Russell: Jarboe slate ‘hijacking' forums

Friday, March 12, 2010

The members of the Town Hall Alliance slate of St. Mary's County commissioner candidates are frequent speakers at public hearings and forums. They were there again Tuesday night talking about zoning changes the commissioners made earlier that day.

"It's a boogey man behind every bush," Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D) said of the alliance's rumors and speculation about zoning changes and motives behind them.

Public forums are intended to allow the general public to comment on a wide range of topics. "They're hijacking a process," Russell said, and using scare tactics to bring members of the community out. "I'd rather try to deal with facts than trying to scare people all the time." He said of the public forums, "Do we change them to political forums this early in the game? The Town Hall Alliance is using this as an advertising series." Potential candidates for office have until July 6 to file for office.

The Town Hall Alliance is made up of Dan Morris, Randy Guy, Richard A. Johnson and Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R). "They're trying to carry Larry Jarboe forward," Russell said. "Those fellows are carrying forth the Ken Rossignol proposition through Larry Jarboe. This ain't a Larry Jarboe slate; this is a Ken Rossignol slate." Rossignol is the publisher of St. Mary's Today.

"It's all being driven by Rossignol and Jarboe," said Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D).

"Their driving issue is for their friends, obviously, with zoning," Jarboe said of the criticism by his colleagues.

People have questions about zoning decisions near the end of the comprehensive plan update and "some things I can't explain," like the vote to split zoning on 97 acres off Golden Beach Road in Charlotte Hall, Jarboe said. "That's why people are upset," he said. "They'd like to have a voice when a quick change is made."

Mattingly said of the slate's frequent appearances before the board, "It's any opportunity to get on the local government [cable television] channel to promote their candidacy. They're expressing opinions on everything that comes down the pike. Whatever the topic is out there, they're just jumping from one to another." They are free to speak their mind as individuals, he said, but as a political group, "I don't think it's appropriate what they're doing."

Jarboe said allowing town mixed use zoning on the 97 acres in Charlotte Hall is inviting dense development at the access to the enormous Golden Beach neighborhood. "This particular board is trying to move Waldorf into St. Mary's County. I think most people would be opposed to that," he said.

jbabcock@somdnews.com