A bill in Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker’s proposed package of ethics legislation is coming under fire from community activists who say the measure would disrupt the county’s balance of power. Baker has submitted two ethics reform bills to the Maryland General Assembly that he says are aimed at keeping land developers and county officials from having improper dealings. Corruption allegations have dogged the county government in recent years. The bill opposed by activists at Saturday’s public hearing in Largo would restrict County Council members from being able to call up and review site plan cases heard by the Planning Board, a tactic Baker said has been used before by council members to seek concessions from developers.
“I’m very worried that this bill comes across as looking like a power grab for the executive’s office,” said Barbara Sollner-Webb, a resident of Laurel, pointing out that the Planning Board is appointed by the County Executive.
Most activists who opposed the legislation Saturday said they favor other types of ethics reform, but are against this bill because the County Council is a check on the actions of the Planning Board. Baker said the legislation only stops the council from being able to call up cases on their own, and does not stop citizens from making their own appeals to the council.
“What we are seeking to accomplish with this legislation is to give more certainty and transparency to the review process,” he said. “We are not trying to give developers a leg up on the process or to limit the very critical role that the County Council plays.”
But District 1 council member Mary Lehman told The Washington Examiner that it’s important that council members are able to call up site plans on their own. “Citizens just don’t have the time, they don’t have the savvy or the wherewithal to monitor these applications from beginning to end,” she said.
Baker’s other bill, which involves closing loopholes that allow county officials to vote on projects involving a developer who donated to their campaign, drew support from many of the same activists opposing changes to the council’s role in the site plan review process.
Baker said the legislation is needed in Prince George’s because most other counties in Maryland do not have a County Council that also hears appeals to the Planning Board.
“Everyone in this room knows we have a problem in Prince George’s County when it comes to some of these issues,” said Darren Swain, a former Maryland state delegate, who spoke in favor of both pieces of legislation. “And for us to put our heads in the sand and not address this is only going to continue the ugly image we have that’s continued to be perpetuated in the media.”
