It is time for the citizens of Talbot County to recognize that Corey Pack is unfit to serve as president of the Talbot County Council.
I have supported Mr. Pack with my vote for every one of his terms on the Talbot County Council. As I mentioned to him in a recent email that I copied to all of the council members, his dedication of service to Talbot County stands on its own. I appreciate having people like him, Laura Price, Chuck Callahan, Frank Divilio, and Pete Lesher who are willing to serve our great county.
That aside, Mr. Pack’s recent words and actions have been out of line and not in the character of a council president. I encourage all citizens of the county to go online and take the time to watch the three-and-a-half hour meeting that was held on June 23rd. His disrespect of fellow council members is appalling. During some portions of the meeting he was nothing but a bully. In addition, he showed no respect for another elected official, Sheriff Joe Gamble who should have been given the courtesy to speak that night.
During the meeting, Mr. Pack requested that the council send a letter of support for U.S. House bill H.R. 7120 – the justice in policing act of 2020 – to the Maryland Congressional delegation. It was revealed in the discussion of the matter that Mr. Pack nor any of the other council members had consulted the Sheriff prior to this. Why? Sheriff Gamble is the only law enforcement expert among them. It was also revealed that Mr. Pack only had an opinion on the house bill. He had not reviewed the U.S. Senate bill about the same topic. Yet, he wanted to send a letter anyway. Why?
Before the vote on the letter of support, some council members were clearly uncomfortable with not knowing any details of the bill. They were also not comfortable with the fact none of them had consulted the Sheriff. While asking about doing so, they were bullied by Mr. Pack. The council was ultimately pushed in to a vote and the motion passed 4 to 1 with Laura Price being the only no vote. Watch the entire meeting. It is more than eye opening. In fact, there are many parts of this meeting that are absolutely disgusting.
The next day, Sheriff Gamble released a statement on Facebook about the action taken by the council. He also posted a :17 minute video portion of the meeting I am referring to. His letter very clearly demonstrates that the actions taken by Mr. Pack and the council the night before were not in the best interest of our county. That same day, council members Chuck Callahan, Frank Divilio, and Pete Lesher went scrambling with apologies to the Sheriff to cover their mistake. They also made plans to rescind their votes of support for the letter. Please, go online and read the Sheriff’s statement. And, if you do not want to watch the full video of the meeting, at least watch this :17 minute clip. This short video reveals a lot.
Fast forward to the county council meeting on July 14th. As a result of their mistake, a couple members of the council asked for a vote to reconsider their actions and ultimately vote against sending the letter of support. Prior to the vote, they heard directly from Sheriff Gamble. He spoke to several flaws in the legislation. It became overwhelmingly obvious why many parts of U.S. House bill H.R. 7120 are not in the best interest of policing in Talbot County. The legislation is flawed in many ways. When the Sheriff finished speaking, Mr. Pack sought to clarify his position on the matter by reading from a prepared statement. Never in his prepared statement did he refer to anything regarding Talbot County, its citizens, how the bill would affect local policing, or any of the points made by Sheriff Gamble just minutes before. When the vote was cast to reconsider the motion of sending the letter of support, Mr. Pack abstained from the vote. Why?????
We are living in a tumultuous time. The decisions of our local leaders cannot be made with bias or personal opinion. Decisions have to be made based on facts. The most important fact to never overlook is the answer to a simple question. Is this good for all citizens of Talbot County?
Is U.S. House bill H.R. 7120 good for Talbot County? No. Is treating fellow elected officials in a condescending manner good for Talbot County? No. Are bullying tactics acceptable in our local government? Is ignoring the expertise of our elected sheriff acceptable? No.
Do Mr. Pack’s words and actions clearly demonstrate that he should let someone else assume the role of Talbot County Council president? Yes. Does Talbot County deserve better than this? Without a doubt, yes.
Stephen Hunter
Talbot County
Richard L Hott says
Term limits are good for any elected body as many constituents vote simply by name recognition. Talbot County needs term limits.
Robert Jones says
Well stated. I have followed this issue, too. I fully agree with Mr. Hunter, with the exception that I have never trusted nor voted for Mr. Pack.
Dirck Bartlett says
I’m not sure why Corey has changed his style of governing. I am very worried about how he has changed from a pragmatic Republican leader into a social justice warrior. Removing statues and supporting the defunding of the police seems contrary to his previous positions. I’m wondering if he is reorienting his philosophy in order to run for a higher office.
His leadership as President of the Council relies on securing at least two other votes on the 5 member council. After his recent mistreatment of his fellow members, you have to wonder how he can be re-elected into this leadership position. The embarrassing votes regarding police funding are unforced errors from everyone except Laura Price who understood the situation clearly. You have to also ask why this was even brought up as an issue by Corey? Defunding the police is a crazy idea even though some police reform may be helpful.
We will see what happens when officers are chosen in December.
Katie Sevon says
I disagree entirely. I was proud to see Corey Pack standing up for racial equity in that meeting and I was horrified by the behavior of Laura Price. When choosing a council president, I would look for someone who isn’t afraid to speak up in the face of inequity, who recognizes when they need to move in a new direction, and who takes the steps to make the county better. I don’t agree with everything Corey Pack does, but on that night, he pushed for positive change, and I was proud to live in a county where that was happening. In the US, we have a history of defending white women and demonizing black men, and that’s what this letter to the editor is doing. This is another example of the racism that is baked into our society, and another reason why diversity statements and training are needed.
Kristie Camper says
I was very proud of Corey Pack that night. We need members who are not scared to speak up on issues. There are black and brown citizens in Talbot County and these issues are important to them. The council is suppose to represent all of Talbot County. Of course he spoke up, news flash, he is a black male.
Wayne balmain says
Article is strictly bias. Stephen hunter should be ashamed
Linda Baker says
Very good letter from Mr Hunter. I don’t see how he was he being biased or racists, as some have noted. This letter was about professionalism in duty of office. He encourages people to watch the meeting ( which I did). If you haven’t watched the meetings, you will not understand the base of this letter. Thank you, Mr Hunter.
Robert Haase says
Rather than term limits Talbot County needs district representation , and a council who is in touch with the varied districts of Talbot County. A perfect example is the one size fits all for Short Term Rentals. How can regulations for a 50 acre lot be the same for a 1/4 lot in a village. ALL our Council lives in Easton which has strict STR restrictions so how can they know what the problems are for the constituents they are supposed to serve. THEY CAN’T