Moore Becomes First Cecil County Executive; McCarthy and Hodge Sworn in to Council; Amigos, Smipkins Absent

US Rep. Andy Harris (R-1), state Del. David Rudolph (D-35) and Harford County Executive David Craig ( R) had front-row seats for the ceremonies and enthusiastically congratulated Moore, McCarthy and Hodge on their victories in the November election.

But noticeably absent were Del. Michael Smigiel and Sen. E.J. Pipkin, both R-36, and hold-over county commissioners/Council members Diana Broomell (R-4) and Michael Dunn (R-3.) Broomell and Dunn are aligned with the Smipkin political organization led by Smigiel and Pipkin, who had actively opposed fellow Republicans Moore and Hodge for election.

The Smipkins have mounted yet another campaign against Moore in the past few days, since she announced she had changed her political party registration from Republican to “unaffiliated” so as to remove the Smipkin-controlled Cecil County Republican Central Committee from determining Moore’s replacement on the County Council for the District 2 seat. But the Smipkin’s anti-Moore efforts have been unsuccessful so far and prompted a backlash against them from some leading state GOP conservatives. [See separate separate Cecil Times report here: http://ceciltimes.com/2012/12/smipkins-howl-over-loss-of-power-to-new-cecil-county-exec-moore-state-gop-conservatives-bite-back/ ]

After taking the oath of office administered by Circuit Court Clerk Derrick Lowe, Moore said in her inaugural address that the county stood “on the brink of a new frontier.” But for the past two years, she said, the county has been plagued by “bickering, and dysfunction and inaction and poor decision-making.” (The board of commissioners was controlled during that time by Broomell, Dunn, and James Mullin, R-1, who was defeated by McCarthy in the April GOP primary.)

“The voters told us that you have had enough of this,” Moore said, and “sent a clear message that you expect more, and that you will not tolerate the division and aimlessness that have sometimes characterized our politics in the recent past.”

Moore said she had “heard that message “ and “I am here to say that change starts now, today.”

Going forward, the county will need “the cooperative best efforts of all Cecil County citizens, both in and out of government, and without regard to party affiliation,” she said. And the county executive must “act in the best interests of all the people of Cecil County, without regard to their party affiliation,” she added.

Consequently, she said she decided to change her political registration from Republican to “Unaffiliated” late last week so that when she resigned her commissioner/Council seat to become County Executive it would be up to the new County Council—not the Republican Central Committee—to “choose the person best qualified to fulfill that office.”

“Though I honor the Republican Party, under which I campaigned and have long been proud to align myself with the very best principles that party stands for, I believe that my duty to all the citizens of Cecil County now transcends party affiliation,” she said.

Under the county Charter, if Moore had retained her GOP affiliation, that party’s local Central Committee would have compiled a list of three candidates to submit to the County Council. The current Central Committee is fully controlled by the Smipkins and would predictably nominate people who pledge allegiance to that organization. In practical political terms, the County Council would likely deadlock 2-2 (Hodge and McCarthy against Broomell and Dunn,) Then the County Executive could pick her replacement—BUT she would have been limited to a name from the Committee’s three-person list.

But now, the GOP committee is out of the power picture and members of the County Council can nominate anyone as long as they are registered voters and live in District 2. However, it is likely the Council will again deadlock, 2-2. But in that case, Moore would now be free to make her own choice to fill the seat without being limited to the party committee’s list of nominees.

The Council has until 1/3/13 to act on the vacancy and Moore said she hoped the Council would reach agreement on “the very best qualified person to fill this vacancy.” But if the Council fails to make that decision, “then it will be my duty to fill that seat by appointing the person best qualified to hold that office.”

In conclusion, Moore asked for all citizens to work together for the good of the county. “Together we will build Cecil County’s future,” she said. “We have a big job to do. Let’s get to work.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy– a Chesapeake City veterinarian and businessman who overwhelmed Mullin in the GOP primary and won the largest vote-margin victory of any contested race in the November general election—offered an olive branch to the absent Broomell and Dunn.

“If everyone would give a little, we could all get a lot done,” McCarthy said, adding that all Council members should “put aside our partisan feuds.”

“Tomorrow the work begins,” he added. The new County Council is slated to hold an organizational meeting Tuesday morning and its first formal business meeting Tuesday evening.

Hodge, who served as a County Commissioner for four years before winning re-election in November, said he had to “confess” that he did not support the shift to Charter government because he feared the county would select “the wrong person and put too much power in the hands of one person.” But with the election of Moore, he said he had changed his view and felt the voters had picked the right person for the job.

And, commenting indirectly on Moore’s shift to the “Unaffiliated” column, Hodge said, “I don’t think [people] are going to care if we are Democrat or Republican or if we are unaffiliated,” as long as the elected officials “get the job done.”