From Harford County government:
County Executive Barry Glassman delivered his fourth annual State of the County Address Tuesday, entitled “Back on Higher Ground”, to reflect the way Harford County’s improving financial position touches people’s lives.
New initiatives included funding for a 24-hour crisis center and plans for legal action in the opioid crisis; support for volunteer fire company projects; and a push for the county’s fair share of state funding for education and road maintenance. County Executive Glassman also announced a new baseball field for youth with disabilities, and welcomed a national fishing tournament and half-marathon across the Susquehanna River coming to Harford County later this year.
In a break with tradition, Ring Factory Elementary School third-grader Gavin Donnelly introduced the county executive, who began by saying, “Gavin is a perfect example of why we work so hard for Harford’s future generations.”
Improving Financial Position
Reviewing financial data, the county executive said that revenues in FY2017 had exceeded expenditures for the third straight year, growing at 2.3% and 1.5% respectively. Rising property values contributed to these results, he said, along with limited spending under his administration. He said that tax rates would remain “frozen.”
To restore pay increases for teachers and law enforcement, County Executive Glassman said that he had directed $24 million, or nearly all of the county’s new spending over the past three years, to fund salary increases for teachers, sheriff’s deputies, correctional officers, and dedicated county employees.
After a temporary pause to get debt under control, he announced that a modernized Havre de Grace Middle/High School would break ground in a few months. He also said that key infrastructure projects, from roadways to roofs, and storm water obligations were being funded.
As second vice-president of the Maryland Association of Counties, the county executive said he would push for changes to state funding formulas that shortchange suburban counties. He said that over the past three years, Harford County had increased operating funding for schools by $15 million while the state had contributed just $1 million more.
County Executive Glassman also said he would continue to seek local government’s rightful share of revenue from the state gas tax, which was intended to pay for local road maintenance. He said that Harford County had funded nearly $23 million over the past three years to keep roads safe and local contractors working.
New Initiatives
Transitioning to the human impact of a fiscally responsible local government, County Executive Glassman said, “You see, if you want to lift someone up, you’ve got to be on higher ground.”
To help citizens in crisis, County Executive Glassman said that the county would begin moving forward with a 24-hour crisis center for access to care for addiction and mental illness, in partnership with University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, the Harford County Health Department and Healthy Harford. He said he would recommend $250K in next year’s budget, doubling the county’s existing allocation for addiction prevention and treatment, to help fund the project. To recoup costs, he said the county would join other Maryland counties in suing opioid manufacturers and distributors.
In support of high quality emergency medical services, the county executive announced that the first group of county paramedics would begin training next week. They will staff the first county-owned ambulances to supplement existing services and meet increased demand countywide. This follows his appointment of the county’s first medical director and EMS Standards Advisory Board, as announced in his last State of the County Address. He thanked Board members for their work.
Continuing his administration’s record level commitment to volunteer fire companies, the county executive announced $350,000 in capital funding for Whiteford VFC and $540,000 to complete Joppa-Magnolia VFC’s Hanson Road substation, bringing the county’s commitment to $1.2 million for that project.
Having successfully updated the countywide master plan, County Executive Glassman announced an agreement with the University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education to assist the county with implementation and additional projects.
The year ahead will not be all work, County Executive Glassman said, welcoming the national Bassmaster Elite fishing competition this summer. He also thanked Gov. Hogan and the Maryland Transportation Authority for their support of a half marathon over the Susquehanna River in September. The competition will benefit the Al Cesky Scholarship Foundation.
Saying that his greatest reward comes from working with youth, families and those at risk, the county executive announced a custom-designed baseball field for youth with disabilities on county land at Schucks Regional Park in Bel Air. He said the project would be built, in partnership with The Miracle League of Harford County, because, “…every child should get a chance to play ball.”
In closing, County Executive Glassman read a poignant letter from the mother of twin 2-year-old boys, who reached out to him in desperation when she became homeless. With help from county employee Lenora Robinson, the mother was able to find housing and wrote, “When you lose everything and fall flat on your face you pray for people who will not judge you.” She went on to call the county executive a superman, but he said that the real hero was Lenora, and others like her who make a difference in people’s lives every day. He led a round of applause for Lenora, who was a guest in the audience.
Concluding the last State of the County Address of his first term in office, County Executive Glassman said, “So just like on day one, in year four I will work hard every day for the county I love … to reach the blessings and prosperity found on higher ground.”
The prepared text of the State of the County Address, a 2017 video and progress reports can be accessed on the county website at http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/723/County-Executive
He is right. Under Republican leadership, Harford County is stronger, better. There is a new spirit sweeping our land, from the picnic tables at Rock State Park to the senior housing in Bel Air. We are a mightier people because of Barry Glassman and our GOP statesmen. I love you, Barry.
He looks really good in that picture.
He looks plastic
I must be using the wrong bait
“State of the county”
Heroin overdose and poor driving.
Just today some asswipe in a turn lane couldn’t wait 21 seconds (noted by the Pedestrian Crosswalk LED) for the intersection to change.
Dude made a right hand turn from the left hand turn lane, drove 100 feet and pulled u turn across double yellow.
Well, that certainly sounds like something Barry Glassman could have prevented. Good for you for not being afraid to put blame where blame is due.
Stuntin’ like my daddy, nukka.
Im sure he had to get to court. His client had a check for him. Bel Air police should set up traps…they could simply rip up the tickets to judges…clerks…and the connected lawyers.
Seems to me the fact that we even *need* a 24-hour heroin crisis center is a bit of a #fail.
To “Just Sayin”: I’m guessing that “just sayin” pretty much describes your primary activity in life. Now we’ll pat your head, and run along back to your video game.
people do need to learn to drive in bel air, the cops could enforce basic traffic common sense laws to elementary school shuttle bus moms who think they own the road.
and if texting or calling and driving is so deadly, cops shouldn’t be allowed to get a certification to do it, unless that class is offered to anyone who wants to take it. I followed a sheriff up 24 about a year ago, he was all over the place swerving over center line the entire drive as good as any drunk driver. I should have videoed it and put on you tube it was so bad. come to find out he was typing on his onboard computer instead of driving…i can do much better, guess my self training method surpasses government issue.
he was lucky he didn’t hit someone head on.
I’m confused..new havredegrace school? didn’t we tax payers recently pay millions to refurbish the current hug high school building?
we could save so much money just by looking at the county government and school system vehicle pools… why does every county employee need to drive around in a 4 wheel drive vehicle? 2 wheel drive compact sedans are much more efficient on gas and maintenance. 4wd vehicles get 1/4 the gas milage and sine they are 4wd, they cost 2-3 times as much to maintain and keep on the road. there should be a few available for those who really need the offload capability of a jeep, but the vast majority would get around fine in a front wheel drive car.
also why do we have too many $60,000 + full size pickup trucks, most of them heavy duty diesels being driven around that are not service trucks, aka no ladder racks, tools, or tool boxes? see above.
why does the school system and the county government both have their own fleet of snow plow dump trucks? we don’t live in montanna and don’t need that many
why does the county and school system have a butt load of top of the line john deere mowers? do you know hoe much each of those cost? Especially when instead of mowing their own grass, they now hire Ivy Hill lawn Care to mow their facilities…
i understand we need some of these things, but why is there such a waste and excess of machines that tax payers will have to foot the bill to maintain… i haven’t even got into the amount of heavy construction equipment that is rusting away in hickory only being used a few times a year… what happened to calling the state or partnering with them to use and help maintain their regional equipment?
inefficiency of county maintenance workers is huge too. what other job do you know of where a 2 hour project takes 1 week? what other job would be ok with you arriving at a job site, sitting in your truck for 45 minutes, then getting out of your truck and BSing with your fellow worker who dove his own county truck to the same job for another 45 minutes, then you both look at the job for 45 minutes, finally do 30 minutes of work on the project, then go to lunch for an hour, back to the site, sit in truck for 45 minutes, BS for 45 minutes, do 20 minutes of work on the project, then drive back to the office on all backwoods at half the speed limit so you can time it to punch out at 4:30 and go home?
I’m just saying, efficiency saves a lot of money and currently we are far from it and nobody who should care seems to give 2 shits about it.
Mitch you are going to have to wait till the county workers get back on the job to get a response some time Monday. Expect to hear a lot of claims of working for the county is such a personal sacrifice…..
Why are Bel Air Police in force setting up traffic check points in Aberdeen and Havre de Grace , with a carnival attitude and mocking demeanor harassing motorists in a way they wouldn’t dare try outside the circuit court house in Bel Air ? If Bel Air police want to act stupid, let them do it to some judge or lawers in Bel Air ! We do not want you here. We have our own police depts. We live in these cites for a reason. We elect our own Mayors who set our polices including our policing incentives.
Chief Moore of the Bel Air PD. owes an answer for this nonsense. Chief Moore needs to explain why his police are in other City’s setting up roadside, en mass, speed traps where almost every car is stopped. This goes on for an hour …many tickets are mass produced …and they disappear.
This is not acceptable.