Elections have consequences and for Somerset County’s
county seat the municipal leader is now one with a checkered past.
See the Crisfield-Somerset County Times story at
PRINCESS ANNE — The
newly-elected Town Commissioners backed Lionel D. Frederick in his bid to be
president on a 3-2 vote. He replaces Garland Hayward who has chaired the board
for the last six years.
Mr. Frederick, the at-large
commissioner who is halfway through his second term, nominated himself during
the organizational meeting held June 16. He received support from District 2
Commissioner Marshal I. Corbin and then from District 1 Commissioner Orlondo J.
Taylor — both elected June 2 with 58 percent of the vote.
On the phone and not present in
the meeting room, Mr. Frederick said, “Yes, thank you so much” after hearing he
had won. After the meeting closed and before the phone was disconnected he wished
everyone farewell and congratulations, telling them he would see them “real
soon.”
Mr. Hayward, first elected in
1990 representing District 2, was nominated to continue as president by
District 1 Commissioner Joey Gardner, who has served since 2010. After that
failed, Mr. Corbin nominated Mr. Hayward for the position of vice president and
it was unanimous.
Mr. Hayward said of the change
that he’s still a commissioner, and “I’m still fighting for whatever’s best for
the town.”
Acting Town Manager Tracy
Grangier said she will be “updating the letterhead” and told the
newly-installed commissioners to call her if they need any information or have
questions.
In speaking with President
Frederick a few days later he said he did not want to take away from the moment
of the new commissioners taking their oath of office, but was able to give a
glimpse into what his goals and objectives might be.
One of them is reversing last
year’s deficit which required a significant part of the fund balance to be used
to break even. He wants to end the next fiscal year with a surplus “and be a
template...an example for the rest of the county to follow.”
He also wants to work with
District Court so youth required to do community service do it to benefit
Princess Anne. He’s communicated this to Judge Paula Price, he said, and
envisions kids that get in trouble especially at school assigned to a trash
detail or other service project in town.
“But the main thing is to get
the industrial park thriving again, get some big businesses in there and more
jobs for the people,” he said.
When he campaigned the first
time in 2014 Mr. Frederick opposed the establishment of an official historic
district, which did not pass. In 2015 following the death of eight members of
the Todd family from carbon monoxide poisoning he pushed for a town ordinance
requiring CO detectors but ultimately the General Assembly took this up and it
became a statewide mandate.
He also that year
enthusiastically favored adoption of a Code of Conduct which three years later
the commissioners used to reprimand him for conduct before and during the 2018
election.
After being re-elected that year
an assault charge against a girlfriend landed Mr. Frederick in jail without
bond for 168 days. For that he was sentenced to time served, with 10 years
suspended, and placed on three years of supervised probation.
A darker time more directly
related to town service was charges that he tried to tamper with the 2016
election by approaching Commissioner Dennis Williams with a scheme that for
$5,000 he could keep a challenger off the ballot. While he was found guilty in
Circuit Court of extortion and malfeasance that was overturned in October 2017
by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
For several months following the
indictment Mr. Frederick was barred from going into the town office and
conducting town business. Mr. Williams ran unopposed in 2016, but lost for
re-election to Mr. Corbin.
Mr. Frederick, running as a
Democrat, had his own loss in 2018 when he ran for Somerset County Clerk of
Court against Republican Charles Horner who took 74 percent of the vote. That
election is still unsettled for the 29-year- old Frederick as he is facing
fines and a possible civil penalty in Anne Arundel County District Court for four
campaign finance reports that were filed late. That case is now set for Sept.
19 in Annapolis.
Mr. Frederick’s anemic
attendance over the last few years, including absences from budget
deliberations and votes, was also addressed with the incoming president. He
said he missed meetings because “of a lot of fear and intimidation” projected
onto him by some of the commissioners. “But things have changed, we’ve drained
the swamp and we’ll get Princess Anne moving in the right direction.”
Mr. Frederick continues to take
pride in having perfect attendance during his second year in office, something
the others can’t say.
It was Clerk Charles Horner who
administered the oath to the new commissioners. They said afterward that they
were not aware of Mr. Frederick’s lapses in attendance. Mr. Taylor, who
defeated Commissioner Mike Hall in his bid for a third term, said, “Everybody
can change, that’s just the way the world is.”
Similarly, Mr. Corbin said,
“We’re starting off clean, might as well start off with a clean slate.” “Maybe
this will give [Mr. Frederick] a reason to do a little better.”
The next regular meeting is 6
p.m. Monday, July 6.
