Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Council member from District 4 said he will not seek a new job in politics once his term is up in 2014, but did not rule out a future campaign.
Anne Arundel County Council member Jamie Benoit (D-District 4) said he will not run for county executive in 2014, but did not rule out a bid for political office further into the future. In a letter to supporters and the media, Benoit said he would return to being a private citizen once his Council term is up in 2014. He had long been named as a possible candidate for county executive and acknowledged interest in the position. But he said it was time to take a break from "juggling" his responsibilities of government, business and family. "Serving in office with all the other things going on in my life has been a true juggling act," he said. "While I would very much like to continue juggling, I have concluded that something has to give. …
Friday, November 23, 2012
The council member will serve on a steering committee and executive council of fixthedebt.org.
- GOVERNMENT
- Tim Lemke
-
Friday, November 23, 2012
Anne Arundel County Council member Jamie Benoit (D-4) is helping lead a coalition urging Congress to reach a deal to address the nation’s debt problem. Benoit and a wide range of business and political leaders in Maryland announced the launch of the Campaign to Fix the Debt, with a goal of finding long-term solutions to the debt crisis while avoiding the so-called “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and immediate spending cuts. Benoit, an Army veteran who is the founder of Federal Data Systems, Inc., serves on the Maryland Steering Committee and is the small business representative on its three-person CEO Leadership Council. In a press release, he said Marylanders have already been impacted by the general uncertainty regarding spending cuts…
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Bank had claimed Council member Jamie Benoit and wife owed more than $100,000 in loans on Hops N' Vines. The couple has sold the store.
- GOVERNMENT
- Tim Lemke
-
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Council member Jamie Benoit (D-District 7) has settled a case in which a bank claimed he and his wife owed more than $100,000 in loans on the Hops N' Vines wine and beer store. The lender, PNC Bank, has signed an Order of Satisfaction labeling the case "Paid, Satisfied, Settled and Dismissed, With Prejudice." The bank alleged in March that Kari and Jamie Benoit owed about $100,000 in principal, plus interest and fees, on two loans from PNC Bank. A court issued a judgment ordering them to pay all of the loans in full, a common practice in cases where a bank wishes to protect itself in the case of a default. Jamie Benoit was named in the case because he was a guarantor of the loans, but was not an owner and was not involved in the operation…
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Council members say the school system went back on their deal in May to resolve the missing $5 million to meet the maintenance of effort requirement.
Tempers flared in the Anne Arundel County Council’s chambers on Monday when council members sparred with a school official over a $5 million bill they thought was already paid. The state Board of Education sent county officials a letter in August saying they still owed the school system $5 million to meet the minimum state-required payment to schools, also known as the maintenance of effort. The news came as a shock to council members, who said they thought the issue of maintenance of effort had been squared away during budget discussions in May. The solution to the missing $5 million at the time was to pull the needed money from the school system’s projects fund. It was one of several compromises made to balance the budget. Anne Arundel …
Friday, August 17, 2012
Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold is mentioned in two recent lawsuits against the county, which seek more than $1.3 million in combined compensation.
Anne Arundel County councilmen are introducing a pair of bills that would give them the final say when large legal settlements are reached. And if the individual is a county official in a case of misconduct, the official would have to foot the bill. The pieces of legislation come at a time when the county is facing two potentially costly litigations. Former employees Karla Robinson Hamner and Joan Harris are each pursuing cases against the county in U.S. District Court on grounds of wrongful termination. Hamner is seeking $300,000, and Harris is seeking nearly $1 million. Both women worked for County Executive John R. Leopold and mention him as being instrumental in the filing of their legal complaints after accusing him of official …
Friday, April 20, 2012
In a radio interview on WYPR, the council member from District 4 said the council still wants answers from the county police chief.
Anne Arundel County Council member Jamie Benoit (D-4) spoke on WYPR radio Friday about the recent turmoil involving County Executive John R. Leopold and Police Chief James R. Teare Sr. On Monday night, the council gave a vote of "no confidence" to Teare, who has been questioned for his role in actions outlined in a recent indictment against Leopold. The council has been particularly concerned about allegations that Leopold was collecting dossiers on opponents with the assistance of police. Benoit, who spoke on the Midday with Dan Rodricks program, said the council will continue to seek answers from Teare, despite his recent refusal to answer most questions regarding the case. Below is a transcript of Dan Rodricks' interview with Benoit. …
Friday, March 16, 2012
Some Anne Arundel County councilmen lay the blame for a split vote on party politics.
Many Anne Arundel County councilmen claim a political game is being played over the vacant District 1 seat at the expense of the district's constituents. Patch editors interviewed each of the six councilmen to gauge their position in the division over who should fill the District 1 seat. The final candidates are Peter Smith and Mike Wagner. The councilmen who have supported Wagner include Derek Fink (R-3rd District) of Pasadena, John Grasso (R-2nd District) of Glen Burnie and Dick Ladd (R-5th District) of Broadneck. Smith's supporters include Chris Trumbauer (D-6th District) of Annapolis, Jamie Benoit (D-4th District) of Crownsville and Jerry Walker (R-7th District) of Gambrills. Wagner's backers have primarily touted his experience and …
Patch editors asked the six current members of the Anne Arundel County Council about their division over filling the District 1 vacancy.
Each Anne Arundel County councilman was asked the same five questions regarding the District 1 vacancy and the state of the council. The final candidates are Peter Smith and Mike Wagner. Some were reached by phone, and some by email. Their answers are provided here. Contacted by phone What makes Wagner the better choice for you over Smith? There are two simple reasons. Wagner's lived here way longer than Smith. Smith has been here, what? Five years? Wagner's been here for infinity. I've been here for 50 years and there are still parts of the area I don't know. So imagine how much of the area he doesn't know after five years. The other thing is Wagner is a guaranteed conservative vote and we won't have a budget being passed like the last …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Councilman Jerry Walker presented the bill, which is already being backed by a majority of the Anne Arundel County Council.
A councilman wants to make English the official language of Anne Arundel County, saying voters asked him for this. While campaigning for his council seat, Councilman Jerry Walker (R-7th District) said illegal immigration was a hot topic among his constituents. The bill he presented to the council on Monday was in part the realization of a campaign promise, he said. “There was overwhelmingly positive response [to that], so I turned it into a campaign commitment,” Walker said. Bill 13-12 would make English the official language of Anne Arundel County for all official documents, communications and agreements on behalf of the county. Walker said he has another resolution planned to address illegal immigration by penalizing business owners who …
Monday, February 6, 2012
The county council could review a bill would give Odenton priority in collecting transportation impact fees from developers.
The Anne Arundel County Council is set to consider a measure designed to funnel new money from development fees toward transportation upgrades in the Odenton Town Center. The bill from County Executive John R. Leopold would give Odenton priority status when the county distributes funds from developer impact fees. The bill could be introduced as soon as Monday, those with knowledge of the bill said. Local business leaders and developers had originally called for Odenton to have its own impact fee zone, so as to ensure fees generated from development in Odenton would be spent on transportation upgrades in town. But that idea was met with lukewarm response from county officials and council members, who said they were not fond of expanding the…
Tim Lemke
8:58 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
@Jeff, you are right. Thanks for clarifying. The story has been updated with a correction. more ›