Of the incumbent Talbot County Council members, Laura Price received the lowest vote total in the Republican primary a few months ago. There are plenty of reasons for that.
Since she cannot run on her record, she has decided to attack her fellow Council members. In my opinion, those attacks are not based on merit, issues, political philosophy, or any other legitimate political or policy reason.
I think this is dirty politics and should not be tolerated in our county. If someone runs a campaign like this, imagine how they govern behind closed doors. I do not trust Laura to make decisions in the best interests of Talbot County.
I also believe it is important to note she is not loyal to the Republican Party, and I urge local Republicans not to support her.
Keep the other Council members and show her the door. Vote for Callahan, Divilio, Pack, Williams, and anybody else except Price.
Leon Sheer
Wittman
Robert Jones says
Of the incumbents running for re-election, Laura Price is the ONLY pro-business and pro-community Council Member worthy of re-election. The ONLY one without self-interest blinders on. The ONLY one to make positive amendments to bring opposing sides together. The ONLY one who listens to the majority of Talbot County residents. Re-elect Laura. Vote AGAINST Pack, Williams, and the other guy who does so little that I can’t even think of his name. Vote FOR Price and ANY four Democrats.
Carol Kilmon says
I’ve never met Leon Sheer…but I do know his charming and active wife , Connie, who has been and is a very active volunteer in the Talbot GOP.
This past year, Connie took on the leadership of the new Ladies Patriot Group, after being the former leader of the GOP Women’s group…Now I see she has taken charge of the Talbot GOP again…
As a member, I pop in and out where time and convenience allows. I missed this last controversial encounter… Connie is a dedicated person who always goes the extra mile and is a natural leader… If there was division in a meeting, Connie surely would be the person to returned the group to sanity!
Laura Price is a dynamic woman who runs her own business , and with her husband, raised two sons. Laura is running for her third term on the Talbot County Council, and has also been active in the Talbot GOP for years.
I know both women through the GOP and Laura also from issues involving the Talbot County Council and personal involvement with property rights pertaining to the zoning and sewers in my home territory of Royal Oak.
I, for one, am very glad Laura is as involved as she is! If I didn’t trust Laura Price to handle the affairs of the village I live in, I wouldn’t have backed or supported her with my vote in the election! Laura has proven she knows what she is doing and takes her position on the Council seriously and strives for the best outcome for the people of the county. Her integrity and knowledgeable background more than qualifies her to be a return member of their team.
Monica Otte says
I’ve frequently attended Council meetings and have heard Ms. Price sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with her fellow Council members. When she votes on matters before the Council, she takes the time to explain the basis for her vote. These explanations never include personal attacks against other Council members. Ms. Price does her homework, listens to the diverse viewpoints of Talbot County citizens, and then votes based on the facts before her. Isn’t this what we expect of all our Council members?
Janet Shimko says
My husband and I have been involved in the Next Step 190 process for zoning regulation updating for the past two years. During that time, Laura Price has been accessible, accommodating and concerned about the residents of Talbot County throughout the process. She has answered questions, e-mails, listened to our concerns and developed revisions to the updated regulations based on our concerns. At the Talbot Council meeting on September 11, Laura was professional to the other Council members as well as to the staff and audience (comprised of residents plus real estate commercial entities). Ms. Price was the only Council member who voted independently of the other Council members (Corey, Jennifer and Chuck voted as a pact). She was the only Council member to provide her reasoning for voting a specific way. She was the only member who used letters sent to her from residents to provide quantifiable documentation for the issues and was able to collate those numbers in an understandable way. Were we at the same meeting, Mr. Sheer? Frankly, I am puzzled by Mr. Sheer’s interpretation of Ms. Price as being “not loyal to the Republican Party” and as a Republican would like Mr. Sheer to provide the specifics on which he bases that accusation. Don’t Talbot County residents deserve the best step forward in our regulations regardless of political affiliation?
Julie Imirie says
As the husband of the acting chair of the Republican party, this is an interesting point of view. And while Mr. Sheer is certainly allowed to disagree with his wife, it might get a little dicey at the dinner table, since the role of the Republican Central Committe is to recruit and support Republican candidates – incumbent or not. However, the more disturbing inference here is that Ms. Price voting her conscience is dirty politics, and because she disagrees with some of her fellow Council members on policy and legislation, that is somehow disloyal to Republicans and should be voted out. It seems to me that disagreement makes for good policy making when one side is not listening to the public. This is the process. But, I will agree with him that we do have a say at the ballot box. For me, I support re-electing Ms. Price. Her record is exemplary, and it will remain to be seen whose campaigns are run with integrity.
Matthew Albers says
Julie, your commentary here is intellectually dishonest and furthermore a continuance of the irresponsible and unnecessary political theatre that is dividing the GOP in Talbot Co.
The catalyst for Mr. Sheers letter, in my opinion and that of others close to the situation, was not Ms. Price’s voting record as you suggest but rather a petition to recall Williams, Pack and Callahan passed around the most recent County Council meeting by one of her proxies. That is in fact dirty politics. If Ms, Price were to publicly stand up and denounce this activity I think it would go a long way towards changing the minds of many who believe that Ms. Price has turned on her party for personal political gain.
Julie Imirie says
Looks like your inaccurate premise is falling apart. It is Leon that should publicly stand up and apologize. I hope you all are reading the letters of support for Laura.
Catherine Liebl says
Laura Price, more than any other member of the Council running for re-election has been listening to the county residents and trying to incorporate their interests in the Council decisions. It seems clear that we the residents of Talbot County do not want massive sprawl and growth throughout our county. We want it to continue to be a rural environment with agriculture as our primary land use. Not new housing or commercial parks along Route 33 or 329 for example. New development should be contained in our village and town limits. We have spent the better part of four years working on this. As we were reminded in closing comments by Laura Price as well as other council members, many staff and resident hours were spent clarifying this. Laura has been a champion of the residents throughout the process.
We need more Laura Price on the County Council, not less. It’s too bad none of the other Republican candidates qualify.
Missy Warfield says
Laura Price has an exemplary record on the Talbot County Council. Not only does she think for herself and vote for what is right for Talbot County, but she has a fine command of the financial matters of Talbot County. She understands the budget and the pitfalls of the budgeting process and she places her financial votes in the best interest of Talbot County.
A vote for Laura Price will put a vote for financial responsibility on the Talbot County Council.
Alan Boisvert says
Oh, here we go, Trumpee politics. You say Laura Price is “not loyal to the Republican Party”? What does loyalty have to do with anything in politics. Nothing. Laura is dedicated to serving the good people of Talbot county representing each issue on its merits, not on party lines.
Dan Watson says
As I’ve commented before, IMHO this has nothing whatever to do with Trump or ideology either way. Oy!
Martha Darling Sparks says
The three Council members that Mr. Sheer has endorsed have come under a lot of fire in the last several weeks as a result of their positions and the amendments they have introduced related to the Next Step 190 process. It is painfully obvious by his opinion, that by casting dispersions on Laura Price, he is attempting to ‘redirect the heat’. He does not speak for all Republicans. While his intention is to portray himself as an authority on the merits of being a Republican, his words contradict that assumption. He has broken the 11th commandment which states “Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican.”
There should always room for respect within disagreement, but by throwing out totally baseless accusations against Mrs. Price, Mr. Sheer has shown he does not hold with that belief. To my fellow Republicans I encourage you to be better. You are not showing any good reason to align themselves with our party when you treat ‘your own’ this way.
Charles F.Barranco says
Mr Sheer;
Your article is a contradiction. You accuse Ms Price of attacking fellow Council Members and how awful this is; Yet in your article, You do nothing but attack her with a callous vengeance. I believe You are attempting to smear her good name! Nes Pas!
I was at The County Council meeting on September 11, and observed Ms Price explain each and every Amendment before a vote. She took into account her constituents requests and their petitions supporting the amendments she proposed. Her tone was one of pleading her constituents case to preserve our neighborhoods from the obvious fall out of Short Term Rentals. She was Professional, Warm Demeanor and Didn’t attack fellow council members as you have stated. I believe, You are attempting to place her in a False Light, And You are employing Dirty Politics.
I urge you to recant your mean spirited defamation.
Leslie Steen says
I disagree with Mr. Sheer’s point of view. Council Member Price was not uncivil. She was pleading with very good reasons to allow the process to not be delayed.
The Planning Commission completed Next Step 190 on April 23 after many public meetings and two working sessions with the County Council. On July 10 it was introduced as a bill.
Introduced bills must be enacted within a set period of time or they expire and must be re-introduced as new legislation. Amendments to the proposed legislation are prepared by a Council Member, presented as a proposed amendment, and then introduced as an official amendment to be considered. In this case September 11 was the last session that the Council could consider this legislation with any introduced amendments before it would have expired.
• The Council Members had 4 months to fully consider the bill and work on amendments.
• Citizens testified at public hearings on July 31 and August 14.
• Nine amendments proposed by Bartlett, Price, Callahan and the staff were made public prior to and then introduced at the August 14 meeting.
• At the August 28th meeting:
o Bartlett introduced an amendment to correct one of his earlier amendments.
o Williams proposed an amendment but never sought to introduce it.
o Callahan said he was not ready to vote, thereby delaying the vote to September 11 and setting off a cascade of turmoil.
o Pack announced that he had a long planned vacation known to all the Council Members that prevented him from attending the September 11 meeting.
With the delay of voting on the bill on August 28, chaos occurred. At the coming September 11 meeting with only four Council Members in attendance, the bill and all of the amendments might not pass because of the likely 50-50 split in the votes. There had been plenty of time to prepare.
After much distress inflicted on Council Members and citizens it was determined that Council Member Pack could leave behind a sealed ballot. With this process any changes that would occur after he sealed his ballot could not be voted on by him.
As it unfolded Mr. Pack was greatly inconvenienced. In an attempt to be responsive, he called in from Mexico to a meeting room without a speaker phone. A cell phone was used.
Another complication was a late Williams’ amendment with many changes posted on the web on Friday, September 7.
On Tuesday after being out of town over the week-end, Price attempted to clarify this late Williams amendment. Price created two amendments using the exact language of the Williams’ amendment – one of housekeeping changes to which all could agree and the other with the more controversial items.
Pack was prepared to vote on the Williams’ amendment even though it was made public after he had left on vacation. His vote enabled the amendment to pass. He was not prepared to vote on the Price clarifying amendments.
Why the delay? Why the chaos? Why the last minute Williams’ amendment with many changes?
Why the lack of transparency? Where was the leadership? Our Council needs to do their homework in a timely manner, be honest and transparent, and deal with the public and each other fairly and in good faith.
It is about good government. We should expect and deserve better.
Carol Voyles says
Fortunately for us, Laura Price has displayed loyalty to Talbot County. She needs more help, though.
Dirck Bartlett says
This attack on Laura Price was the most absurd letter I have seen of the hundreds of letters we have received. First of all, Ms. Connie Sheer, clearly had her husband deliver the message for and on behalf of the Republican Central Committee. If this is true, that is strike one.
Strike two is the attack on Ms. Laura Price, who worked hard to find ways to respond to the citizens concerns. What a concept! Ms. Price and I were the only ones to offer amendments (save for one amendment offered by Mr. Callaghan, for grain silo operators). At the last hour, Ms. Williams surprised everyone with one amendment turned in so late that it avoided any opportunity for any public comment, and was then approved by Mr. Pack, Ms. Williams and Mr. Callaghan, without any ability for public input.
Finally, the tone of Mr. Sheers attack letter is simply unacceptable and out of bounds; especially considering the actual facts of what actually occurred on these critical issues. Strike three for Mr. Sheer.