frederick local yokel

We came into the meeting late, because between us we had to get 8 kids off to and home from school and their activities yesterday. Plus, reading all the excerpts from Bob Woodward’s upcoming book DID NOT help matters!

We entered at the time they were discussing limits to the Military Tax Credit. Jerry and M.C. made a lot of good points about how most retired military will still be able to take advantage of this AND it’s only to stop those who make over $80,000 from getting a credit they don’t need. Despite Billy many times stating we can just pass legislation and fix it later, he wasn’t on board with this. From the FNP article that ran this morning: 

Councilman Billy Shreve (R), who proposed the original bill with no income limits, argued that the council has voted to increase the budget by $80 million over the last four years and is spending “a zillion dollars” to keep seniors in the county, so $600,000 isn’t a lot of money, relatively speaking, and, he said, would help keep seniors in the county.

Scintillating as always. The bill passes.

Bud’s bill concerning the county council controlling their own employees brings forth a lot of discussion. Billy, Tony, and Kirby make arguments in favor of voting for this out of spite. We cannot tell you how glad we are going to be come December when their time is up! However, between now and then it seems their goal is to cause trouble and be as disagreeable as possible. Well, that’s really not that different from the last four years, is it?

Kirby has some axes to grind over how much has been spent on the Middletown Fire Dept. Didn’t he have some disagreement with the City of Middletown this past budget season when he was tinkering with their library funding in his ALT Budget? Hmmm.

One more workshop this month and then we can breathe easy until October. Maybe by then we’ll be able to focus!

The first part of the workshop was relatively calm. There was a good presentation from our fine county employees regarding the creation of a Senior Services Advisory Board. We predict this bill will get through with no problems. It only makes sense that we stay responsive to the growing needs of our rapidly growing aging community.

Next, there’s a long discussion on the upcoming Farm-based Craft Beverage Promotional Events bill. These are events that can take place at an established brewery or winery, and this bill establishes guidelines to help these types of businesses grow. Tony was on the work group and he’s got lots to say. Kirby just wants to make sure y’all know the difference between legitimate complaints and you know, people who need to keep their traps shut! Billy tries to compare this to wedding venues, but is mercifully shut down as being irrelevant to the current discussion.

Tony is going to be candid folks! He doesn’t like that the quasi-judicial planning commission members can go on Facebook AND donate to political candidates. I mean really folks, (and this is his example not ours!), when  if Tony is ever brought up on weapons charges he is going to be so dismayed if he ever finds out that the person sitting in judgment of him has donated thousands of dollars to an anti-gun organization! Can y’all just imagine the injustice!? There’s lots of free speech concerns, with Tony going back to how they are quasi judges, so there! He also wants to give specific examples! M.C. says he can’t use people’s names. He then says can he use positions, and how about he just talks until someone tells him to shut up? Bud, says that no, none of this is a good idea. So, your Lady Yokels, really want to know what the hell is this all about. First, we hop on over to the planning commission site to see who could have invoked the ire of Tony:

We automatically recognize two of the names from Kirby’s failed flow chart!!!!

Tony has some nerve as well, especially after all we uncovered concerning the Off-Track Betting bill! People can objectively serve on boards and have political opinions! It’s crazy and naive to think otherwise.

The last bit of the evening was unfortunately devoted to Billy. He wants to repeal part of the ethics  bill they passed in 2017 in which a nominating committee nominates people to the ethics board instead of the county executive. M.C. thinks he must be confused so she specifically asks if that’s what he wants to do. Jessica asks for his rationale, to which he replies, “The other way was better!” So, this begs the question: Which one of Billy’s cronies was denied a nomination? Since all this stuff seems to be personal to these guys.

The new business part of the evening gets testy. Tony is VERY ANGRY over the state of water and sewer amendments. Wants to know why sometimes the process works and why sometimes it doesn’t. Billy is a complete jerk in trying to demand that he be given a workshop on building costs. This was previously denied because he couldn’t prove it served a legislative purpose. He yells at Bud that he never puts anything on the agenda! And there we are folks. Three and a half more months and we will be free of the Shreve! Let the countdown begin!