It was the changing of the guard in Havre de Grace City Hall Monday night, and the city's new leader wasted no time in proposing a new fee to deal with the city's most pressing financial issue.
After being sworn in as the first new mayor in eight years, Bill Martin made it his first order of business to introduce legislation to add a $25 quarterly surcharge on each water and sewer bill – $100 per year, which would be earmarked for debt service for the long-troubled water and sewer fund.
Besides Martin, new council members Monica Worrell and David Martin also were sworn in, along with incumbent Council Randy Craig, who was re-elected to a fourth two-year term in the city election on May 5.
Councilman Steve Gamatoria was chosen by his colleagues to be the new council president. Martin did not appoint anyone to the vacant seat on the council, his former position, on Monday, so the six-member council will have a vacancy until he does.
The new mayor and council bid farewell to eight-year mayor Wayne Dougherty, who decided he wanted to spend more time with his family and did not run for a fifth term, as well as to councilmen Fred Cullum and John Correri, who lost their bids for re-election.
Martin appeared determined to use his new mayoral role to eliminate the debt on the water and sewer fund as fast as possible, explaining it is his attempt to "hit the problem head-on."
He noted the proposed fee/surcharge will have a sunset clause after two years, meaning the council would reconsider it then.
"We were trying every alternative until we got to this point. We have exhausted almost every option, and we realized we don't want to live with this problem anymore. It's putting a stranglehold on the general fund," he explained, stressing that the fee is not permanent.
Martin said "a city of volunteers," as Havre de Grace is often referred to by the council, "can surely handle a debt service fee temporarily to solve its problems."
Public hearings on the proposed fee are at 6 p.m. May 26 and 7 p.m. June 1.
Despite starting off the bat with new legislation, Martin, an Aberdeen Middle School teacher, said his philosophy is to pass as few laws as possible.
"I tell my students, every time a law is passed, a freedom is taken away," he said, noting laws can occasionally protect property rights or personal rights. "I like to think that we only passed just what we needed, only to protect people."
"We have big plans for the city. The city, without a doubt, is a jewel in the state," he said of Havre de Grace. "We are right on the cusp of just becoming a national name, and I know it. People will say the name of Havre de Grace as freely as they say the name Hilton Head, [S.C.]"
New council members Worrell and David Martin, who is not related to the mayor, said they look forward to working with the city staff and council.
Worrell told the council she could bet they would not agree on everything, but they would nevertheless get along.
Before he stepped down, Dougherty recognized everyone from the city staff to retired Harford County Circuit Judge Emory Plitt, who was getting ready to swear in the new council members and mayor.
He also told Cullum and Correri they have "nothing to feel bad about" for losing the election.
"In Havre de Grace, our voter turnout has always been rather low, but that's Havre de Grace, and I think that can be changed and I think it edged up a little this time," Dougherty said.
Dougherty said he will never stop serving the city, despite no longer being a mayor.
As the new council got ready to conclude the meeting, Dougherty was the first to step up during the period for citizen comments. He jokingly reminded the council of when Young at Heart was meeting, an event he regularly commented on from the dais as mayor.
"I will be stepping down but I take the love of the city with me," he said before officially leaving the dais as mayor.
Dougherty got a standing ovation from the packed city hall chambers, as did Correri and Cullum.
Charlie Hiner, who lost the mayoral race to Martin, also spoke during the citizen comment period to congratulate the winners.
He encouraged residents to continue being involved in the city and said more people need to register to vote.
"It's been an honor and a very humbling experience to run for mayor of this great city of Havre de Grace," Hiner said.
Official vote count
The Harford County Board of Elections announced official results from the city election.
Bill Martin received 1,038 votes, 51.3 percent of the mayoral vote; Hiner received 984, 48.7 percent of the vote.
In the council election, Worrell received 1,355 votes, Craig 990 and David Martin 737, followed by Correri with 678 votes, Cullum 623, Johnny Boker 570 and Harry Jackson 352.