The lack of fluoridation is "placing our residents at greater risk for tooth decay and other oral health problems," he wrote.
Several commissioners said they have reservations about fluoridation, which could increase water bills by $8 to $10 a quarter, said utilities chief Dan Williams. But they unanimously approved the feasibility study because it is entirely funded by a grant from the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Permit Fee Increases on Hold
The Calvert County Health Department has proposed hefty fee increases on permits necessary to run restaurants, operate sewage disposal systems and certify drinking wells.
On Tuesday, the county commissioners, who must approve any fee increases, expressed serious reservations about the proposal, which would make Calvert's environmental health fees the highest in Southern Maryland. The commissioners postponed a vote on the fee increases, though at least one said she had made up her mind.
"I will vote for these new fees when pigs fly," Kelley said.
Several of the permit fees would more than triple under the Health Department plan. The fee for a permit to serve food on beaches, for example, would increase from $75 to $250. In neighboring St. Mary's County, that type of permit is free.
County health officer Rogers said the increases are necessary to close the department's projected budget deficit of $150,000.
Commissioners President David F. Hale (R-Owings) said he is concerned about the impact on the health department if the fees are not increased. "If we don't approve these," he said, "what services is [Rogers] going to cut?"
Hoyer a Candidate for Governor?
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer's political plans continue to be the subject of speculation after the Southern Maryland Democrat's visit to Annapolis for the opening of the General Assembly session this month.
On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that his consultations there with state Democratic leaders, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (Calvert), had set off a round of musing about whether Hoyer might be considering a run for Maryland governor in 2006.
The insistence by Hoyer's congressional office that the House minority whip "has no plans to run for anything other than reelection" has not put an end to the discussion.
On Tuesday, Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, wrote that senior Maryland Democrats are trying to persuade Hoyer to enter the gubernatorial race.
Although that report said Hoyer will leave the door to such a campaign slightly ajar, it also quoted Democratic sources as saying such a bid is highly unlikely despite Hoyer's often-stated desire to put a Democrat back in the Maryland governor's mansion.
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. is the first Republican governor since Spiro T. Agnew won in 1966. Ehrlich is expected to seek reelection, and last week it was reported that he has raised nearly $6 million for 2006.
