Anne Arundel County

May 14, 2013

Most discussions on homelessness in Maryland focus on Baltimore City, which has a homeless population in the thousands. A suburban area like Anne Arundel County—where the median household income is $85,000—is dealing with a homeless population in the hundreds.

Since taking over for disgraced county executive John Leopold, Laura Neuman has tried to clean house in scandal-scarred Annapolis. In addition to making staff changes to build a new administration, Neuman removed a secret system of 500 cameras that her predecessor had had installed in county office buildings. Neuman has been on a tour of the county to meet residents and public officials, and joins us for her first interview on Midday. 

Before the Annapolis Town Centre, there was the Annapolis Parole Camps. True to its title, the historical site couldn't be more different than its contemporary counterpart. The Parole Camps held Union prisoners during the Civil War, released on parole by the Confederacy. They held up to 10,000 prisoners at all times from 1862-1865. Annapolis, once a quaint market-town, became a haven for thieves, murderers, and prostitutes.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland is demanding to know more about a so-called "enemies list," or dossiers, that members of Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold’s security detail are alleged to have compiled on his political adversaries. This hour we explore the latest in Anne Arundel political follies, including the Leopold scandal and the latest on the impasse involving the Anne Arundel County Council in the wake of a seat left vacant by Daryl Jones. Joining in on the discussion is WYPR's Senior News Analyst C.

Our conversation with county executives series continues with Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. His recent budget for the next fiscal year calls for the first layoffs in twenty years. We’ll talk with him about tax increases and higher school spending at a time of slumping revenues and rising costs.