Morhaim Wants Hairston to Meet with Legislators

A Baltimore County delegate is asking county legislative leaders to schedule a joint meeting with Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Joe Hairston in the wake of a controversy over a salary for a newly hired deputy.

Del. Dan Morhaim, a Democrat, asked Del. John A. Olszewski Jr. and Sen. Kathy Klausmeier, the chairs of the county's House and Senate delegations, to schedule a meeting before the session ends on April 11.

"The continuing issues as reported in the media regarding the BCPS School Board deserve focused attention before the end of session," wrote Morhaim in a March 19 e-mail obtained today by Patch.

"I am asking you and the Senate Delegation chair to convene a joint House-Senate Baltimore County delegation meeting in the next 2-3 weeks so that the Board and Superintendent can be given an opportunity to provide information and explanation to legislators and the public," Morhaim wrote.

Morhaim, who chairs a subcommittee that handles issues related to the state Public Information and Open Meetings Acts, sent a letter to schools officials last week asking for the salary of Renee Foose, the newly hired deputy superintendent. Morhaim also asked Hairston and schools officials to

Schools officials last week told The Baltimore Sun that Foose would earn $214,000. The system required the newspaper to file a written request for the salary and delayed releasing that information for a month, according to published reports.

Patch beginning March 11.

Phyllis Reese, a spokeswoman for the schools system, has repeatedly refused to release the same information to Patch, saying that a written request is required.

Government officials can require a written Public Information Act request if a person is requesting a document, but not in order to get a question answered. The salaries of government employees are public by law and the Office of the Attorney General typically advises agencies to release such information immediately upon request.

At a board meeting on Saturday, for the salary information and said a written request was needed even though the system had determined the information was public and had already released it to The Baltimore Sun. (Listen to Reese's comments.)

Olszewski and Klausmeier also sent a letter to Hairston expressing "l over the way your office has handled the hiring of Ms. Renee Foose and the release of information surrounding her hiring."

The legislators said the salary is "appalling to most Baltimore County residents."

They also criticized the system's lack of public transparency on the issue.

"The use of phrases like 'We're not like everyone else' and, in particular 'it will be a cold day in hell before you get the information' shows an unacceptable attitude towards the taxpayers of our county and state," the letter stated. "As a taxpayer funded agency, Baltimore County Public Schools has a responsibility to the people to respond  to requests for information in a timely, useful, and respectful manner. This most recent episode suggests this is not the case. We find this deeply concerning, to say the least."