Former two-term County Councilman Phillip F. Scheibe was named yesterday as the new county attorney.
Mr. Scheibe was the county attorney from 1967 to 1969.
He served on the council from 1965 to 1966, and from 1970 to 1974.
It was that combination of experience that led him to make the appointment, County Executive John G. Gary said yesterday.
"We've got a brand new council," Mr. Gary said.
"I think he has the . . . knowledge that we'll need to get through comprehensive rezoning."
The county reviews its zoning map every 10 years.
Any changes made during the process can have a profound effect on the pattern of development in the county.
Mr. Scheibe, 61, who has a private practice in Glen Burnie, gave Mr. Gary a $4,000 campaign contribution Nov. 4, four days before the Nov. 8 election in which Mr. Gary defeated Democrat Theodore J. Sophocleus.
Yesterday, Mr. Gary brushed aside any notion that the contribution influenced his choice of county attorney.
"Why do you think that because somebody gave you a campaign contribution, that there's a conflict of interest?" Mr. Gary said.
"I've known Phil Scheibe for 20 years."
"The guy's very politically astute. I needed someone who's more than just a smart attorney," Mr. Gary said.
"It was a very personal decision on my part . . . I just think that Scheibe is an unusual combination, because of having the council experience and the legal experience."
Mr. Scheibe said he never discussed the possibility of a position in the administration with Mr. Gary before the election.
He said he donated the money because his conservative views meshed with the fiscal ideas of Mr. Gary.
"I never gave the campaign contribution with the idea I was going to get a job," Mr. Scheibe said.
"In fact, it was quite a surprise to me when John approached me and asked me if I would consider [the position as county attorney]."
Former County Executive Robert R. Neall's county attorney, Judson P. Garrett Jr., said he submitted a letter soon after Mr. Gary's election saying he would understand if he were replaced.
"He responded with a very polite note that just as Bob brought his own person in, he would like to bring his own person in," said Mr. Garrett, who will stay in his position until the end of the year.
Mr. Scheibe, who will earn between $80,000 and $90,000, has been a practicing trial attorney for 36 years.
He received his degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1958.