The vice president of the Harford County Board of Education is waiting for the governor to determine his future with the school board.

Board VP Lee Merrell’s five-year term officially expired Wednesday, but he had received no word by midday whether he would be reappointed to a second term.

Technically, Merrell, who represents the Havre de Grace and Riverside areas, continues to serve until he is either reappointed or somebody else is appointed in his place.

Sources close to the situation said earlier this week they believe Merrell is going to be replaced, as Gov. Martin O’Malley reorders the Harford board in advance of elections for some future board members due to begin in November 2010.

Merrell confirmed he applied to be reappointed.

“They [the governor’s office] said they haven’t made any decision,” Merrell said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an aide to O’Malley said Wednesday the governor was expected to meet with his appointments secretary, Jeanne Hitchcock, on Thursday to discuss Merrell’s position.

Pat Foerster, education policy adviser with the governor’s office, said O’Malley’s decision was expected to be announced as early as Thursday.

Wednesday not only marked the end of Merrell’s term, but it was also the day the county’s partially-elected school board legislation went into effect.

With the partially-elected school board law, three members will continue to be appointed by the governor, but for the first time in history, the other six will be elected by county voters. Under the new law, board members, who serve a five-year term, would serve a term of four years.

Merrell, a Republican, was appointed to the board of education by then Gov. Robert Ehrlich, also a Republican, in 2004, but with Democrat O’Malley deciding his fate this time, Merrell may have difficulty remaining on the board.

A year ago, O’Malley replaced two other Ehrlich appointees, Salina Williams and Thomas Fidler Jr., although Fidler didn’t seek a second term. A year from now, a few months before the election process begins, the term of John Smilko, another Ehrlich appointee, is due to expire.

County Councilman Dick Slutzky, who spearheaded a temporary committee created in the spring of 2008 to make recommendations to the governor for school board appointments, said the committee was not involved with sending any names to the governor for Merrell’s seat.

Slutzky said the committee, which was called the Harford County Board of Education Recommendation Committee, was not renewed this year because of the possibility of a fully-elected school board being passed in the Maryland General Assembly.

“The committee is not in force at this time,” Slutzky said in a phone interview Wednesday, adding that whether the committee will be reinstated is open for discussion. “It’s definitely a possibility,” he said

Last year, Slutzky’s panel submitted two names to the governor for the former Fidler and Williams seats; however, O’Malley did not pick either person and instead selected Alysson Krchnavy and Leonard Wheeler.

user comments (0)