County Exec Candidates Talk Money

The Democratic candidate for Anne Arundel County Executive Tuesday night said she would likely slash many jobs from the county payroll in order to help balance the budget.

"It frankly will be next to impossible to cut all the money we need without cutting some personnel," said Joanna Conti at a debate featuring the three main candidates for county executive. "As I said before, I will work with our county employees to find out the most effective way to meet our needs. It will be a collaborative process but it will be a difficult one."

Conti said she believed the county budget could be balanced through spending cuts. But John Leopold, the Republican incumbent, said the current $90 million shortfall was too large to be closed with cuts alone.

"That's not realistic," he said. "We can't find $90 million."

Green Party candidate Mike Shay said he believed there could be some consolidation of county offices.

Leopold said some cost savings could be found through adjustment to pensions and other means, but he reiterated his support for plans for a new casino at the Arundel Mills mall because of its potential to bring in new revenue.

County residents will ultimately decide on the casino issue on Election Day when they vote on zoning changes that would allow the Cordish Companies to build an entertainment complex with more than 4,500 slot and video poker machines.

"I consider it fiscally irresponsible not to vote for slots," Leopold said.

Conti said she was against slots near the mall, but said she would respect the will of the voters.

The debate took a more personal tone when Conti bashed Leopold over recent lawsuits alleging inappropriate behavior toward female employees.

Leopold declined to address the allegations, except to call them, "stale, unfounded and politically timed."

Candidates for Anne Arundel County Council also faced off Tuesday night, tackling questions on issues from budgets to BRAC. Charlotte Weinstein, the Republican challenger to incumbent District 4 Councilman Jamie Benoit, said the council needed to work better with the county executive and school board.

"There is not enough dialogue, not enough meetings," she said.

Weinstein said the county is behind in preparing for the thousands of jobs being added to Fort Meade, and that other surrounding areas were better poised to take advantage of the growth.

Weinstein said she was concerned that Howard County and Prince George's County would attract more residents due to BRAC, suggesting that those counties have better infrastructure and school systems.

"The surrounding counties will benefit [from BRAC]," she said. "Anne Arundel County will suffer the consequences."

Benoit did not appear at Tuesday's event.