Harford County withholds Jacob Bennett's council paycheck amid lawsuit

Jason Fontelieu, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·3 min read

Dec. 20—Harford County Council member Jacob Bennett did not receive a paycheck from the county on Friday when council members were paid.

Bennett, District F's council member and a Democrat, has faced backlash from County Executive Bob Cassilly, a Republican, due to a county provision that Cassilly believes prevents Bennett from serving on the County Council while maintaining his job as a Harford County Public Schools teacher.

"The county executive is doing everything in his power to make himself judge and jury over a situation he has no power over," Bennett wrote to The Aegis, "demonstrating disrespect to both the citizens of District F and the judicial process we trust to settle this dispute."

Sam Kahl, Cassilly's public information officer, told The Aegis on Tuesday: "We are unable to issue a paycheck to an individual who is not qualified to hold their position."

Bennett said he was informed by county attorney Jefferson Blomquist that since the county's view is he cannot serve, his paycheck won't be processed through county human resources department. As of Nov. 1, Harford County Council members receive an annual salary of $48,273.

Additionally, Bennett is the only council member listed on the county website without an email address.

Harford County filed a lawsuit against Bennett Dec. 9 seeking to disqualify him from sitting on the council while he remains in his HCPS position. The county charter provision in question states that a "council member shall not hold any other office of profit or employment in the government of the State of Maryland, Harford County, or any municipality within Harford County."

Cassilly has stated that he believes this provision applies to Bennett.

"As an attorney, my opinion is, this is absolutely clear. You can't do it," Cassilly previously told The Aegis.

Bennett was excluded from the public County Council inauguration on Dec. 5. He was sworn in later in the day at a private ceremony at the Harford County courthouse.

Lawyers for the Maryland State Education Association and Harford County Public Schools have said there is no conflict of interest preventing Bennett from serving on the council.

Elected officials in other counties who are public school teachers included Lisa D. B. Rodvien, an Anne Arundel County Council member, and Baltimore County Council member David Marks, who is a special-education teacher in Harford County. Charters for both counties have similar wording to Harford's.

Bennett said he looks forward to his case being settled in the courts.

"However, until that time comes," he wrote, "I am the active sitting council member for District F."

Joe Sandler, Bennett's lawyer, said the county does not "have any authority to prevent a duly elected member of the County Council from being on the payroll."

Henry Gibbons, the chair of the Harford Democratic Central Committee, said in a statement that the committee was disappointed to learn that Bennett did not receive a paycheck.

"As the duly elected and sworn-in representative of District F," Gibbon wrote, "our expectation is that — as unambiguously stated in the County Charter — Councilman Bennett be fairly and equitably compensated by the County for the work he is doing right now to represent his constituents."