(2/1) Thurmont Mayor Martin Burns received
some flak for telling developers hoping to
have property annexed into town “bring your
checkbook.” Now he has suggested to the
Frederick County Commissioners that if they
would like to stop growth in town, perhaps
they should also bring their checkbook to the
table.
“I respectfully request your consideration
of providing a grant to the town of Thurmont
to assist with sewer system I&I repairs. I
feel this request serves the interest of
Thurmont residents an Northern Frederick
County residents alike,” Burns wrote in a
letter to the Frederick County Commissioners
on Jan. 17.
Burns explained that completing a $1.3
million sewer improvement was going to cause
sewer rates to increase by at least $1/1,000
gallons and the next needed phase of sewer
work could cost another $4.6 million.
“I didn’t ask for free money,” Burns said.
“I told them they could put conditions on it.”
On a local forum, Burns asked Commissioner
Kai Hagen, “would you support a grant to the
town of Thurmont to assist with sewer repairs
with some sort of agreement not to annex or
build homes?”
Burns said this would not stop the current
annexation requests from being heard on their
merits but would apply to possible future
requests.
“I support the notion of exploring the
idea,” Hagen said. “It’s a legitimate,
thoughtful request and worth consideration.”
However, at least one commissioner doesn’t
think so. Commissioner John L. Thompson Jr.
responded to Burns’ request via e-mail,
writing, “If Thurmont does not have the money
to perform the needed repairs to its sewer
system, it suggests that the Town has not been
setting aside funds for a 3-R reserve. It also
suggests that the Town's sewer rate schedule
generates less revenue than is needed to
operate the sewer system in a financially
sound manner over the long run. It is up to
Thurmont’s elected officials to rectify the
situation.”
Burns sees the situation from a different
angle. “The argument I make is that Thurmont
has been subsidizing part, if not most of,
SOME of the operations the County is
responsible for many years,” he wrote in a
reply to Thompson.
Burns points out that the Town of Thurmont
has created savings for the county in other
ways, such as donating the land for the new
regional library, owning the local senior
citizens center and undertaking construction
of the new Guardian Hose building without
county capital dollars.
“The volunteer fire and rescue companies
alone have saved county taxpayers multi
millions of dollars over their existence. Why
then, using your argument has the county not
provided ample funding to buy buildings,
vehicles and equipment, or at least, paid
these organizations back for ‘granting’ the
county their equipment, time, and services?”
Burns wrote.
Burns said the town is not inclined to ask
the county for help, but he is pursuing all
options to help with the looming expense.
“What I’ve asking for is the
same type of deal like the Carroll Creek
project,” Burns said. He also pointed out help
the county had given municipalities like
Emmitsburg for the renovation of the Community
Center and Middletown to build a senior
citizens’ center.
