County Executive Spars with State Over AC in Schools

The battle over school air conditioning has spun into overdrive in the last day, with a state employee resigning, the governor giving a $15 million ultimatum and elected officials in two of the state's largest jurisdictions speaking out.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot voted Wednesday to withhold $10 million from Baltimore County's school construction funding request and $5 million from Baltimore City's request.

Hogan said that the money would not be available unless leaders in those jurisdictions provided plans for portable air conditioning installation in all un-air-conditioned classrooms by the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.

Several parents, teachers and students testified at the Board of Public Works hearing, where the funding was discussed, speaking about the conditions in schools, where temperatures can be in the 90s. Baltimore County Superintendent Dallas Dance was not allowed to speak.

After the meeting, Dr. David Lever, the executive director of the Interagency on School Construction, which oversees capital projects in Maryland schools, tendered his letter of resignation.

"The disrespect with which...dedicated, serious officials were treated at the meeting of May 11 is no less than astonishing," Lever wrote in his letter of resignation. "I find that I cannot be a party to this degradation of a school construction program that I have worked hard to advance in professionalism and comprehensiveness." His resignation is effective Sept. 1.

County leaders say they are working within the confines of the state process for securing funding for air conditioning.

"The governor and the comptroller care more about politics than building 21st century schools," Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said. "That is unfortunate and fiscally irresponsible."

According to Kamenetz, there are 34 schools without air conditioning, with plans to install central AC in all of them by 2019.

The governor said that was not fast enough.

He and Franchot were two of the three members sitting on the Board of Public Works, which oversees the state's finances.

The third member, State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, voted against the motion to withhold the money.

Kopp said she thought the board was not supposed to bring an agenda to the table and said what happened was "possibly illegal," according to The Baltimore Sun.

During the meeting in Annapolis, she interjected several times that she hoped someone could speak and set the record straight.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told WBAL through a spokesperson that she was "disappointed" by the decision to withhold funding that could be used to help students.

Kamenetz sent out the following statement on Thursday:

“Baltimore County is in the midst of a comprehensive $1.3 billion plan to build and renovate schools, add classroom seats, and install central air conditioning in every single Baltimore County school by 2019. In his desire to punish Baltimore County and Baltimore City, the Governor intentionally misstated the county’s plan, refused multiple opportunities to be presented with the facts, and disregarded the clear legal advice of the Attorney General of the State of Maryland. It is regrettable, but understandable, that the longstanding and well-respected Chief of State School Construction would resign in protest.”

He also included this statement from County Director of Budget and Finance Keith Dorsey:

"The Governor’s mandate that we provide room air conditioners to the remaining schools by this fall is impossible due to procurement laws, which require the school system to publicly bid all projects and follow state procurement procedures. Moreover, given the age of the remaining buildings, electricians would have to be hired to provide extensive electrical upgrades to handle window units. It is also fiscally irresponsible because we would be taking needed funds from providing central air for a temporary fix. It's ironic that the Governor would hold 10 million dollars of funds as ransom. Doing so threatens several projects that would otherwise be used to provide central air."

Photo Credit: Morguefile.