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Comments (0)Article By Jay Liner
With August half way over and the schools soon to reopen, the fall kickoff to the next political cycle is about to begin . The primary is set for September 14, 2010, 13 months from now, and the general election is November 2, 2010. There will be a myriad of races to watch and monitor , and in Baltimore County not only will we have a new County Executive , in addition, a majority of the County Council most likely be composed of some much needed new members . The race is on .
The battle for County Executive has two incumbent council members ready to go at it . Second District Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, has a war chest of close to three -quarters of a million dollars , and although he hasn’t officially announced his formal candidacy , he’s walking and talking like he’s in the game . The Councilman, in 2008 passed on a run for State’s Attorney when Sandra O’Connor retired. This would have been a relatively easy victory compared to the task at hand . He wants the gold medal , and believes that he can prevail.
He has been on the Council for 15 years and has garnered a reputation as being very intelligent , occasionally pugilistic , and very definitely his own man. He campaigns hard , has a loyal group of supporters and will be loaded for bear.
His primary opponent most likely be Sixth District Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder . Bartenfelder has not raised as much money as his opponent , he has raised approximately six hundred thousnd dollars so far, and he’s been beating the bushes , and has organized labor supporting him . He is a farmer , by occupation , and his personality is very much in sync with profession as both a politician and a farmer . Low key , soft spoken , witty with a very dry sense of humor , and much smarter than you think. Bartenfelder has been much less vocal on most major issues during his time spent on the council than Kamenetz. . Bartenfelder had served twelve years in the Legislature prior to serving 15 years on the council.
Both candidates are very much concerned about the fiscal health of the county . The county is in excellent fiscal condition , but the state is another matter altogether . Because the state cannot balance it’s budget , the County may be compelled to pay for, and be required to be obligated to fund programs or mandates that were formally the state’s fiscal responsibility . One such example could be funding of teacher’s pensions which is currently being done by the state . If the legislature balks at this in the future , it will be left to the county to assume that expense , and the county will be looking at a much different scenario.
This is going to be a very tight race , and neither candidate at this point has the upper hand . It should go down to the wire.
Additionally , the council should be undergoing some radical changes . Both Kamenetz’s and Bartenfelder’s seats will be available , and in the first District Sam Moxley who also has been there for 4 terms will most likely not return after being arrested for the second time in 4 years for DWI . Also, in the fourth District Councilman Ken Oliver , may not be back as well after pleading guilty to campaign violations. Also, rumored to not return is Fifth District Councilman Vince Gardena , who could be making a run for a Senate seat in the legislature . If all this goes down there could only two incumbents left out of seven . The two remaining holdovers would be Brian McIntire and John Olsweski, McIntire is the only Republican , and has had very little impact on any matters of substance during his tenure , but he is very committed to his constituents , and the issues pertaining to the North County. Olswweski is pure Dundalk, no more needs to be said.
With regard to the second district where Kevin Kamenetz will be most likely be abandoning for his run , the rumor mill has former councilman Mel Mintz attempting a comeback , and former head of the Baltimore County Department of Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program, Mike Gimbel, vying as well. I’m sure there will be other potential suitors ready to throw their hats into the ring once Kamenetz makes it official. This opening may provide an opportunity for some new face to arrive on the scene.
As the races develop, The Organ will be watching , listening , and reporting. For those of you who truly believe that all politics is local, your going to be very much engaged.
