WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- At 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, County Executive Julie Giordano filed a Writ of Mandamus to the Wicomico County Circuit Court. It will compel the county council to appoint her an attorney to settle a personnel matter.
Giordano's frustrations go back to her submissions for two positions on her staff, the assistant director of administration and the deputy director of public works. The county decided to not appoint the people Giordano submitted.
However, Giordano continued to employ them and now, those frustrations could end up in a court room. Adding to the tension within the walls of the Wicomico County Government building was a decision from Tuesday night.
Council members voted 6-1 to cut funding for those previously mentioned positions.
"As I stated during the public hearing, defunding these positions is a form of termination which the council has no ability or right to do so," said Giordano. "This is a direct violation of our county charter."
Council President John Cannon said he and his staff did follow the charter.
"The executive never made a submission in legislative session for either one of these positions, so we're simply following the law of the county in abiding by that," said Cannon.
But Giordano said that is something she simply cannot do.
"What you may not know about that is I'm not allowed to submit names in legislative session," said Giordano. "I cannot compel the council to put things on an agenda nor can I dictate what session it falls under."
Giordano's frustrations also boil down to feeling the people she submitted were a good fit for their respective jobs. She said Mr. Leitzel, who she recommended for Assistant Director of Administration has 23 years of law enforcement experience, was a teacher for five years, owned a small business, worked with budgeting, human resources and policy making.
In the case of Ms. Lankford, the candidate Giordano put forward for Deputy Director of Public Works, Giordano noted Lankford's 16 years of work as an engineer.
"Both candidates are extremely qualified and what the council seems to forget is this is my administration, not theirs," said Giordano.
Cannon disagrees.
"It may be her administration, but it's our county," said Cannon. "They've[county administration] established the charter, they've established the codes for Wicomico County and in that we are obligated to approve those positions, like it or not that is our responsibility to the citizens of Wicomico County."
And Cannon said him and other council member did not feel Giordano's recommendations met those qualifications.
"The council feels it's very important, it's our obligation to the citizens of Wicomico County that we make sure the most qualified individuals are hired for those administrative positions, you're talking in some cases six figure salaries," said Cannon.
The court still has to agree to hear Giordano's case. She promised to abide by any ruling and both sides said they want to move forward. From the county's perspective it means two new submissions for Assistant Director of Administration and Deputy Director of Public Works. Giordano said her two submissions were filed correctly, so she would like them to be officially hired.