Lack of state funds

By DAVID PYATT, Mayor of Mt. Airy
As published Dec. 2, 2009

The past few months have been financially very stressful. The worst issue lately has been lack of funds from the state and leaving counties and municipalities in an adversarial position over what’s left. Since attending monthly “mayors” meetings in Frederick County and two quarterly mayor’s meetings in Carroll County since taking over last February, the tone has become quite hostile.

Typically the meetings in Frederick County, admittedly recently dominated by Frederick City and other municipalities fighting over annexations, have spent 75% of the time with the county officials saying how broke they are and “boo hooing” that we shouldn’t even think about asking for money.

Counties like to reaffirm that they have large budgets, e.g. about a factor of 100 higher in Carroll County and probably comparable in Frederick County, and like to let us know that they usually control funding or at least have a big hand in deciding where the money is allocated between state and counties. This has been the mechanism to “control” municipalities in the past when money was more readily available.

Mt. Airy, probably to its benefit, has been less affected by these budget issues because we have been diluted by two counties. On the other hand, we cannot ignore these forces and probably have to step up our lobbying efforts.

I suppose this falls in my lap, and I am starting to make the circuit. It’s a challenge, and I’m sure some toes were stubbed over a strong stance I took with regard to the Pathways Plan.

I think other elected officials can also contribute in this regard, and it will take some thought and coordination to do this a little better in the future. However, our lobbying is to also assure we don’t get surprised by significant county actions. For now, “making the rounds” and mending fences where appropriate is the best I can think of.

I do commiserate with state and other local officials. I tend to be very focused on the issues at hand, and this has strengths and weaknesses. I tend to be impatient if things don’t work, and am still working on this as Mayor. My “around the house” memory is often spotty under the best of conditions, and I forget little things, but notice it happening more and more as the budget pressure goes up.

I have a habit of turning off the washing machine when I take my morning shower and forgetting to put it back on. I got a real scolding bymy HLH when I did it two days in a row, followed by a “save” by saying “I’m on it” following a call from upstairs on the third attempt.

I suspect my wife chose me for my sense of humor more than anything else and looks the other way on these little things she considers major shortcomings. The “I’m an engineer” schtick sometimes wears thin with her.

I watched the trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon of Baltimore. Her defense attorney argued she “forgot” that these were gift cards and that’s why she took them. The prosecutor argued that “she didn’t get to where she was” by ignoring these facts.

Although I really don’t know whether Ms. Dixon committed a crime or not, I wish I was called by the defense to testify on this point. I bet sometimes she doesn’t even know the limo is warming up and waiting.

I have known commissioners in both counties for many years, and I know it is a really hard job, although lately being mayor is right up there. I can see the stress in their faces more and more (maybe the reciprocal is true as well).

HLH says I’ve been edgy lately and critical of her. By the way, the scolding over the shower incident was equitably due, stress or no stress. It’s the frequency.

There is more posturing and efforts at county meetings to show they’re in “control.” Although I suspect the uncertainty in next November’s elections play an equal contributor, along with lack of money, in their stress levels.

I find if distressful that, particularly in partisan elections and probably in local elections, an elected official has to either show how many schools he or she built, or how much they cut taxes in order to build political capital. Neither one is likely to happen in the next four years.

Sometimes my “engineering mentality” does come in handy in endeavours other than to promote “domestic” tranquility.