Harford Exec. Cassilly Denounces Council Passage of Union-Backed Bill Demanding Expensive Binding Arbitration

Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly criticized the County Council’s passage tonight of Bill 25-012, calling it “an unnecessary and harmful step that imposes big city-style government on Harford County taxpayers.”

“Harford County has a strong and cooperative relationship with our great county workforce,” County Executive Cassilly said. “This bill imposes a solution to a problem that does not exist in our county. Instead, it mandates binding arbitrations in employment contracts and hands over local authority to outside interests that will cost taxpayers money without improving working conditions.”

Cassilly noted that Harford County already maintains clear, fair, and transparent personnel procedures without the need for an expansive, vague new labor structure that will invite costly litigation. The bill undermines local accountability, creates an unnecessary bureaucracy, and sacrifices our longstanding, well-structured, and successful process for managing county labor relations.

“Harford County’s strength has always been its independence, its fiscal discipline, and its common-sense approach to governing,” Cassilly said. “I would like to thank Council Vice President Giangiordano as the only councilmember with the wisdom to vote against this bill. Sadly, the bill's approval by Council President Vincenti and Council Members Bennett, Robert, Imhoff, Reilly and Boyle-Tsottles surrenders local control and invites expensive mandates that will ultimately fall on our taxpayers.”