Pubdate: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2000 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company Address: 200 East Patrick Street, PO Box 578, Frederick, MD 21705-0578 Fax: 301-662-8299 Feedback: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contactletters Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Author: Krista Brick Note: Almost at the end of this item: "Speaking about his own agenda this year, Mr. Brinkley said he plans to co-sponsor with Delegate Donald Murphy, R-Baltimore/Howard, a bill to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes...." BRINKLEY SPEAKS OUT ON LOCAL ISSUES Coming into his sixth legislative session this year, Delegate David Brinkley, R-Frederick, said he has hit his pace. He said he's learned how to work within the system to get things done and learned to work within the county's state delegation to do what he thinks is best for Frederick County. "A difference of opinion and friction is healthy because we want to hear all sides. When we (the Frederick County's delegation to the General Assembly) walk out, we have to be together, especially on county issues," Mr. Brinkley said. That might prove difficult this year when several new taxing authority requests have been put on the table by the Frederick County Commissioners. Mr. Brinkley said he is inclined to support the commissioners' request for a hotel/motel tax, with the revenue being used to fund the proposed tourism center. "This tax could be the fuel to keep it going," Mr. Brinkley said. He supports an exemption for overnight stays of 30 days or longer, but is not sure where he stands on offering exemptions to bed and breakfasts. He also noted that restaurants often benefit from tourism and hinted that they, too, could share in the funding of the proposed center. Mr. Brinkley is also in favor of a special taxing district for the commercial properties along Md. 85, with the revenues being used to improve that road. He said he would also favor expanding the county's ability to create similar taxing districts countywide. He will, however, again oppose the commissioners' effort to get a transfer tax here. He said he's concerned that in prior years the commissioners have said they would spend the revenue from the tax on education. This year they said they plan to dedicate the money to agricultural land preservation and park acquisition and development. "Four years ago was passed legislation to lower the settlement costs and this adds to it," he said. Mr. Brinkley is against the county's request for a building excise tax assessed on a per-square-footage basis on new construction. "We already have an impact fee," he said. And the added tax could turn off some new business to Frederick County. "In this tight competitive market we don't need an added tax. We want to encourage commercial development," Mr. Brinkley said. He's also not going to support making it any easier to get a countywide fire and rescue tax. He said the fire and rescue taxing districts should help small pockets of concern and be custom tailored to the needs of those areas. "If you are going to have a countywide tax, you might as well increase the property tax," Mr. Brinkley said. On the issue of the elected school board compensation, Mr. Brinkley said he favors paying the mixed elected and appointed board the same wage, but does not want to give any members health benefits. For two years starting in 2000, the school board will be a mix of elected and appointed members while an elected board is phased in. "It would be a bit asinine if the health benefits exceeded the cash compensation," Mr. Brinkley said. The proposal is to pay members $3,000 compensation plus a $1,000 expense account and health benefits. Health benefits could add up to as much as $10,000, depending on coverage. On major state issues, Mr. Brinkley said he is wary of Governor Parris Glendening's effort to get "smart gun" legislation passed. "Technology has just not caught up with his wishes," Mr. Brinkley said. "Are guns bought in other areas dumb guns and does that mean they won't fire in Maryland?" On the subject of the state's projected $1 billion surplus, Mr. Brinkley wants to give it back to the taxpayer. He wants to accelerate tax cuts that have already been approved. "The political reality is that that won't happen," Mr. Brinkley said. If the surplus is to be spent it should be spent on one-time expenditures. Mr. Brinkley is in favor of a proposal by House Speaker Casper Taylor Jr. to beef up the Transportation Trust Fund. Mr. Taylor is suggesting using one cent of the current sales tax for transportation funding. "In my opinion that would defer any consideration of an increase in the gas tax for 10 years," Mr. Brinkley said. Speaking about his own agenda this year, Mr. Brinkley said he plans to co-sponsor with Delegate Donald Murphy, R-Baltimore/Howard, a bill to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. "As a cancer survivor it is something I think that would be very important for clients undergoing debilitating treatments that prevents them from eating," Mr. Brinkley said. Mr. Brinkley is a Hodgkin's survivor. Another bill he expects to introduce would limit the number of times the state can audit a taxpayer in one year. He said he received a complaint from a constituent who was audited four times in one year, costing that taxpayer thousand of dollars in attorney fees. "If the state needs to do more audits then the state should reimburse the taxpayer for the fees," Mr. Brinkley said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake