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.