Election campaign 2014 for the always hotly-contested Cecil County Sheriff election began this week with third-time candidate Chris Sutton filing as a Republican candidate and political newcomer Scott Adams, chief of the Sheriff’s department school resource officer program, also filing in the GOP primary. Sutton, a current Deputy in the sheriff’s department, had made...
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US Rep. Andy Harris (R-1) and Cecil County officials huddled Tuesday to discuss costly federal and state mandates to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, but Harris said the US Army Corps of Engineers could over-ride state environmental authorities to resume dumping of shipping channel dredge spoils that have polluted residential drinking water wells in...
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Live, from Elkton, it’s Tuesday night… Considering some of the comedy performances that have taken place at meetings of the Cecil County Commissioners, although fewer now that they have morphed into the County Council, watching meetings of the panel on the small screen might be a bit like viewing Saturday Night Live—even if it’s...
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Cecil County Executive Tari Moore and the County Council mapped strategy on Tuesday for an upcoming meeting with top state officials involved in Chesapeake Bay policy, with a plan to focus on sediment buildup at the Conowingo Dam that swamps the Bay with pollutants especially after storms. But one Councilor and Moore said the...
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NEWS ANALYSIS Never say never in Cecil County government and politics. But sometimes it’s politically wise to say “maybe.” After months of resistance by colleagues to a demand by County Commissioner/Councilor Diana Broomell (R-4) to hire a County Council “auditor” to investigate spending and operations of the new County Executive, suddenly the position surfaced...
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Cecil County Executive Tari Moore is proposing exploration of possible creation of a county-led authority to oversee and operate key infrastructure in the county that is currently fragmented among county, municipal and private water and sewer operations, according to a new county budget proposal. Basic water and sewer infrastructure in Cecil County has been...
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A majority of the Cecil County Council Tuesday questioned the handling of pollution of Earleville residents’ water wells by a US Army Corps of Engineers dumpsite, with Councilor Joyce Bowlsbey (R-2) saying that local residents were “victims” of the Corps and state officials appeared to be “hellbent” on resuming dredge spoil dumping in the...
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A CECIL TIMES SPECIAL REPORT Earleville residents packed an auditorium at Bohemia Manor High School on Saturday to tell state and federal officials they want pollution of their water supply by an Army dumpsite to be cleaned up and safe, clean water provided to their communities. But Maryland Port Administration (MPA) officials bluntly told...
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A CECIL TIMES SPECIAL REPORT The 2014 campaign for Cecil County Sheriff, always a hot political contest, is beginning already, with familiar names, switched party affiliations and some potential wildcards. The most prominent candidate so far—Chris Sutton, running in his third bid for Sheriff—faces some significant political challenges in trying to seal the deal...
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NEWS ANALYSIS What a difference a few months make. The Wild West, rhetorical free-for-all of the old Cecil County Board of Commissioners, and the chaotic early days of the new County Council, is morphing into a highly structured panel that is still finding its way among the fine points of its role under Charter...
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Cecil County Executive Tari Moore unveiled the first budget under Charter government, freezing the property tax rate, approving the hiring of 5 new Sheriff’s deputies and providing a slight boost over current aid levels for the county’s public schools. The budget will be presented to the County Council on Tuesday 3/5/12. There were smiles...
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Cecil County Sheriff Barry Janney is seeking budget approval to add five new deputies to the force and upgrade computer software to track evidence and DNA samples, according to documents submitted to County Executive Tari Moore. Law enforcement operating expenses are projected to rise by over $306,000 from current levels while expenses at the...
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The Cecil County Council voted 4-1 Tuesday 2/19/13 to approve five nominees to an Animal Control oversight panel, despite one member having been cited for violations of animal laws. And a Delaware rescue group that is being paid over $2.2 million by the county to handle animal control is abandoning its animal-less shelter on...
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There were tears and laughter—much, much laughter—as Cecil County residents gathered on Tuesday to say farewell to Nelson Bolender and celebrate the life and legacy of the county’s premiere educator and government leader. Bolender, the former principal of North East and Elkton high schools and the two-term president of the Cecil County Board of...
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A nominee for the new Animal Control Oversight panel was cited for two violations of animal laws in 2011, documents obtained by Cecil Times show. But the documents also show departures from usual protocols for handling a non-emergency, anonymous complaint regarding cats and there are questions about the timing and intensity of an investigation...
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