Comments on: Commissioner Dunn Targets Cecil County Ag Coordinator; Closed-Door Move Has Political Hint

By: ceciltimes

ceciltimes — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:33:14 +0000

Thanks, Al, for your informed comments. There is no public record of a closed door meeting between the commissioners and the Budget Advisory Committee, so– unless the Commissioners were totally violating the state Open Meetings law and hiding a secret meeting– there was no such meeting at which a recommendation as suggested by Mullin and Dunn could have been made.

By: TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT

TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:16:57 +0000

Nothing ceases to amaze me about the Smuppet Dunn. Until such time as someone clever enough to beat the SMIPKIN puppets at their own game comes along, does anyone really think this is going to stop? I picture the SMIPKIN bullies sitting in the pulpit whipping the Smuppets.

Real “Republicans” need to stand up and put them in their place. Is this ever going to happen? I certainly hope so. Can you imagine one of them in Circuit Court and the other as County Exec.? Oh my, we should all start packing and head south.

By: Al Reasin

Al Reasin — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:18:22 +0000

I was at the public meeting when Jim Butkiewicz gave his report on 4/19/11. He also talked to the Cecil County Patriots at our June meeting and I have had two a private conversations with him. He never indicated a reduction in force was recommended, nor does the committee’s report (I have a copy), and he stated publicly that such a consideration should be a last resort.

…[He said] recommendations on filled positions could be discussed in closed session, whatever that issue was. At no time did he talk about nor does the report indicate a reduction in force anywhere is proposed; only a freeze on hiring/not filling positions vacated.

And the Economic Development information, as was reported by the Times, follows what is in the report and audio of the public session. So if any position was to be eliminated, it was recommended in closed session out of sight of the public.

Thus Commissioner Mullin was incorrect, the Advisory Committee did not recommend this or any other elimination of a position in its report; the opposite is the general recommendation.

If the elimination of a position was recommended by the Advisory Committee during a closed session, the applicable portion of the minutes should be released to the public to settle this issue.