Elvis, and Cecil County Econ. Development Chief Thompson, Left the Buiding but Broomell Steps on Blue Suede Shoes

September 20, 2011
By

Elvis, and Cecil County Economic Development Director Vernon Thompson, have already left the building but Cecil County Commissioner Diana Broomell (R-4) wanted to step on Thompson’s blue suede shoes Tuesday by trying to “fire” him in a closed door meeting, according to informed sources. Thompson formally submitted his resignation, under pressure from a three-member majority of the commissioners, on 8/30/11 and it is effective Friday.

The ouster of Thompson was widely seen as political payback for running afoul of the Smipkin political machine, led by Del. Michael Smigiel and Sen. E.J. Pipkin, both R-36th District. [See previous Cecil Times article here: http://ceciltimes.com/2011/08/cecil-county-commissioners-oust-vernon-thompson-economic-development-chief-smipkins-get-even-for-political-independence/

During a public worksession of the county commissioners Tuesday morning, Broomell let it slip that she wanted to talk about “Vernon” and subsequently made a motion to have a closed door meeting to discuss a “personnel” matter. There was no advance notice to the public of a proposed secret session via the worksession agenda or website postings but nevertheless the commissioners agreed to adjourn to a secret session after their public worksession.

In the secret meeting, Broomell railed against Thompson and fumed that he was attending an international economic development conference this week in Charlotte, N.C. at county expense, sources said. However, his attendance at the conference, which had been booked and registered for in advance, was part of the arrangements related to his resignation, sources said, but Broomell wanted to stiff Thompson on the costs of the conference.

After Broomell vented for a while, the Commissioners ended the meeting without taking any action on her anti-Thompson proposals, which some observers characterized as ‘vindictive’ and ‘pointless.’

Although she didn’t specifically cite it, Broomell may have been miffed by Thompson’s swan song message to the board of the Bainbridge Development Corporation, in which he had broad criticisms of local and state elected officials for the long-stalled project to re-develop the abandoned Navy training center in Port Deposit.

The Bainbridge Development Corporation, set up by the state to oversee the redevelopment, has eight voting members on its board, appointed by the Cecil County commissioners. Thompson held an ex-officio seat, as do six others, including state agency representatives, County Commissioners President James Mullin (R-1) and Port Deposit mayor Wayne Tome. Members of the county’s state legislative delegation, including Smigiel, sit on a “Bainbridge Advisory Board” but lack voting powers.

In a message to the Bainbridge board obtained by The Cecil Times, Thompson wrote:

“There are a few Monday morning quarterbacks to criticize our moves. You
will note that there has never been an offer of assistance from them. Our willingness to stay with the project is our biggest strength. The people of Cecil County deserve to see this happen.

“Unfortunately the level of local political support has been nonexistent other than [Delegate] Dave Rudolph but if this project is to be successful, this will ultimately need
to change. Perhaps a County Exec will make the difference,” Thompson wrote.

Meanwhile, there was a repeat performance of the dancing hippos—a la the Disney classic film “Fantasia”—Tuesday afternoon as four of the commissioners again tried to draft a letter to the Governor on their “top three” priorities for state help in removing barriers to economic development projects. [See previous Cecil Times report here:
http://ceciltimes.com/2011/09/like-dancing-hippos-cecil-county-commissioners-twirl-on-economic-development-stage/

As usual, Commissioner Michael Dunn (R-3) was absent from the meeting, as he was at the previous balletic rehearsal on economic development issues– and as he usually is absent from most commissioner discussions other than the official weekly worksessions and formal evening voting sessions held twice a month.

After over an hour of re-hashing of the previous meeting and a public worksession discussion as well, the commissioners took their pencils to re-number the same shopping list, adding subsections and a,b,c and d sub-sections, for a broad-brush agenda that does not answer the very simple question asked by the state in a very specific, three paragraph letter sent to the county by Governor Martin O’Malley on 6/30/11.

All the governor was asking for was a short list of “your top three economic development priorities” that could be expedited by a new “Maryland Made Easy” program that seeks to expedite permit reviews and other regulatory processes.

Nearly three months later, the Cecil County Commissioners have not yet finalized their response to the letter, and their shopping list enumerates just about every potential project on the horizon and some—such as a controversial grain barge and dredging project in Chesapeake City advocated by Mullin—that are not on the horizon. After Tuesday’s discussions, the commissioners decided to wait for another draft of the letter before finally agreeing to sign it.

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5 Responses to Elvis, and Cecil County Econ. Development Chief Thompson, Left the Buiding but Broomell Steps on Blue Suede Shoes

  1. Natalie Ricci on September 20, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    Diana is just upset that she didn’t get to go the conference. Probably even more upset that she doesn’t understand what the conference is ABOUT. And probably MOST upset that even if she did get to go to the conference, and even if by some slim chance in HELL she understood a single snippet of what was being discussed at the conference, she most certainly wouldn’t have had anything salient to offer to the others attending said conference.

    Commissioner Broomell just needs to give it up and go home. She really is in over her head. I’m sure her idea of economic development is making sure to save paper and plastic at home for recycling!

  2. Bob Gatchel on September 20, 2011 at 8:57 pm

    REALLY? One doesn’t show up, another sits there and makes “vindictive” comments about a situation which is a fait accompli, which in the end is pointless. Well, I think POINTLESS is the exact description of Dunn and Broomell and the “other amigo” as well. And we will have to keep their pointless feet to the fire and remember to fire their pointless “butts” in the next election, because their continued involvement in the process of Cecil County Government is basically POINTLESS!

  3. Scott A on September 21, 2011 at 12:32 am

    OMG, this is a total illustration of why the public is fed up with most politicians. Stop pandering, take a stance, and make a decision. Good thing this group is not leading our troops in battle; their inability to make tough decisions would get everyone killed.

    C’mon guys, you aren’t curing cancer or solving the conflict in the Middle East. The governer asked for a list of 3 things, and you’ve had THREE months to comply. Stop the petty, vindictive rhetoric; and do the job you promised to do when you ran for election.

    The county elected a whole new group last time; and with your track record, you are begging them to do it again.

  4. Al Reasin on September 21, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    Since the commissioners are elected for 4 year terms and supposedly the MD Constitution does not allow for recall, we are stuck with what we have. (http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opinions/1995/80OAG17.pdf) However, I have asked several members of the legislature to present bills to change the MD Constitution to allow recall. Asking politicians to commit possible political suicide and do what is right will not usually work but it would be interesting to see how they vote. We would then see who believes in bending to the will of the people.

  5. Alexis on September 21, 2011 at 9:57 pm

    Broomell is all about revenge. Apparently she and Smigiel share a hit list. As time goes, on she shows less and less judgement. Solo trip to the PSC without authorization to speak for the county?

    Pay the bill for the conference, Broomell. Good luck finding someone QUALIFIED to work as Economic Development Director. Which crony will emerge?

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