Hairston to Hold Private Meeting with Lawmakers; City Senator, County Lobbyist Tangle over Alcohol Tax

UPDATE (2:10 p.m.)—Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston is scheduled to meet with some state legislators on Friday, but the meeting will not be public.

Sen. Kathy Klausmeier and Del. John Olszewski Jr., who chair the Baltimore County Senate and House delegations, said today they will meet privately with Hairston over breakfast Friday.

Klausmeier, a Perry Hall Democrat, said Hairston required a private meeting.

"He didn't want to meet with the entire delegation," Klausmeier said.

Phyllis Reese, a schools system spokeswoman, was not immediately available for comment.

Klausmeier and Olszewski requested the meeting last month in response to the hiring of Deputy Superintendent Renee Foose. The legislators expressed concern about her reported $214,000 salary and Hairston's refusal to release salary information to Patch.

"We're planning on discussing the concerns raised by [Patch] and by members of the teaching community and by county residents and by other legislators," said Olszewski, who is a Dundalk Democrat. "That's what we're really going to discuss."

Both Klausmeier and Olszewski said they understood that the public had an interest in hearing the questions and answers in an open forum.

Klausmeier said they had no choice but to meet with Hairston in private, saying "[Hairston] doesn't want to meet with the whole delegation."

She said they hoped to "get to the meat of the issues" by offering a meeting with a smaller number of senators and delegates, but Hairston refused.

"He wasn't going to do that," Klausmeier said.

Olszewski said he hopes "that the conversation is fruitful and that we find solutions to the concerns that are raised."

"If we can't resolve it then we'll certainly push for a more public forum," Olszewski added.

Sen. Bobby Zirkin said it was Hairston's prerogative to request a private meeting but said he was disappointed.

"I think it's inappropriate to have some back-room meeting and have it be a take it or leave it thing," Zirkin said. "We pour huge sums of money into public schools and our citizens demand transparency and accountability."

Zirkin, an Owings Mills Democrat who sponsored a bill seeking a hybrid elected-appointed school board, said the ongoing issues only make his case for the need to change the school board's composition.

Sen. Norman Stone, a Dundalk Democrat, said he understood having the private meeting, adding "but I'd hope that the chairwoman will come back and tell us what's going on."

UPDATE (1:30 P.M.)—A chance encounter in Annapolis today between a state senator from Baltimore City and the legislative lobbyist for Baltimore County led to a heated exchange over possible opposition to a proposed alcohol tax.

Lobbyist Yolanda Winkler was on her way to a meeting of the county's Senate delegation being held in a public hallway in the State House when she was approached by Sen. Verna Jones-Rodwell, a Baltimore City Democrat.

Jones-Rodwell stood close to Winkler, who was backed against a wall, and began to fire off questions about the lobbyist's presentation to county delegates on a proposed increase to the state alcohol tax and about the county's position on the issue.

Patch reported earlier today that about the proposed tax after Winkler informed them that the city schools systems and Prince George's County would receive $12.2 million and $8.8 million from the first year of the proposed increase. Baltimore County leads the state in wholesale sales of beer and is number two in the state in both distilled spirits and wine wholesale figures.

"You will be the biggest contributor and not get anything out of it," Winkler told the delegates in a briefing last week.

Jones-Rodwell, in a raised voice, questioned Winkler as to why she would give such a presentation.

"Did you bring those concerns to the chairman?" Jones-Rodwell asked.

Winkler responded that she was merely providing information to the county delegation as they had requested. Winkler told the delegation last week that the county was taking no official position on the bill.

After the exchange, Jones-Rodwell responded to a reporter's questions about whether or not the county's opposition to the tax posed a problem for the bill.

"This is a funding source that will go into the general fund," said Jones-Rodwell, adding that the money to the city and Prince George's County was for one year only. "This funding resource will last a lot longer than one year. If they want to oppose money that will go into the general fund then I guess they're going to oppose that resource."

Baltimore County Executive  has nominated Andrea Van Arsdale, a 22-year county government veteran, to serve as his planning director.

Van Arsdale began her career as a master plan coordinator. Most recently, she served as director of commercial revitalization for the county .

As part of her revitalization job, Van Arsdale oversaw efforts to bring businesses such as the to Towson and was the project manager for the redevelopment of the 63-acre Riverdale Apartment complex in Essex.

She earned her bachelor's degree in natural resource management from Rutgers University and holds a master's degree in city and regional planning from Ohio State University.

Van Arsdale's appointment must be confirmed by the , which could schedule an interview as soon as next work session on Tuesday with a vote as early as April 18.

Councilman David Marks acknowledged that Van Arsdale has been criticized as "being a company person" but called her "a good choice."

"Every appointee has to do that," Marks said. "You have to be loyal to your boss."

Marks said he believes Van Arsdale's business experience will be a plus as he looks to push revitalization of the downtown Towson area.

"I think she has a great business sense and that's really important to this position," Marks said.

The County Council has changed the time of its regularly scheduled April 18 voting session to 4 p.m. in observance of Passover.