Open Agenda Ep 19 Joe Holloway Question A
Show Transcript
Disclaimer: The following transcript was auto-generated and may contain spelling or contextual errors.
you're watching open Agenda here's our
host Joe White welcome to open Agenda
I'm your host Joe White in the studio
with me today is councilman Joe Holloway
how you doing Joe thanks for the inv
invitation thanks for coming out here it
is it's beautiful outside so yeah be
inside it's not too bad so uh I wanted
to to bring you in I want to make sure
everybody understands what question a is
about uh a few of the the main talking
points and I also want to get your
Insight I mean you're one of the four
Republican Council folks who have voted
for the referendum and I really want to
find out a little bit more um in the in
the last election you were voted by over
70% of the folks in District Five right
that's correct yes so do you feel like
the folks who who live on the east side
of the county in your District do you
think that they're going to support this
question a well you know referendums are
are confusing sometimes to people but
everything I've heard from people for 18
years since I've been on the council is
why do we need a County Executive why do
we have a county executive and I said
well you know it was put on referendum
people voted it in I said but you have a
chance now to change things change
things for the better to go back to the
way it was before yeah so one of the
misnomers I've heard several times is
that there were there was a petition and
it was signed and and and and you were
around back then I mean this this that
was that's not true I was asked to be on
the committee um to put this referendum
on a ballot and I um I voted against
that um I went to the meetings I seen
you know they they were bringing people
down from Montgomery County Baltimore
County and I'm thinking you know is wac
Comico County really ready for this I
don't think so so um it was done by
referendum um that committee sent it to
the count then County Council and they
took the advice of the committee and put
it on a referendum so it was not done by
a ballot by a ref by petition by a
petition yeah so this I mean having an
executive form of government is in fact
a larger form of government than say a
catic form of government God yes you
know and they talk about the cost of
just the office it's not just the cost
of the office that increases the cost to
the citizens it's the actions that this
County Executive can take without you
know the approval of the council or even
the citizens knowing of what they're
going to do well I I want to take some
time and back up and I want to talk
specifically about the three elected
County Executives we've had in the last
18 years we've had four total one was
appointed but let's roll back to Rick
pilot who was the very first County
Executive yeah Rick um you know Rick was
well known um his family you know the
pilots they came from around Eden and um
Rick ran for County Executive he won um
Rick Rick was a nice fellow you know uh
very nice guy but you know Rick spent
eight years is trying to get rid of the
revenue Cap all the problems that c w
Comico County had at that time according
to them his administration was because
of the revenue cap
so we went through we went through the
Great Recession at that time if we had
not had the revenue cap and there was
free Reigns to raise taxes we probably
couldn't afford to live in W Comico
County today so we had a lot of issues
we had to tackle you know it was a lot
of fun in problems going on um they
actually did um you know what they call
an early retirement riff or whatever
offered early retirement and one of the
things that came up was two of the the
two people that designed that early
retirement one was the um one of Rick's
um staff and the other one was the U
well he was staff too he was the um HR
Director they were both over 65 years
old but they got to take advantage of
this early
retirement and they basically retired
with full salaries so they actually were
part of the the group that the executive
at the time put together correct to look
into this yeah how vital was having the
County Council to hold those
conservative values that hold that tax
that tax base down so that we didn't run
a muck with it's a good thing we had a a
a a conservative council at that time it
really is because you know there there
were ways to go around it unfortunately
but um they held the line anyway anyway
did you have other U structural issues
while Rick was the county executive oh
yeah there you know there was there was
things um you know one of one of the
things that was the folks down around um
Eden um he closed one of the um transfer
stations and moved it and just did it
without any input from the Citizens
first thing you know everybody's Raising
Cane about this thing being moved Clos
moved to another location it was in a
neighborhood where people weren't happy
about it so they had to step back
and do some public hearings and we got
that problem resolved so okay anyway
after you went back to did the
transparency thing after the fact yeah
after the fact you know that that's you
know that's the problem with the county
executive form of government they're
they have a lot of power yeah they have
a lot of power so then you know um Bob
cver ran you know ran against Rick um
Bob served on the counil for a term um I
like now before you say anything else I
want to back up now Rick Rick was a
Democrat that's correct and Bob and I I
I had some dealings with Bob I mean he
was a self-proclaimed conservative
correct self-proclaimed like like a lot
of people are sometimes yeah okay now
I'm sorry go ahead and I got along good
with Bob Bob Bob was um Bob was a lot
different than the executive we have now
you know if Bob was upset with you he'd
call you on the phone cuss you out you
know and then the next week he's okay
with you you know somewhat okay with you
depending on what what you were you know
what you had in mind what you wanted to
to do but Bob came in um you know he
didn't have a lot of experience in
government and um like a lot of other
folks they think they can get in there
and do anything they want and he and he
did some things that you know weren't um
you know didn't follow the charter in a
lot of ways well well promoting the the
finance director I mean we went a whole
year or more without a a a confirmed
Finance director right that's correct
couldn't go to the bond market for that
you know and I mean probably at that
time it wasn't the biggest deal because
of the recession that we didn't go to
bond market but if there was say a a a
Fruitland primary school that was going
to get approved that year right it would
happen we wouldn't have happened only
because the executive needed to have his
girlfriend put in it's the finance
director right we couldn't appoint a
finance director we couldn't appoint
that so we couldn't go to the bond
market we didn't appoint a finance
director so you know Bob had some issues
you know he he sold a piece of property
that probably for half of what it should
have been sold for what was that
property initially for well they came to
the council and they said we've got some
small pieces of property that it will
not pay to advertise to sell and they
join other people's property and we
could offer it to them you know two or
three of the neighbors and if they
wanted it you know talking about
something that's maybe an eighth of an
acre you know 16th of an acre that'll
border somebody's property
and would it be okay if we sold those
without advertising because advertising
would eat up any money that they got or
probably cost us money so we gave them
to go ahead to do that but we didn't
know about one property and that one
property was probably worth um 50 to
$60,000 and he sold it to somebody that
he knew for 25,000 it was actually even
somebody had some business dealings well
it was a business associate do you think
he ever disclosed that to the public or
no he did not we did we tried to you
know it didn't go but but it's after the
fact after the fact and you know then
Bob had his health issues so you know we
had other things um Mount Herman um we
had a town hall meeting at Mount Herman
church I called for a town hall meeting
because of closing the southern portion
of walon Switch Road people people
weren't all that against it they just
know what was going on um there were
some people against it some people
didn't care some people were concerned
about moving the traffic up to the
airport road in Mount Herman it was
going to increase traffic there by the
way it had an accident there last week
but uh anyway um you know the message uh
at that time from Bob's staff was that
um we'll go back and discuss it we'll
get back with you well they didn't get
back with us they just closed the road a
week or two later so how would that have
been different if we were a council
Matic form of government how would if
the if the County Council didn't have an
executive how would that process have
happen different it would had have been
voted on before people of course but
would there have been a work session
work sessions and all that would there
have been a public hearing correct if if
it was required we would have done a
public hearing but you know you would
have four people that would have had to
vote to do it yeah you know it wouldn't
have been just done but none of that was
done none of that was done because you
had a county executive had a county
executive and
um you know we had the issue he wouldn't
let the county um department heads one
for a while come in and talk to the
County Council he was mad at us or
something then we had this one was this
one was almost too unbelievable he we
got a rebate from the insurance company
every year if we don't have a lot of
claims and that actually goes back to
the employees they don't give them money
they just take some off their off their
bill the next month right so they
they're going to pay less the next year
per mon next year per month or for one
month or whatever well they took that
and they wanted to open gym
memberships you know so that was um that
was something that um there's a list you
know a lot of it's minor stuff some of
it's violations of the charter some of
it just minor ethical things that you
probably shouldn't do but if you went to
the ethical board they would probably
say well don't know you you've shared a
lot on this list and and some of it is
maybe small right some of it is actually
very big but more importantly if
anyone's willing to work in that in that
level of process behind closed doors
then you don't really know what could be
next correct yeah so yeah it's um you
know that that's that's the problem you
take a good portion of your government
and you move it behind closed doors
where citizens don't know what's going
on so what I mean the one of the the
talking points against the question a
has been that this is some somehow a
personality conflict with the current
executive have you run into some of the
same ethical and Charter issues with the
current County Executive oh yeah yeah
Pro you know you keep thinking it
couldn't get any worse but it seems to
get worse all the time you see what I'm
saying and um yeah it's um there's been
a you know of course a lot of it's been
been out in the open you know in the
Press some of it has like the
confirmations oh informations you know
the 364 day contract instead of going
365 days I mean I actually sit at the
council table and said you know
um Miss girano did you do this to avoid
coming in front of the council and she
admitted that she did yeah you know
that's we've shared that video on our
show and uh it was it was it was quite U
yeah quite quite weird to hear that yep
that's exactly why we did it did you
know and then you know suggested legal
action if we didn't agree with the
budget you know so you know the process
is the county executive does the budget
brings this to us we either pass it or
or don't pass it you know we make
suggestions if we want money moved you
know and she made a comment out there
one day you know hey you know you don't
want to go to court if you don't pass
this budget something to that effect
that's not the exact and that's not free
you know yeah and what you know that's
not the process you know I mean that's
not what how it does you know the
recycling bins at the Civic Center that
you know that was something that really
fired a lot of people up I mean people
phone calls started coming what's
happening with the recycling bins they
moved them they're gone so they came in
front of us you know we discussed the
recycling bins let's talk about how we
can replace them well there was a fence
around the back side of the recycling
bins we'll talk okay we'll get back with
you about replace replacing them well
they didn't get back with us they just
went move the fence in so now it is
permanently gone you know
um a few weeks ago our um internal
auditor you know did a you know an audit
on um employee turnover I think it was
in 2020 we had a 4% turnover rate 2023
we had a
20% um turnover rate yeah you know we've
lost some good employees and it
basically comes from leadership I
thought that's what I'm hearing that's
what I'm hearing from the people that
are gone they can't call you when they
work there because they're afraid of
losing their job but when find another
job and they move on then they get on
the phone hey guess what happened to me
you know I either got fired or I quit or
I've retired I'm going somewhere else to
work because of the way I was treated I
I I was there when uh Miss Chantel the
auditor presented her her findings and
she got those numbers from the HR
department oh yeah it came right from
Julie's Department I mean it wasn't made
up but then it was interesting two days
later uh the county executive had her
own press conference and almost refuted
the the numbers and and said said that
they were they were being misconstrued
that have you have you had any well I
was at that press conference basically
what she talked about was hiring two or
three people that were like department
head she wasn't talking about booths on
the ground out there people that were
working you know a lot of the people
that had actually left because of
leadership problems she she was hiring
more leaders that hopefully these
leaders are better maybe I don't know
but that was that was the deal there I
want to talk a little bit more we want
to take a break when we come back I want
to talk a little bit more about the the
the history of having a county executive
in Maryland some of that past some of
what you think is the future and also
maybe some of what are your concerns uh
if if we don't pass TM m&a sounds
good the Upper Ferry operates on the W
Comico River and connects the west side
of the county on the peninsula between
the Nanticoke and W Comico rivers to
Eden which is situated south of
Fruitland thus bypassing the big city
the Upper Ferry is one of two public
Ferry booat operations on the W Comico
River and is the first place to cross
the river south of Solsbury the Upper
Ferry helps to reduce traffic congestion
near downtown Solsbury where if not for
the ferry one would have to cross the
River on the route 50 or Fitzwater
Street drawbridges the ride across the
river is very short only about 2 minutes
but you'll be able to enjoy a Pleasant
View while avoiding steady traffic the
Upper Ferry is a small vessel with a
maximum imum capacity of three cars six
passengers or 10,000 lb the ferry boat
runs along a heavy wire cable beneath
the water surface so if you're boating
on the W Comico river near the Upper
Ferry and you see it underway please
come to a full stop and wait because the
cable is pulled up to the surface as the
ferry boat cruises along and can snag
your out drive or propeller creating a
dangerous situation for both you and the
ferry boat alike the fairy boat has the
right of way at all times and is
privileged under the Inland navigation
rules as a vessel restricted in its
ability to maneuver which is visibly
indicated on the fair's Mast head during
daylight hours by three vertically
aligned geometric black shapes depicting
a ball over a diamond over a ball after
dark or in conditions of limited
visibility when the day shapes can't be
easily seen you'll see three vertically
aligned lights on the Mast head
configured as red over white over red
before your boat continues its Journey
up or down the river it's best to wait
until the ferry lands on either Bank to
ensure everyone's safety there's no
charged ride on the Upper Ferry and it
runs 7 days per week year round but is
closed on County holidays the Ferry's
hours of operation are adjusted
seasonally and there are times when the
boat is out of service for repairs or
when weather or river conditions cause
operations to be temporarily suspended
so it's always best to check the W
Comico County Department of Public Works
website before leaving home or you can
call the ferry hotline at 410 543 2765
for a status report this is Mike
Goldberg for open Agenda back to you
Joe welcome back to open Agenda I'm your
host Joe White continuing with me in the
studio is councilman Joe hollway Joe
thanks for sticking
around you want to talk a little bit
about the history of having a County
executive and and maybe some of that
checkered PED in the state but also the
Eastern Shore I mean we we are the only
County on the Eastern Shore with a
county exec we are and you know um I
watch a lot of what other councils do um
locally you know Dorchester Worcester
Somerset Sussex you know they don't have
the issues we have you know and you talk
about the checkered past you know
there's County Executives in Maryland um
Jack Johnson went to jail for seven
years you know for bribery Jack leopole
um was convicted of misconduct in office
Spiro agu you know a long long time ago
but his issues about impeachment
actually went back to when he was County
Executive in Baltimore County you know
so yeah County Executive form of
government is rape for corruption you
know it really is it gives people the
opportunity um I won't say it's an open
checkbook but it's you know it's it's so
much on the edge of being able to do
things that you you know that's
irresistible to somebody I think anytime
you can do something without some
oversight it it it could just lead you
to make a poor decision I remember in
Jack Johnson's uh instance it was a
campaign donator that eventually the the
benefits that he was offering that
person led into bribery it wasn't it
wasn't one Fell Swoop and and and I'm
interested to think if we if we don't go
back to a council mtic former government
now we could be talking to the 2026 the
2030 election is it possible that we
could actually see influence from
outside of the the the government
working themselves to really be able to
impact a county executive whomever that
is well I think I think we still we we
see some of that now you know outside
influences you know um a lot of your
county Executives when they run they
have higher aspirations you know um they
kind of Ascend to the throne you know of
being the king or queen
um you know and give me an example that
Rockstar status and then they think that
you know hey I'm I'm here I can do what
I want to do well give me an example of
the current County Executive doing
something like that
well now this was
unbelievable in fact I had to verify it
a couple different times and ask some
questions about it apparently this
County Executive um when she got elected
she went to the sheriff and she wanted a
full-time Deputy to be her chauffeur
okay okay now think about this deputies
cost us 60 80 $90,000 a year with
Benefits you know depending on the rank
yeah um probably low-level Deputy you
know one that's not got a lot of rank
would probably be 60 or $70,000 with
benefits our school board was in last
week and they want more um school
resource officers okay but we don't have
enough you know the share we've raised
salaries we've raised retirement
benefits to try to enhance um
recruitment for our sheriff's department
and she wants to pull a deputy off the
street to drive her around really come
on now now the same school board this is
a conservative this is a conservative
count uh County Executive we're talking
about now well you're talking about the
same school board that ask for for above
maintenance of effort and was flat funed
by the county executive in her budget
proposal yeah but I mean how special
does somebody think they are yeah have
you ever had a county executive that had
a shur before I mean no no I think so I
mean I'm not saying that the County
Administrator didn't drive the county
executive to Annapolis or something like
that but as far as a as a personal
chauffeur no no I mean that that had to
be you know I when I heard that I'm
thinking you know how just how special
does somebody feel that they are so do
you feel like this issue is a is a
partisan issue is this is this about
some sort of liberal agenda or even no
this nonpartisan I mean you know I've
talked to look I I wouldn't have got 7
some per of the vote because 70% of the
people in my district aren't Republicans
I don't think I had a lot of Democrats
vote for me you know so um it's not it
doesn't have anything to do this this
question a is not anything to do with
Republic now four Republicans voted to
put it on the on the um referendum but
so did one Democrat yeah you know and uh
but you know I I I I couldn't get um I
couldn't get over that you know it's um
it's and then and then we'll go back to
the situation when she first also got
hired she brought two employees in and
put into her
Department which was illegal it was
misappropriation of funds now why was it
illegal now we we have played this those
those those jobs weren't in the charter
they weren't in the code it weren you
know Personnel manual wherever they were
supposed to be they weren't there well I
mean why is that such a big deal it's a
big deal because because she took money
from other she took mother money from
other departments okay that should have
been in other departments and was using
these employees in her Department not
only that it wasn't fair to the two
people she hired think about it you get
hard with a County job you think you got
a nice County job you know hey I've been
hired by the county executive come to
find out she's done something that's not
right and they lose their jobs well when
we were when we were covering this and
one of our uh recent episodes we also
covered about the County vehicles and
you actually brought up several times
about uh reassigning County vehicles and
why is that important why is that
important well my big issue is okay back
when Bob cver was County Executive
excuse me we
um we I brought up the fact
that okay our benefits aren't charged to
departments okay so we don't know what
the true cost of a dep department is
okay you have they had a separate line
item in the budget for department so you
don't know if if County Roads is costing
you this much or this much because all
the benefits are being paid out of a
different department out of a another
line item so we corrected that okay okay
to Bob's benefit you know and the
finance the person whoever was doing the
finances they corrected that they moved
all that into each department so each
department now has benefits charged to
that department well now they've done
the same thing they were doing with
Benefits before with vehicles okay so we
don't know what an Department's costing
us because you know somebody might be
riding an $80,000 car now the Sheriff's
Department's different I think they're
they're they're different yeah they have
their own yeah have their own thing but
as far as County Roads or as far as um
because we went they went to this
leasing um option that they use is we
don't know the true cost to a department
MH so that's that's that's an issue you
know now you referenced Bob cver and
some of the issues you had with him and
you even mentioned he would just call
you up on the phone give you a hard time
maybe cuss you out or whatever but have
you experienced with this County
Executive maybe some of the blowback
repercussions when you have taken a
position oh yeah against I mean she's G
she's she's resorted to name calling now
she was on pack 14 last week um you know
using some pretty um pretty nasty things
to say well I want to reference
something in particular in
2023 and this was something I witnessed
at the meetings I was attending I mean
at one point you were accused of bribing
a someone you know a citizen right I
mean yeah that was pretty disheartening
you
know um it was it I don't know whether I
guess I laughed at it at the time and
that's what really got him upset you
know we uh John Canon and myself was at
a fire department meeting one night and
this gal comes over and she's selling
these challenge coins and we you know
each one of them gives gives them $20
well you know had this nice conversation
with her you know and then the next
meeting she comes up and asks for my
resignation and wants an investigation
done into because I made I was a vain
attempt at being a comedian okay which I
keep my mouth shut some sometimes
probably but um when she got
done um asking for my resignation and
all this I made this comment well maybe
I should have bought more challenge
coins from her or something you know
well wait one minute I actually want to
play the video
of the the comments that were made in
two successive County Council meetings
and then I want to come back and I
actually want you to speak about just
what happened at the in the council
chambers and what the final result of
that was let's listen in now okay I you
are straight up you straight up remind
me
of people that I would run from Good Old
Boys it's your way or the
Highway it it it's absolutely disgusting
Joe you need to
go you and I'm sorry I have to say it
you need to go yes remember the night we
sat at the table and that young lady
wanted money from us yeah and we gave
her
money I guess we didn't give her enough
we should have give her more money I I
really certainly have to say to to try
to even suggest that any any member
these people were elected officials you
have to understand what it takes to
become an elected official whether
you're an executive or whether you're a
council member you have to be out there
and you have to be up front these are
not puppets you don't the character in
the backbone is not part of this no
having no character or having no
backbone is no part of this job you have
to be very thick skin as Jeff had
suggested
here uh I'm asking you to open an
official investigation on councilman
Holloway be very careful here Mr Cooper
I am being very careful sir and his own
separate violation of the county Charter
Article 2 Section
202-d forfeiture of office in closing
comments of the last meeting councilman
Holloway alluded to a donation he made
to a person's fundraiser and he thought
it would be enough to stop her from
coming here to
comment and at the coun uh um coming
here to count uh comment at the council
meetings he referred to his donation
several times and offered to make it
more the next time so she definitely
wouldn't come back
uh this does actually fit the legal
definition of a bribe and bribery is a
crime of moral
turpitude moral tpud violation restrict
grounds for forfeiture Per County
Charter Article 2 Section
202-d good evening Holly wartel M Comico
County resident good evening Madame
councilman and gentlemen um I am here
this evening um because of what was said
during last meeting after I left to
basically when I came when you all were
at a fire
meeting and I was selling challenge
coins I didn't ask you for money I ask
you if you'd like one that they're
$20 I've never asked anyone for money in
my life Mr
Holloway okay and then for you to say
what you did really hurt me and I know
what I said probably upset you and hurt
you as well I wish you would have been
more like Shane Baker and and came to me
the night of the
meeting and we had a very nice
conversation that lasted a few
hours but
instead you sat there to brive me maybe
we should have paid her more money to
keep her away and away from these
meetings that is
briy Mr President Mr cannon that is in
the violation the charter
violation Article 2 Section
202d I want something done about that
I'm not going to go away John I mean Joe
I'm sorry I'm not going away and then
for you to laugh about the bribe it
sounded like a bribe to me and anyone
that would get on
here you know I voted for you I voted
for you know just about all of you
sitting up there at the last election
and how dare you say something like that
about me representing a Volunteer Fire
Company in this County that I represent
proudly good evening my name is Mariam
Ashanti I'm a resident of uh wo County
uh also for 45 years have served as um
human rights and civil rights uh um
activist and Community Advocate and I
pray I praise the County Council for for
upholding the charter and being servant
leaders um I'm hearing people talk about
Mr
Holloway in life people may say
something that you don't agree with they
may even said the wrong
thing but Mr Holloway has not done
anything in the years that I've known
him that he needs to be removed or to go
before ethics at the podium tonight I'll
let Mr Canon decide if he wants to do an
investigation I've never heard of heard
of people trying to Bob bribe Paul
politicians I've never heard of a
politician bring a citizen but
anyway all right so we had a chance to
hear I mean yes your vain attempt at
some humor um the the speaker is Holly
wartell who is who's now the president
of the of the wo County fireman's
Association you were you were actually
at one of their meetings to discuss
concerns with the with the fire
Association right oh yeah yeah we you
know the council members go to a lot of
their meetings you know I mean we we
support the fire departments you know
well and two folks spoke I mean Holly
came up there she asked for your
resignation we also heard David Cooper
speak now is it true that David Cooper's
wife is the treasur for for Julie J
that's what I've been told yeah um so
why do you think those two folks in
particular got up there to speak about
you know a a bad joke and and turn it
into a Char first of all there were the
three of
um um Holly ortell and Dave Cooper and
Julie Jared I know were sitting together
in the audience and they were giggling
and looking at me and I was thinking
what's going on with these three you
know and U so I soon find out soon found
out you know um they come up and started
to accuse me of this bribery thing and
um I'm thinking what what's going on
here you know
um for one thing Holly orel's not been
around here long enough and of course
David David Cooper I'm sure has not paid
attention but for 38 years I've been
donating money to fire departments um I
had sponsored uh t-ball leagues Pete
Richardson would called me up hey you
want I need some money for the Salvation
Army Lions Clubs ruitton club we had a
ruitton club in parsberg we had a Lions
Club in Pittsville we had a Lions Club
in um Mount Herman um you know Mr Allen
Richardson from Pittsville fire
department he come by when they were
having a car show it wasn't a great lot
of money every time but it was a lot of
organizations for over almost 40 years I
mean you were part of that fabric of the
community on side yeah you know if they
came to me and they needed something I
tried to help them out you know you know
donating money for all these years and
then and then to get attacked like that
baseless a baseless attack so they asked
for an investigation to be done was an
investigation done an investigation was
done three attorneys now think what this
cost okay well who were the three
attorneys I want to know that Paul
Wilbur jul one jul ex execu attorney
which I guess they call him the County
Attorney Bob Benson the council attorney
and Jamie Dykes and she's the W comic
County stat attorney and they all looked
at it and said no there's no there's no
base for this basis for this this is
ridiculous you know and uh so you know
um you know Mrs girano weaponized these
people to attack me and I'm sure after
this video I'll probably get it again
well yeah but when you see someone like
Mike Goldberg who's gone up and spoken
several times and they've tried to have
him arrested once and actually had a
peace order we heard Mark Carroll speak
at the Civic Center back in June about
the executive going to sharptown to have
him removed from his volunteer job is it
easy for you to relate to just really
how how tough it can be to speak out
against that part of the government yeah
you um was it no good deed goes
unpunished is that saying people that
you know
um what happened with these folks is sad
you know I I'm you know I don't know
because I didn't see it but just know
hearing and seeing what I've read it's
hard to believe that citizens get
treated that way so what would you tell
someone who is really maybe just finding
out about question a and if they still
have questions I mean I I know that
anyone can go to the W county.org
website they have emails and phone
numbers for all seven County Council
folks they can contact them and ask them
questions but what advice would you give
someone who's considering whether to
vote for or against question a well if
they have questions you call me okay you
um that's call any of your council
members you know there's five of us that
voted for it I'm sure the ones that
voted against it will have a different
opinion but you're welcome to reach out
to the council members and and you'll
get a various yeah points I mean
Republican Democrat for against but are
you are you still happy that you you you
put this referendum on the man I'm I'll
be even happier if it passes let me tell
you it it's you know as bad as this
is we could go it could get worse we
could elect another County Executive
that was worse yeah you know I mean well
having attended the meetings and seeing
the progression in the last two years uh
that is probably the thing that gives me
the most consternation is the fact that
we we have yet to see to to to no longer
be surprised by how bad it can get right
and there is a a strong chance that in
20 26 or 2030 this could get much worse
yeah and and and folks may not agree
with what political party that person's
in at that time well you know it could
be an independent sometime it you know
it could be a Democrat could be a
republican um it's just you just have
to you know somebody asked me the the
other day they said if you went to court
say you're commit you know you were
accused of a crime would you rather be
Tried by have a jury sitting there or
just a judge now some people you know
they're just going to have a judge
sometimes for various reasons but I
think I would rather have 12 people
judging me than one and it's the same
way with the county executive you know
you're going to have seven people on
that Council that are going to have
different views you know they're going
to weigh everything in and four of
them's going to have to agree with the
county executive now a lot of this has
to come to the council at some point in
time unless the county executive can
figure out a way to keep it from coming
to the County Council which she did with
that 364 day contract and and the and
the uh confirmation that never actually
even came to you at all so there's
there's different ways to do it yeah I
mean and that's just the ways we know of
right now yeah I think we could pass you
know referendums you know to the Charter
but there'd always be somebody out there
trying to figure out a way to get around
well you did in fact uh put seven
Charter amendments in and yet a number
of Charter amendments put in over the
years but between lawyers and County
Executives they have figured out ways
around yeah and it could go the other
way look no government's perfect we all
know that yes but you know I'd rather be
you know have seven people and hope to
get four to agree then I would just just
have one stepping out there doing what
they want to do on their own finding out
later and finding out about it later
well thanks for coming in and talking
about question a u we hope it passes
yeah okay did you want to talk about the
liquor bills or is it too late you got
they got enough time I don't have enough
time that's fine is that okay yeah oh
that's fine that's fine I'm going to do
one outro you good you don't you can
just keep it running I can get it okay
it's on you thank you for watching this
edition of open Agenda please keep in
mind that early voting starts OCT oer
24th and runs to October 31st and
election day itself is on Tuesday
November 5th so whichever way you feel
please get out there and make your voice
heard have a great day we'll see you
next
week oh they're going to love this one
it a
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