Challenge To ‘Septic Bill’ To Be Presented On Oct. 8

By BRUCE HOTCHKISS

Senior Editor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A proposal to challenge Senate Bill 236, the so-called “septic bill” and a foundation stone in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Plan Maryland, is taking shape in Cecil County.

Representatives from that county will present the proposal, in concept, on Oct. 8 at an organizational meeting of the new Maryland Rural Counties Coalition.

Mike McKay, president of the Allegany County Commission, who has been devoting considerable time and effort to the coalition since it first took shape about a year ago, said the Oct. 8 meeting, to be held at the Annapolis offices of the Maryland Association of Counties would be devoted principally to providing structure — by-laws, new officers and the like — to the coalition.

However, he did confirm that Cecil County had requested a place on the agenda to discuss the SB 236 controversy.

“We will be discussing ideas” for future attention, McKay said, “but we will not be making any decisions at that meeting.”

The Maryland Rural Counties Coalition — which ultimately will attain, as do all agencies working within or at the fringes of government, its acronym, MRCC — emerged during the 2012 Maryland legislative session.

It began with four counties - Allegany, Frederick, Washington and Carroll — and was represented in Annapolis throughout the session by McKay, Frederick County Commission President Blane Young, two consultants and an initial budget of $20,000, according to Ragen Cherney, an administrative assistant in the office of the Frederick County commissioners.

The coalition has since added three counties — Cecil, Dorchester and Somerset — “and we are growing,” Cherney said.

The issue, which launched the coalition, was Plan Maryland, Cherney said. It clearly usurped — “adversely impacted” was the way he put it -- the land use planning authority of the counties, and demanded response from “a bigger voice.”

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