Havre de Grace City Councilman Dave Glenn is trying to get Harford County Executive Barry Glassman to change his mind about putting a hold on building a new middle and high school in the city.
At Tuesday night's city council meeting held at the community center, Glenn said he has written letters to Glassman, he's talked to him in person and on the phone, and this week sent him another email "asking him to reconsider."
Glassman, a Havre de Grace High graduate, who took office Dec. 1, has put a hold on any capital projects, at least through the 2015-2016 fiscal year that starts July 1. Before moving forward with any projects, including Havre de Grace, Glassman said he wants to wait until "the county's fiscal picture improves and our efficiency measures take hold."
"I tried to share with him that we want to get in while construction costs are low. If you wait, construction costs will go up, which means the cost of the school is going to go up," Glenn said.
Glenn also said he intended to plant every seed he can in anyone's ear who would listen about the community's plight for a new school during the annual Harford County Night in Annapolis, scheduled for Thursday, where local officials mingle with state legislators and other state officials.
He also suggested that Glassman, a former state delegate and state senator who Glenn said has "a lot of connections in Annapolis," reach out to Gov. Larry Hogan, who was sworn in Wednesday, and take him on a tour of Havre de Grace High School, then take him on tours of other high schools in Harford, such as Patterson Mill or Bel Air.
"Show him the difference, see what students deal with on a daily basis. He needs to see that," Glenn said. "This is not a political agenda, it's about doing the right thing for our students."