Harford County's newly-elected council postponed any vote on County Executive Barry Glassman's cabinet appointments, as well as on a retirement incentive proposed for county employees.
Glassman put forth a bill Tuesday to appropriate $6.75 million for retirement payouts for employees. He said after the meeting he hopes to get at least 100 employees to buy into the retirement.
County Council President Dick Slutzky said the council will consider voting on the 15 department director appointments by its third meeting, as it will give his colleagues a chance to review the nominees' resumes and qualifications.
Tuesday was the first official meeting for Harford's new council, which includes four returning members: Slutzky, Joe Woods, Jim McMahan and Chad Shrodes.
Bel Air's Bill Wehland, who has long fought the Walmart store planned for the Emmorton area, took the opportunity to tell the new council of "six significant failures of the past council" that he hopes to see rectified.
He said the council failed to pass legislation restricting the size of large buildings in designated districts; failed to pass legislation for items that carry restrictions, such as the issue of council members not being allowed to talk to residents about zoning matters; failed to pass legislation to increase the size of development notices; failed to make planning officials attend community input meetings; failed to require the planning and zoning department to perform a comprehensive study of the impact caused by concurrent developments in close proximity to each other; and failed to update the public on the status of projects after they are reviewed by the development advisory committee.
"Does anyone know what's going on with Walmart? I doubt it very much," Wehland said to the audience, adding he hopes the new council can make a difference in the development process.
"I think things can turn around in this county," he said.
Council members, meanwhile, thanked residents for voting for them and recognized outgoing elected officials, including former councilman Dion Guthrie, who was voted out in favor of Mike Perrone, and former councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, who was elected to the state House of Delegates.
Slutzky said Guthrie "represented his community so well for the past 12 years. I know that I will miss him and he will stop by to say hello."
Perrone, of District A, said he understands why elected officials are humbled by elections and pledged to "never take for granted the support of the people who put me in this seat."
Woods thanked those who put on Monday's inauguration ceremony for Glassman and the council, calling it "outstanding" and "a proud moment."
McMahan said: "We have an awful lot to do but I think this council is certainly up to the task."
Shrodes said together "we will make this [county] a better place," while newcomer Patrick Vincenti, from District E, said he was "truly honored, proud and humbled" to join the council.
He added he hopes to re-energize the Churchville-Creswell Community Council to better give those residents a voice.
Curtis Beulah, another newcomer from District F, called the council "a new journey" for him and his wife, noting they were "homebodies by nature" until he ran for office.
Beulah said he pledged to "be the absolute best councilman representing District F" and gave a nod to the absence of women on the new council.
"Some might say you don't have any women on the council. My reply to that is, you don't know our wives, because you will be well-represented, I can tell you that," he said.
The council voted in McMahan as vice president, substituting for Slutzky if needed. Woods was chosen as the legislative committee member for the Maryland Association of Counties, while a vote on an alternate member was delayed.
McMahan and Vincenti were chosen as council personnel committee members, and Chad Shrodes was designated as an alternate.
Slutzky was selected to represent the council on the county's Board of Estimates and McMahan was selected as the alternate.