Beulah: The greatest accomplishments of the Glassman administration are fiscal responsibility with multiple budgets that provided pay increases to County employees, teachers, and law enforcement while not having to raise taxes and maintaining Harford County’s AAA Bond rating. Funding has also been provided for the construction of the new Havre de Grace High School/Middle School. Additionally, 2500 private sector jobs were added in the last 3 years. I do not believe the Glassman administration had any failings, but I would like to have seen more emphasis placed on economic development and the revitalization of the Rt. 40 corridor in Harford County.

Beulah: Yes. Each year for the past 3 budget cycles, the Harford County budget met or exceeded Maintenance of Effort standards for education funding. The majority of new county revenue in the past 3 years has gone to fund pay increases for law enforcement and teachers. There is always more that could be accomplished provided we had an open-ended budget, but in reality, that is not an option for most governmental budgets. There has been much progress in the past 3 ½ years to return funding to our law enforcement and school systems. We are fortunate to have good leadership and sound fiscal management with the vision to provide these necessities.

Beulah: Yes. Approximately 80% of Harford County’s population lives in about 18% of its land mass, called the Development Envelope, whose goal is to allow for growth in a very defined area while maintaining our rural heritage. Harford County has consistently ranked in the top tier of all counties in the United States for the last two decades in preserving its agricultural land. This is especially noteworthy considering our proximity to the heavily developed I-95 corridor. Recently, additional areas have been included to study for possible expansion of Harford County’s Development Envelope.

Beulah: The county’s efforts to fight the opioid addiction overdoses can be rated as strong and pro-active. True partnerships between the community, County Government, the Sheriff’s Office, the Courts, the Health Department, the Upper Chesapeake Health System and many more have been recognized at the state and national level, but there is much more work to be done as our citizens are dying from this addiction. Our community focuses are on prevention and education, treatment and enforcement. I would like to see more education during school classroom hours and in after-school programs to warn our youth of the hazards of opioid usage. Regular education made available to the general public is a must in keeping us informed.

Beulah: The Harford County Sheriff’s Office has a strong, respectful relationship with the community that is steadily improving. As a Councilmember for the last 3 ½ years, I have been a witness, and in some cases, a participant to many of the new and innovative strategies the Sheriff’s Office employs to better communicate and partner with our citizens. The Sheriff’s Heroin Overdose Prevention Workgroup, Sheriff’s Foundation, Diversity Hiring Workgroup, Traffic Safety Advisory Board, and Town Hall events are examples of the openness the Sheriff’s Office has with the Harford County community.

Beulah: As Harford County has grown in population, it has become more difficult to provide ambulance and EMS services on a full-time basis, especially during normal business hours, when many of our volunteers may be at work. I am extremely proud of our volunteer fire and EMS personnel and hold them in the highest esteem and do not agree that paid personnel are necessarily more professional as the question states. The addition of the county-paid personnel has created some conflict between the Glassman administration and the volunteer services. I believe more discussion and coordination between the Glassman Administration and the volunteer services needs to occur as we work toward how to best serve Harford County and its citizens to the highest level.