Currently, Cecil County is operating without an ethics committee following the county council’s vote to overturn Danielle Hornberger’s appointment of a new board following her full dismissal of the previously appointed ethics board. We need to keep the pressure on the council to take care of this immediately and to make sure we keep our new county executive accountable to those whom she represents. Below are the emails of the council members as well as an easy boilerplate email created by a fellow Cecil Countian. You can copy and paste to send them to let them know we are all still watching!
jgregory@ccgov.org
bmeffley@ccgov.org
agmiller@ccgov.org
gpatchell@ccgov.org
bcoutz@ccgov.org
Dear Council Members,
As I understand it, the current County Executive, Danielle Hornberger, terminated the five sitting members of the County Ethics Commission on Thursday, January 14th. In addition, on January 15th, she announced and had posted on the County’s website the five members she selected to replace them. During the County Council’s second scheduled legislative session of the month, in a vote of 4-1, you denied confirmation of the five new members. This brings up a few questions:
1. What is the status of the County Ethics Commission?
2. Will the five released members be re-installed? Or is Cecil County Government currently operating without an Ethics Commission?
3. What is the process to fill the vacant seats if the released members are not re-installed and will there be public transparency of the process?
5. If the County Government is operating without an Ethics Commission, how are ethic complaints going to be handled?
I have read the County Charter and the items I mention above do not appear to be directly addressed in the charter itself. As Ms. Hornberger has already proven to have no qualms about pushing for a power grab, it is of the utmost urgency that these issues be addressed.
Sincerely,
A concerned Cecil Countian
