Thursday, March 1, 2012
Heads of government will discuss how their offices would be affected by the additional financial burden of teacher pension costs.
In a letter to employees two weeks ago, County Executive Ken Ulman said pay cuts and layoffs were in Howard County’s future if the governor’s plan to shift some of the cost of teacher pensions to the counties was instituted. This morning, heads of the county departments that would see those cuts will join Ulman at an event dubbed the “Stop the Shift” rally. According to a statement from the executive’s office, the leaders will talk about the programs that “could be on the budget ‘chopping block.’” The gathering is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the the Harper’s Choice Village Center Courtyard, 5485 Harpers Farm Road in Columbia. In addition to Ulman, are Howard County Police Chief William McMahon, Department of Fire and Rescue Services Chief …
Thursday, February 16, 2012
In a letter to Howard County employees, the county executive laid out the worst-case scenario if the governor's pension plan is passed.
Shifting some of the responsibilty for teacher pension costs from the state to the counties would be “devastating” to Howard County, Executive Ken Ulman said in a letter sent to county employees on Thurday, Feb. 9. Ulman added that many of the county’s goals for the upcoming fiscal year are “at risk” and he discussed possible consequences To help close a $1.1 billion hole in the state’s budget, Gov. Martin O’Malley has proposed from the state to counties, saving the state about $240 million. According to the Ulman's office, those savings for the state would mean an additional $17.2 million burden on Howard County. In the letter to county employees, Ulman said that he has put a “more stringent conditional freeze on new hires,” and has …
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Howard County unveiled two electric vehicles last week.
Two Howard County offices hope to spend less on gas, with the addition of electric Nissan Leaf sedans, which County Executive Ken Ulman unveiled last week. The Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits now have a 2012 Nissan LEAF, which can run about 100 miles per charge, according to a county spokesperson. The vehicles, which cost $38,000 each, will use approximately $600 of electricity annually, according to a county press release. “This is just the latest step in our initiative to make Howard County a leader in environmental sustainability and the protection of our natural resources," Ulman said in a statement. Employees will charge the vehicles at the Thomas Dorsey Building in Columbia, with the charging …
Friday, February 10, 2012
Howard County turns to crowdsourcing on the internet to hear your ideas and suggestions.
- AWARENESS
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Howard County officials like to talk about how wired residents are around here, and now they’re putting that idea to the test. They want you to offer your ideas for development of the county’s information technology strategic plan. It works like this: Residents go to http://ideas.howardcountymd.gov to post knowledge and suggestions in what is known in internet lingo as crowdsourcing, collecting the best ideas from a large online community. When it works, the best of the lot gains momentum and is used to solve problems, discover truths or make change or improvement. “We are fortunate to have a wired and engaged citizenry to help propel Howard County forward as we strive to better meet the needs of those we serve,” said County Executive Ken …
Monday, February 6, 2012
A current school board member applauds the diverse pool of candidates; says county executive should take none of the credit.
- OPINION
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Monday, February 6, 2012
Dear Editor: I read with humor the letter from County Executive Ulman published on Jan. 23rd somehow trying to take credit for the large and diverse candidates running for the Board of Education in this upcoming election. I applaud all who continue to sacrifice their time and efforts across our school system. It is those parents, educators, students, administrators and leaders who deserve the credit. It is the taxpayer—who pays more per capita of their wealth than any other taxpayer in the State of Maryland for education—that deserves the gratitude. In 2010, I was privileged to run with 10 other individuals for 4 positions. This year, we will witness a similar contest of 15 individuals vying for 3 positions. In typical fashion, the …
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Howard County executive encourages all citizens to become "active participants in the future of our education system and our children."
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is encouraged by the large number and ethnic and geographic diversity of the 15 candidates who have filed to run for the three open seats on the Board of Education. In a letter to the editor published on Explore Howard, Ulman applauded the 15 county residents who have stepped up to serve their community in what he called a "critical time." "Troubled by a lack of racial, ethnic and geographic balance on the school board, as well as performance gaps among individual schools and among groups of students, I and many others felt it was important to focus attention on the school board selection process, to overcome those challenges," Ulman said in the letter. In August, Ulman convened the Board of Education …
Friday, December 2, 2011
Deputy Director Tom Carbo will step in after resignation of Stacy Spann who is headed for Montgomery County.
The new year will see a new leader at the helm of the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development. Deputy Director Tom Carbo has been selected to lead the department in an acting capacity upon the resignation of Director Stacy Spann, who has accepted a similar position in Montgomery County. Carbo will oversee the department and the separate Howard County Housing Commission until a permanent director is selected. Spann leaves the department at the end of this month after five years as the director, according to a statement issued by Howard County. "Stacy transformed this agency: his attention to detail and his business acumen helped several large-scale projects go from ideas to reality," County Executive Ken Ulman said in …
Thursday, October 27, 2011
'The Daily Record' recognized regional innovators at a ceremony Wednesday night.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman's leadership in broadband and economic development has resulted in the elected leader being named an Innovator of the Year by The Daily Record, a statewide business and legal newspaper. Awards were presented to recipients at a ceremony at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore Wednesday evening. Ulman was nominated for his leadership in securing $72 million for the Inter-County Broadband Network, a collaborative inter-governmental consortium striving to increase broadband access across Maryland, according to a statement from Howard County Government. "The overarching goal for the ICBN is to make Maryland the most connected state in the country, and Howard County is at the center of making that a …
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Looking forward to some Columbia sunshine today!
The Weather: "Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 15 and 21 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southwest wind between 11 and 15 mph." — The National Weather Service Question of the Day: What do you think of the Board of Education's proposal to use alcohol tax funding to build artificial turf athletic fields? Committee Members Sought: County Executive Ken Ulman is seeking applicants who are interested in serving a five-year term on the Cable Advisory Committee. The Committee provides recommendations to the executive and council on all matters related to the County cable system and its facilities. Eligible candidates must be Howard County residents, 18 or older, have an interest in …
bill bissenas
8:24 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Property taxes in Howard County have increased an average of almost 8 percent over the past 15 years, while inflation has averaged between 2 and 3 percent and population growth has averaged 2 percent. Robey and Ulman are responsible for this fiasco. They have sought to transfer wealth from county residents to their union buddies to ensure a funding structure is in place to secure political power … more ›