Deputy chief for farmers title up for debate

Harford County (Map, News) - Deputy chief of staff or deputy chief of agriculture?

What to call it seems to be rekindling an old debate on the Harford County Council. Orginally proposed last year to be funded in this year’s budget, the deputy chief of staff position was cut by the County Council over what members considered too vague a job description.

County Executive David Craig wants funding for the position again this year — and some of the council members have the same questions.

“The conversation now is supposed to be over the deputy chief of agriculture,” said Councilman Dion Guthrie of Edgewood and Joppatowne, who was concerned the job title still did not reflect that duty. The deputy chief of staff’s job description mentioned that the hire would work directly with the division of agricultural affairs, said Director of Human Resources Scott Gibson, yet the description and the job title were left open-ended so the employee could be given new duties as the county’s needs change.

“A hundred years from now, maybe we need a deputy chief of staff for [Aberdeen Proving Ground] because of increased BRAC activity there,” he said. “You want a position so you could amend those job duties to address that need, and if you had it in the title you couldn’t do that.”

Guthrie said he would support a chief of staff for agriculture if that was the stated purpose of the job, but said he might have the same problems this year if the job duties remain too vague. He said his final judgment would be based on the support of Council President Billy Boniface — himself a horse farmer — and Councilman Chad Shrodes of Harford’s rural northern district.

“My intent is not to get wrapped up in the title as much as it is to make sure that ag has a voice in the county,” he said. “If he’s doing anything else it should be minimal; the majority of his time should be agriculture.”

Boniface could not be reached for comment.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com

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