Bel Air to Appoint Former Sheriff as New Town Administrator

Former Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane will be back in local politics soon, according to town of Bel Air officials.

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners has selected Bane to serve as the interim town administrator, according to a statement from the town of Bel Air.

Current Town Administrator James Fielder Jr., Ph.D., will move on from his post after Jan. 20, the statement said.

Governor-Elect Larry Hogan appointed Fielder to be his secretary of appointments, so after approximately one year as town administrator, he will be departing. Fielder had extensive experience in state government when he became town administrator last January, after previous longtime Bel Air Town Administrator Chris Schlehr retired. Fielder was former secretary of Maryland’s Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation and deputy secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development.

Bane’s resume includes experience in county law enforcement. He worked for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office since 1972, including two terms as sheriff, until he lost the 2014 election to current Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler. Bane, who graduated from Bel Air High School in 1966, has a degree in criminology from the University of Maryland College Park and has lived in Fallston since 1983.

The interim appointment will last for six months so both the town and Bane can determine whether it’s a good fit, Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners Chair Rob Reier told The Aegis.

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners is scheduled to vote officially on Bane’s appointment as interim town administrator at its town hall meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Bel Air Town Hall, 39 N. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air.

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See Also:

• Bel Air Police Chief Takes Medical Leave
• Bel Air Celebrates Town Hall’s 50th Birthday

Photo Credit: Jesse Bane/Facebook.