34 members of Maryland’s General Assembly today sent Governor O’Malley a clear message to exert more financial responsibility and reassess moving forward with the Intercounty Connector.
In a letter to Governor O’Malley, 34 Maryland Senators and Delegates ask for, “the State take a ‘breather’ on the ICC, until you and we have undertaken a detailed review of and discussion about all our transportation priorities, their timing, costs, and financing.”
Legislators from across the state are concerned about the state’s ability to afford infrastructure needs related to the BRAC job relocations, transit commitments, and local state road maintenance if so much general fund, toll revenue, and debt financing is allocated to the proposed ICC, an 18-mile toll road mostly in Montgomery County.
“The ICC is a highway whose cost may be just too high in light of other urgent State transportation and fiscal priorities,” Legislators state in the letter.
“We are asking Governor O’Malley to listen to the concerns of the elected officials who have reached out to him today and take a time out on the ICC,” said Delegate Barbara Frush, chair of the Prince George’s Delegation.
This development comes in response to budget shortfalls and the announcement yesterday awarding a contract for the first phase of the Intercounty Connector. Although a contractor has been chosen to enter into further negotiations with the state, there is still ample time to put a hold on developments until the legislator’s questions can be addressed.
“Such an aggressive schedule from the state is not only premature, but negligent,” said Mike Harold of the Audubon Naturalist Society.
The letter to Governor O’Malley is from 34 Senators and Delegates representing Baltimore City, Prince George’s, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore Counties.
A number of issues remain unresolved, especially regarding the state’s fiscal situation. Governor O'Malley is facing a structural deficit with no strategy to manage it.
“It is fiscally irresponsible to blindly continue with the $3 billion project. Gov. O’Malley cannot continue to deflect issues which were revealed last week in a new financial and economic report,”said Laura Olsen of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
The state seems to be rushing to get ahead of the first non-partisan voice we will hear on this controversial $3 billion highway proposal, the measured analysis of federal judges Two law suits are currently in federal court and a third was filed today.
In Rockville, a homeowners association filed a lawsuit in state courts to challenge the economic feasibility of the ICC. The Shady Grove Woods Homeowners Association now has property in condemnation proceedings for ICC construction. This is the third lawsuit to challenge the legality of the Maryland Department of Transportation.
Connie McKenna, president of the Shady Grove Woods Homeowners Association said, “The awarding of this contract today is a slap in the face of community members who are counting on the judicial process. We need to hear from federal and state judges who are removed from the Maryland’s intense builders’ lobby.”
“The violation of federal environmental laws resulting in the compromise of the health of thousands of Marylanders, sustained long term damage to the Chesapeake Bay, disregard of measures to reduce Global Warming and a predetermined stifling of viable alternatives are serious matters that should be ruled upon before further involvement of private contractors,” said Harold.
Letter from 34 legislators to Governor O’Malley
Connie McKenna of the Shady Grove Woods Homeowners Association can be reached at: 301-906-2453 (cell)
