was a personal trip. But the trip was paid for by Ripken Baseball.. and the whole trip was about him making a sales pitch to leaders in Augusta on behalf of Ripken Baseball. I’m not sure what your ethics laws are up there regarding public officials, but this doesn’t smell right no matter how you look at it. If Bennett is concerned about this coming out less than a month before the election then he should have thought twice about coming down to Augusta on this little PR stunt.
Really people? Really. Give me a break. You can tell it is election time. Let the fighting begin.
I would look at Mr Bennett’s campaign finance disclosure statement and see if there was a big fat donation from Ripken Baseball and officials at Ripken Baseball. The timing does seem odd, that he would fly down to Augusta a month before election day to sing the praises of Ripken Baseball and make it sound like the deal the city made with them over the ballpark was just peachy. Was this done as a favor for a campaign contributor?
What is happening in Aberdeen with Ripken stadium is happening all over the country including the Orioles and Ravens. Taxpayers are subsidizing millionaire players and billionaire owners. Time for this nonsense to end.
First of that “Thorn in the side” of the tax payers could be making money but they at Ripkin do not want the business that plain& simple as that. ON the military show, your right that was just plain wrong on all accounts, that place sits empty because “They want no business there. The tax payers should not have to pay for a site that just sits there, they turn down business so folks this is “Who knows This is a Joke” Of a place, So the hometown hero doesn’t care.Maybe your mayor doesn’t even know of this mess? But we know they want no part of making money there. So I am sure the other candidate would love for that place to make money to pay off that debt.
The thing about this is that The Ripken organization is touting this as a multi-use stadium that will be busy all year and all the time, and that the city of Augusta will make money from all of these other events at the stadium. BUt it seems like what I am hearing from you all is that Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen sits empty most of the time when there is not a game. And who wants to have their wedding in a ballpark?
Mayor Bennett didn’t have make the deal to build Ripken Stadium. See the quote below.
“As a citizen at the time, I can tell you that the city folks were not that happy with the things that were written. Most of us knew that the things in the article weren’t correct,” Bennett said. “Yes, the city has debt there. We’ve always had debt there. It is what it is. We were part of the process of building the stadium and we knew there would be debt and things are moving forward.”
He inherited the debt. Doesn’t it make sense for Aberdeen if Ripken Baseball is successful?
@Ryan Burbrey – You are an progressive big government ideologue and financially illiterate. The Ripken Stadium deal is great for Cal Ripken and a financial disaster for Aberdeen.
I don’t believe anyone was trying to blame Bennett for the bad deal made by his predecessors, just for coming to Augusta and misrepresenting the truth about the deal and how it impacted Aberdeen financially. What you don’t say is sometimes a lot more important than what you do say.. and Bennett’s memory was very selective at the pr event in Augusta a cpl weeks ago.
If the stadium isn’t a strain on the City’s financials then why did house bill 584 – hotel tax in the 2011 session specify the distribution of revenue as “FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE NEXT $250,000 TO THE RIPKEN STADIUM AUTHORITY TO OFFSET THE ANNUAL OPERATING OR CAPITAL COSTS OF MAINTAINING RIPKEN STADIUM”
I know the bill failed because of the tax credit for the retirement community but the City’s leaders for years have touted the stadium and it’s related costs as the reason for a hotel tax.
The fact is he lied to the people in Agusta. Tax dollars do in fact keep the project afloat. The Mayor is not responsible for the intial mistakes made by other Mayor’s. But to cover the fact that the Stadium is a major hemorhage to the tax payers of Aberdeen is not factual.
I am not sure how he lied?
“Things were not going that well for the city just because we had folks that were more interested with borrowing money to pay for things that an operating fund should do,” he said. “I think that we’ve gotten the financial sitauation of the city straightened out and moving forward very nicely now.”
It seems like Mayor Bennett was looking out for the citizens of Aberdeen the whole time.
“Mr Bennett, upon assuming office in 2007, even wanted to renegotiate the terms with Ripken Baseball to lessen the city’s financial losses. He was partly successful in being able to renegotiate slightly better terms.”
I personally don’t see the ethics violation.
You don’t see the violation because you are supporting the Mayor for re-election. That’s shameful.
From the original story by the Augusta Chronicle: “Bennett disputed a 2007 story published in The Baltimore Sun that claimed Aberdeen loses several hundred thousand dollars a year because of the stadium, despite selling out every home game in franchise history.”
He told them that the City doesn’t lose money as a result of the bad deal. It clearly does. He didn’t tell the people of Aberdeen that he was going on this trip. Look at the ethics laws in the City code. It is both unethical (meaning immoral) and illegal (because he broke the Ethics laws on the books by working for Ripken).
Wow – this story makes NJ corruption look like kindergarden antics. Bad, nasty politics here in the genteel, southern state of MD.
I don’t know, Jersey guy. This sounds significantly more corrupt:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124835404608875685.html
From the WSJ, in 2009
Federal agents swept across New Jersey and New York on Thursday, charging 44 people — including mayors, rabbis and even one alleged trafficker in human kidneys — in a decadelong investigation into public corruption and international money laundering.
So just a “wink, wink,” “boys will be boys” moment? Corruption is no big deal? Is that what you’re saying?
I think that the point of the previous comment was more to say that this story certainly does NOT make political corruption in NJ look like ‘kindergarten antics’. Unethical? Yes. Criminal? Possibly. Comparable to the referenced article and the charges it details? Not even close.
I understand you do not like it here. I can only imagine how I would feel if my employer decided that I had to uproot my family and move hundreds of miles away to start over in a new town. I just wish you would give Harford County- and Aberdeen specifically- a chance. It may not be as bad as you want it to be.
Before I moved to Maryland, all I knew of your politics was Spiro Agnew. After living here for many years, I feel that Spiro is a role model for Maryland politicians, not a bad example.
Hey Pavel, if all you know about Maryland politics is Spiro Agnew, you have been underground for a while. Do some reading before the next election will you please.
Please reread my opening sentence. I said that before I moved to Maryland all I knew about the politics was Spiro Agnew. In the time that I’ve lived here I’ve observed many more crooked politicians and understand the culture from which he came.
Point blank, he lied to the people of Augusta. Was he paid to do that? I’m now supporting McGrady.
This sounds like a JOhn Waters film…. “Desperate Living”
I again am unsure where the ethics violation is. If a former mayor mad a bad deal and Mayor Bennett has been trying to fix it, where is the problem?
“I would like to make it entirely clear that no city funds were used during that trip,” he said at the meeting.
In fact, it is clear that he is trying to mitigate any financial issues which have arisen.
“”I just said there was a really good relationship. The key is, in a city-private relationship, is that both parties understand what their duties and responsibilities are and that might not have been as well defined in the early days of Ripken Baseball,” he said, explaining the city has put together a good memorandum of understanding since then.”
How is that unethical?
“I said we have a great relationship. If we have a problem, we sit down and find out what we can do as partners and get it resolved,” Bennett added.
Isn’t that what a mayor is charged with doing?
Ryan Burbey is going to be pissed off when he sees what you are posting under his name.
He has a fine relationship with Ripken Stadium. But that relationship cost the tax payers of Aberdeen hundreds of thousands dollars a year. I will bet if this was county money and it could be used better like giving teachers a raise, you would be on the other side of the fence. I’m sorry it still stands; the Mayor lied to the residence of Augusta. I’m sure he didn’t speak to the people of Augusta without using his title MAYOR OF ABERDEEN. Yes,it was a bad deal when he attained office, but it is still a bad deal for the citizens of Aberdeen.
Sit down with Bennett? When could that happen? If he wont let the public speak at council meetings, then how the heck can you sit down with him?
By accepting a trip on the behalf of a business that the city deals with, to lobby for said business at there bequest is a clear ethics violation. I had a similar offer where I work, and promptly reported the offer to my supervisor. Had I taken the offer I would have lost my job for violating the ethics policy.
Very good point. I certainly take annual ethics training, and I can barely accept a cup of coffee from our support contractors because that would be a violation. I won’t even go out to lunch with them to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Public servants, whether at the state or federal level need to be above reproach. Clearly ethics isn’t important to this mayor.
This doesn’t look kosher. The mayor should not be logbbying for Ripken Baseball. It seems obvious that at the very least maor Bennett was not being completely honest with the audience in Augusta.
Well, can’t say that any of this mess shocks me. Too bad I can’t support either candidate. Aberdeen will flounder for another 4 years. Bennett had time and again disappointed me with his political antics. It is a shame because at one point I actually respected the guy.
Why does Aberdeen always shoot itself in the foot? I am surprised that no one has blamed Bel Air for this problem.
It would be great if facts were mandatory on this argument. Previous mayors did not cause this problem. One previous mayor, one previous city manager and one previous city attorney caused the problem. In 2005 we knew that there was a fiscal problem with the stadium but could not sort out fact from fiction. A certified CPA who is skilled in “uncooking” books was needed. It took said expert the better part of two months to unravel a real rat’s nest of contracts, memorandums, etc to finally lay out an understandable time and contract line to even begin sorting out the mess. The bottom line is that the city did not use good business sense and failed to do any vigilance let alone due diligence when setting up the entire fiasco. Ripken baseball used experts and quality lawyers to establish all of the contracts. Since the city had no experts or for that matter any one who was qualified in the least to negotiate, the city got screwed. Once the contracts were signed the rest became the mess we see today with the city hemorrhaging money for the mistakes of the past.
With respect to this buffoon going to Augusta at the Ripken expense, that is truly a stupid thing to do and then to go down there and lie to those people speaks volumes about our government. This should not be in the hands of the city ethics committee. It should be in the hands of the State Special Prosecutor.
Should the citizens of Aberdeen be surprised by their Mayor’s unethical behavior? No way! Look at his track history. He’s made a carrer out of lying, cheating, and bullying. Just ask his MSP buddies!
Which MSP buddies? The ones who lost their jobs when he squealed on them after he got caught or the ones who gave him his cushy desk job?
A crooked politician who is in the pocket of a crooked politician…..the only surprising part of this story is that anyone is surprised.
All this back and fourth BS about who is the better person. Let me ask the McGrady fans where his “Authority of” name is on his campaign material as required?
As I posted in an earlier post and now asking myself, REALLY people!?
Mr. Yensan, is correct about one thing in his post; ONE MAYOR, ONE CITY MANAGER, AND ONE CITY ATTORNEY is the reason Aberdeen is losing money on the beautiful Ripken Stadium property.
printed on the bottom of the signs, rather small but it is there
So Patrick starts to whine.. wwaaa, he got to go and I didn’t.. Daddy, how do I make them stop…
Make it easy, if Ripken paid the tab, enjoy. if there was a video of what he said and there was anything questionable that was put out. ask. Or better yet, have a debate between the two and let the voters see who they will choose from.
what happened to the time when two people running for mayor would go do teh legwork, meet people and realy on charm/personality and knowledge instead of stuff like this to try to get elected….
I fail to see how this is whining. Patrick has caught the Mayor in what appears to be a lapse in judgement (criminal stupidity) at the least or an outright violation of the ethics standards (weak as they may be) for elected officials.
I see Patrick McGrady as a fighting force for the right things….We can debate all day, but Patrick is out on the streets and really talking to people. He has the balls to be “our” voice and not let Bennett keep getting away with wrong business.
Thank you Patrick!
Again no one is blaming mayor Bennett for making the bad deal, just for trying to peddle it to the people of Augusta as though it was not a bad deal for the tax payers of Aberdeen. Mayor Bennett, as well as the vast majority of Aberdeen residents know it was a bad deal and the result has been the city losing millions, so why did he go down to Augusta with Ripken Baseball and try to paint a different picture. It just appears very dishonest to me.
Out of all the posts related to this issue only Dave Yensan’s and Tim Impallaria’s posts seem to made based on facts and reasonable conclusions. Aberdeen town hall has been plauged with unethical behavior ever since I can remember. Wheter it be elected officials or appointed officials.
It seems the only development that occurs within city limits are those put forth by Art Helton properties, who will forever be married to the current mayor. Before that it was all the Century 21 housing up the west end. Then all the sweatheart warehouse deals. Face it Aberdeen, BRAC has passed you by. Just like most industries and MVA have in the past. Your City will always seem like a dump to the rest of Harford County because your current politicians only look out for their own self interests. What a shame, your City had so much potential.
Congratulations KB. Nobody could have said it better.