Harford County Executive Cassilly Opposes Council Vote to Weaken County Charter in Bill 26-018

Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly is speaking out against a charter amendment passed by the outgoing county council members that will allow council members to be simultaneously employed by a second taxpayer-funded entity, such as the sheriff's office or school system.

By allowing dual public employment by council members, Bill 26-018 seeks removal of the Harford County Charter's longstanding and successful check on government spending and the empowerment of organized labor and special interests to increase their control over county budgets and county operations. Most other Maryland counties have a similar prohibition on dual employment by council members as teachers, sheriff's deputies, or other public entity funded by the county taxpayers. Such a restriction against dual employment was recently upheld by State Supreme Court.

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Bill 26-018 retains the current prohibition against council members from also being employed by the county executive's administration, which the county executive fully supports.

Commenting on the Bills, County Executive Cassilly said:

"My administration has worked to end the old practice of entrenched interests exerting undue influence of county leadership. In response, organized labor, special interest groups, and others seeking greater control over public funding have spent years attacking the charter's safeguards. Their object is unmistakable; substantially increase government unions' leverage over county budgets and control of county operations. The resulting damage to effective governance from this conflict of interest is wide ranging and detrimental to government operations. County Council decisions touch appropriations, compensation, staffing levels, collective bargaining consequences, capital priorities, departmental authority, and oversight. Dual employment therefore creates recurring conflicts, or the appearance of conflicts. That is why governments across the country and our State prohibit dual public employment by council members. The objective is not to question every individual's motives; it is to design government so that divided loyalties do not arise in the first place."

Bill 26-018 establishes a dangerous precedent by clearing a path for unions and other special interests to elect or place their members in positions on the County Council, not to serve the interests of county residents, but to advance the interests of their employers or affiliated organizations. It would allow the sheriff, the school superintendent, or another public entity receiving county taxpayer funds to hire council members and thereby gaining influence over legislation, budgeting, and staffing, affecting that council member's dual employer. This concern is not hypothetical. Councilman Aaron Penman was rehired by the Harford County Sheriff's Office while serving on the council. Following his rehire, the county ethics board determined that, because of the conflict of interest, Penman must obtain express permission before introducing legislation pertaining to the Sheriff's Office. Despite that determination and the Circuit Court's order supporting the Boards ruling, Penman has continued to ignore the ruling and introduce legislation directly affecting his dual public employer. These circumstances demonstrate why the charter's prohibition is an essential structural safeguard against divided loyalties, recurring conflicts of interest, and the appearance that public policy can be shaped for the benefit of a council member's employer rather than the citizens of Harford County.

Citing a recent court ruling that called for clarification of the Harford County charter's language on dual public employment for council members, the county executive said:

"This is where the council's efforts should have been focused, clarifying the charter to preserve its original protection and ensure that all forms of publicly funded employment are treated consistently. Instead, you chose to single out county government employees while clearing a path for organized labor and other special interests to exercise additional control over the legislative branch. That selective approach does not strengthen ethics or public confidence; rather it weakens both."

Councilman Aaron Penman, who is also an employee of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, was the sole sponsor of Bill 26-018 which passed via council vote on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Penman's status as a dual employee of both the county council and the sheriff's office has been challenged by the county executive and is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.