Revenue Authority Appointments Linger

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's most recent appointment to the Baltimore County Revenue Authority remains in limbo while the Baltimore County Council awaits word of its appointment to the same board.

"We're going to hold this up until we get the person we want," said Baltimore County Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond, a Reisterstown Democrat.

Kamenetz appointed Roland Campbell, a Pikesville realtor, to the five-member board on March 17. A few days later, the council sent Gordon Harden's name to the county executive for appointment to another open position on the same board.

"We want to take both of these appointments at the same time," Almond said. "Now that the session is over and the county executive will be here, I assume we'll get that letter soon. Hopefully before the next council meeting."

The County Charter gives the county executive the authority to appoint the board of the quasi-public agency that manages public parking garages and golf courses.

The county executive has allowed the council to appoint one member of the board since the mid-1990s when then-County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger entered into a "handshake agreement" with the council at the time.

The council, of which Kamenetz was a member, named Les Pittler to the board. Kamenetz later fought with County Executive Jim Smith to maintain Pittler's position on the board.

Pittler in February, leaving about a year on his term.

Sources familiar with the appointments told Patch that Kamenetz spoke individually with Almond and Councilmen David Marks and Tom Quirk, a Perry Hall Republican and Catonsville Democrat respectively, about Harden. Of concern was Harden's record of and housing code violations related to residential garages in Baltimore City.

Don Mohler, a Kamenetz spokesman, said the county executive "will honor the handshake agreement."

"The county executive, as a former council member, understands the agreement and does not want to be the first county executive not to honor it," said Mohler.

The appointment has been delayed so that the county executive could receive a copy of Harden's résumé from the council, said Mohler.

"It's nothing more than that," said Mohler.