Bel Air Town Commissioner Edward Hopkins said he intends to remain a commissioner even in his new role as Harford County's director of emergency services.
Hopkins, who was appointed by new Harford County Executive Barry Glassman to lead the department that oversees the 911 Communications and Dispatch Center, the Office of Emergency Management and Hazardous Materials Response Team, has been an elected town commissioner since 2007. His present term expires in November 2015.
His appointment to lead the 911 center was confirmed Tuesday night by the Harford County Council, as were the appointments of other department heads in the new county administration.
"I have no plans to step down," Hopkins said Monday after the town's board's meeting. "I don't see a conflict. Truly there are times when the town and county will do business, but like with every organization I belong to, I have to let everyone know of a conflict and if I have to abstain from voting, I abstain from voting."
He said he spoke with Bel Air Town Attorney Charles Keenan, and a lawyer from the county, Mary Kate Herbig, and both told him they did not see a conflict between Hopkins' role as town a commissioner and that of emergency services leader.
"There is no conflict on its face between his job and as commissioner," Keenan said, adding there is nothing in the town charter that precludes him from being in both roles.
Hopkins, 57, said he just has to use the proper judgment, as he has when issues have arisen, make it a point to let everyone know of his positions.
"It's tough when you like in a community like this and people are actively involved to not run into potential conflicts of interest," he said. "I have to be smart enough and recognize that conflict or have my peers bring it to my attention, and I abstain."
During his tenure as town commissioner, Hopkins has also been chief of Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company and spokesman and later chief deputy of the Harford County Sheriff's Office. He stepped down as fire chief earlier this year and left the Sheriff's Office last month following the election of new Sheriff Jeff Gahler. Earlier in his town board tenure, he was a communications and external affairs director for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency or MEMA.
"During my seven years with the town, nothing has been really controversial between town and county; it's been more of a partnership building," Hopkins said. "That's not to say there hasn't been any, but the conflicts there have been were far, far fewer than partnerships where we've been able to do good."
As he gets more into his role as head of emergency services and find that conflicts are arising, Hopkins said he will re-evaluate and may determine he needs to step down from the board.
"But the voters put be on the town board because they want me to serve the community of Bel Air and I really want to serve the town," he said.
As for continuing as a commissioner past this term, "I am exploring whether I will run for a third term, but I have not reached a final decision yet," Hopkins said.