Get Informed & VOTE in 2022!
HIATUS ANNOUNCEMENT
VOCAL Carroll County is going on hiatus. The current members of VOCAL’s steering committee have decided to take some time to focus on family, personal goals, and a new job. We are very proud of the work VOCAL has done as a non-partisan group educating citizens about local government and other important matters plus advocating for issues that benefit all of Carroll County.
In writing this announcement, we’ve taken the opportunity to look back on some of the past successes that we and VOCAL’s volunteers have accomplished:
- Advocating for a state-compliant Ethics Ordinance for Carroll County Government, successfully adopted on 3/13/18;
- Creating Educational programs (like Local Government 101 and Charter Study Group);
- Reporting on local elections and getting out the informed vote;
- Partnering with other civics-focused groups like the local League of Women Voters affiliate, Braver Angels alliance, and Democracy Lab;
- And, most recently, celebrating Earth Day with “1000 Acts of Green” and covering the municipal elections with the “Main Streets Matter” campaign.
When we return, we will be energized and ready to work on our future projects (including the 2022 local elections)…and we hope that you will join us in that work, with the issues that are important to you. In the meantime, we will continue to share various items of interest on social media and via email as time allows.
We wish you all the best,
Muri Dueppen
Sandra Loats
VOCAL Steering Committee
May is Municipal Election Month in Carroll County, Maryland
Get Informed & VOTE because Main Streets Matter!
Cicada Spotting
CICADA SPOTTING – another fun way to contribute to the 1,000 Acts of Green tally!
1,000 Acts of Green
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of most 2020 celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, including our plans for an Expo. However, we are very pleased to announce the 1,000 Acts of Green campaign and invite you to help us reach that goal!
Whenever you do something to nurture nature (like planting a bird-friendly bush or donating to your favorite conservation organization) or be nurtured by nature (like meandering on a nearby trail or photographing a flower), please post about it publicly on social media using the hashtag #Carroll1K and tag VOCAL or you can add to the tally by sharing your participation in this crowd-sourced list of ideas.
To get you started, VOCAL has created an online interactive directory of local agencies, earth-friendly organizations, and April events. If you have information we should include, please send it our way. And stay tuned for updates.
Main Streets Matter
Ethics Updates
On Monday, December 14, 2020 the City of Westminster passed a new state-compliant ethics ordinance. VOCAL lauds this progress ten years after Maryland mandated significant strengthening of local laws for incorporated municipalities and boards of education. The towns of Mount Airy and Hampstead have not accomplished this yet and VOCAL renews its call for them to do so.
After our advocacy campaign launched in 2017, the Carroll Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) led the way in 2018by finally adopted a revised ethics ordinance that was in compliance with the state law passed on a bipartisan basis in 2010. There have been some additional modifications to state requirements since then, so the BOCC heard a presentation by the county attorney on Thursday, January 28, 2021 with recommendations for further revision. The Commissioners quickly voted unanimously to proceed to public hearing and we appreciate their due diligence. You can watch that discussion at 1:57:15 in the recording of that open session.
Joint Meeting of Carroll Boards
On January 21, 2021 the Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Education met jointly for the first time in several months. The agenda focused on information sharing rather than active collaboration. The video recording is archived on YouTube and embedded below.
Response from County Commissioners on COVID cooperation
We were disappointed to receive this response from the Carroll County Commissioners regarding the joint request with Carroll Values Education for collaboration between their Board and the Board of Education on safe, sustainable operation of local public schools. After the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, our steering committees will consider and communicate next steps.
COVID cooperation between BOCC and BOE
Update:
On Monday, November 16, 2020 VOCAL sent a follow-up email to the Commissioners with the endorsement details for 71 additional individuals. The group has been informed that it may expect a response the week of November 23, 2020.
This afternoon, in conjunction with Carroll Values Education, VOCAL emailed this letter to the Carroll County Commissioners copying Board of Education members, Superintendent Lockard, and local health department officials.
We invite members of the community to complete this Google form if you would like to sign on as endorsers of this request. Thank you.
https://forms.gle/YPvBZWR6ugDCDEVf8
Dear Commissioners,
We are writing to you in a collaborative effort to request that your Board in turn collaborate with the Board of Education on establishing a Carroll County community COVID task force with the purpose of combating local spread, expanding the Carroll Forward communication campaign, and finding creative solutions for how best to safely and sustainably serve students in the coming months.
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