Prospecting in Clarksburg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 26, 2006; Page GZ24
Maryland First Lady Kendel S. Ehrlich has taken an interest in the controversy over building violations in Clarksburg.
At the Ehrlichs' request, Amy Presley , a leader of the Clarksburg Town Center Advisory Committee, met the first lady Friday over coffee at the governor's mansion in Annapolis.
"She was intrigued about what was going on in Clarksburg," Presley said. "She talked to me about a lot of things."
But was Kendel Ehrlich just interested in Montgomery County's' planning woes? Or was she trying to persuade Presley, a Republican, to run for a local or state office?
"It was more along the lines of, 'What else do you want to do for Montgomery County?' " Presley recalled.
Presley, who has been mentioned as a possible GOP candidate for County Council, said she won't have an answer to that question until her group completes its mediation with the Clarksburg developers.
"Hopefully this will be wrapping up in a good way, and then I will consider whether there is something else I should or could do for the county," Presley said.
Pressing the Case for Payback
Speaking of Presley, the Clarksburg residents are stepping up their pressure to persuade the County Council to reimburse them for legal fees and out-of-pocket expenses.
Last week, the council put off a decision on whether up to a half-million in tax dollars should be used to reimburse the group for current and future legal bills as well as office supplies, cell phone bills, parking, mileage and the hiring of experts.
Earlier this week, more than a dozen residents wrote to council members backing Presley's argument that she and the other Clarksburg residents should be repaid because they exposed failings in government.
The lobbying strategy is likely to be more successful than Presley's initial attempt to win sympathy from the council.
The buzz in Rockville is that Presley wore a full-length mink coat when she showed up at a meeting with the council to discuss the issue. The coat turned off some council members, who questioned whether it was the best outfit to wear while pleading for tax dollars.
