Anne Arundel County Councilman John J. Grasso doesn't bite his tongue.
In his first five months as a freshman legislator, the 49-year-old Glen Burnie Republican has proved a lightning rod for controversy, publicly feuding with the county schools superintendent, an Annapolis civil rights leader and even those in his own party in incidents that have garnered both newspaper headlines and mixed reviews from observers.
During a recent public hearing during which hundreds of police officers and firefighters testified in opposition to a bill that would alter the county's binding arbitration agreement with public safety employees, one retired firefighter threatened to slap Grasso for reversing his stance on collective bargaining — an accusation that Grasso copped to.
In response, Grasso flashed a smile and flipped both his thumbs up, garnering loud boos from the crowd in the council's chambers.
In a recent interview, Grasso, whose chief legislative success so far has been a bill to prevent would-be thieves from cashing in on the county's recyclable materials, was unapologetic for his bold style.
"I wasn't elected to sit back and watch things that are wrong and not try to fix it," said Grasso, who owns a property management company. "People want someone to get in there and speak up. I'm not trying to be politically correct. I'm trying to get the messes cleaned up. If they don't like it, don't vote for me next time."
His critics say his aggressive style speaks to his immaturity and an inability to compromise. Grasso, meanwhile, says he'll continue to speak out on any issue of concern — from preventing tax increases to illegal immigration — in his no-holds-barred style.
Dan Nataf, the director of the Center for the Study of Local Politics at Anne Arundel Community College, said Grasso's brand of politicking has some appeal.
"He may come out looking abrasive or nitpicking," Nataf said. "But he's there to deliver punches. He's a personality. You get what you see. And maybe voters like it. Or maybe not."
Early in his term on the council, he publicly confronted county schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell, telling him he should return his $19,000 raise in light of the county's difficult fiscal times.
"[Grasso has] made his opinions very clear," said Bob Mosier, a spokesman for Maxwell. "He's entitled to his opinions. At this point, we're in the middle of a budget process. We're working with the entire council, including Councilman Grasso, to move this [school] system forward."
A couple of months later, Grasso complained about his signature being on a citation for Annapolis civil rights leader Carl O. Snowden, citing Snowden's previous drunken-driving charges. That critique drew the ire of one of the council's most mild-mannered members, Democrat Daryl Jones.
Grasso, however, has found a fan in the county's top politician — County Executive John R. Leopold, who has gotten Grasso's much-needed support on some key initiatives, including the binding arbitration legislation.
"His candor is refreshing, and I think his heart is in the right place," said Leopold, who added that he's met with Grasso "in my office on several occasions."
Aside from his work on the council, he owns several rental properties. He has had legal troubles with some of them, and his opponents brought up the issue during his campaign.
Grasso, a landlord with properties in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City, has faced sanctions for mismanaging properties. In 2005, according to online records, he was fined $500 by the Housing Authority in Baltimore City District Court because one of his properties was not "fit for habitation." He pleaded not guilty and was granted a probation before judgment.
In 2006, he entered into a settlement agreement and consent order with Maryland Department of the Environment regarding 43 properties, requiring him to pay $10,000 for violations of state lead paint laws. The order required Grasso to "ensure that all property registrations and renewal of registrations are current and correct."
"It is old news," said Grasso. He said he mistakenly hired a lead abatement contractor who wasn't licensed. "No one was going to die. No one was unsafe. The MDE just jerks my chain. That's how they fund their programs."
Democratic Councilman Jamie Benoit, who has sparred with Grasso and fellow Republican Councilman Derek Fink over Benoit's use of the county's health insurance coverage, called Grasso's style vastly "different" from most on the council.
"I prefer, and I find that I do a better job, when I'm doing more listening and less talking," Benoit said. "And I tend to ascribe to a sort of conduct that puts my brain at work more than my mouth. That's just me."
Fink has become one of Grasso's closest allies on the council and counts him as a friend, describing their shared interest in fiscal conservatism. Both have vowed to fight a Leopold plan to increase the county's property tax rate by three cents.
"I think he's doing a tremendous job," Fink said. "He's always up-front, and when he's on the fence about an issue, he'll go to a Home Depot or some store in his district and start asking random people, 'Hey, I'm John Grasso, your councilman, what do you think about this issue?' I think it's pretty unique. He's a man of the people."
Grasso graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 1979 and worked as a chef at La Fontaine Bleu and did other odd jobs — including ice-statue-sculpting — before enrolling at the county community college and receiving an electrical engineering certification. He was also certified as an aircraft mechanic at a school in New Jersey.
He married his first wife at 25, he said, but the couple divorced nine months later. They have a grown son, now 25. He married his current wife, Natalie Grasso, in 2005.
In 1986, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for county executive, with Democrat O. James Lighthizer winning the race.
Beyond county politics, Grasso said he identifies with the tea party and calls himself a "birther" — the title given to those in the fringe movement that claim President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Despite Obama's releasing late last month his long-form birth certificate proving he was born in Hawaii in 1961, Grasso said he still has doubts.
"I definitely don't think he was born in America," Grasso said. "The story keeps changing. If there's smoke, there's fire. There's so much doubt going around. Can we make a fake birth certificate? Please."
Perhaps the one topic off limits for Grasso is his future. Asked if he's interested in running for county executive, he uncharacteristically demurred.
"I was told to keep my mouth shut," he said.