Much attention lately has been focused on Baltimore County’s fiscal challenges, particularly regarding school maintenance, replacement schools and teacher salaries (“‘Unfathomable’: Baltimore County leaders, residents critical of $3.50-a-line monthly cell tax plan,” May 13). But there are three areas in which the county can save simply through better planning.
One measure that could save the county a significant sum of money would be to look at better planning of infrastructure projects. County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. should work more closely with Maryland’s state government and Baltimore to better synchronize the issues pertaining to gas and electric projects, water line replacement and roads.
In West Towson, we have seen water lines replaced and some roads completely resurfaced, only to see BGE dig up those brand-new roads to replace the gas lines and perform what is akin to pothole filling after it has completed its work. This is just wasteful and at a dire time in Baltimore County’s history, is tantamount to fraud and abuse.
I would like to see the county executive implement something that we could call the Synchronized Programmed Infrastructure Roads Act (SPIRA) where the Department of Public Works would be required to coordinate the replacement of water and gas lines and delay the repaving of roads until completion of all projects. Moreover, Mr. Olzewski should call for an audit looking into DPW’s actions in recent years to determine why these wasteful practices are occurring.
John Weaver, Towson
The writer is president of the West Towson Neighborhood Association.