Del. Cluster Proposes Stricter Revenue Authority Rules

Del. John Cluster isn't looking to abolish the Baltimore County Revenue Authority (yet), but he is making good on promises to tighten up the laws governing the quasi-public agency.

Cluster, a Parkville Republican, said he's had two bills drafted that would change how the authority operates.

"There's no oversight on their operations and that really bothers me," said Cluster. "It looks like all the board does is play a lot of and do whatever it is they want to do."

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The authority is a quasi-public county agency that was created in the 1950s with the goal of managing the county's public parking operations. In 1995, the authority took over running the county's public golf courses.

In the last decade, the agency has taken on two additional commercial projects. It entered into a joint agreement to build and manage an indoor soccer-ice rink facility in Reisterstown. It also agreed to build and manage a fifth parking garage in Towson for the proposed Towson Circle III retail and movie theater project.

When the legislature created the agency, it gave it the power to condemn property for public purposes and to issue bonds for its projects.

Because it was created by the state legislature, state lawmakers have the ability to change it—something a recent advisory letter from the attorney general confirmed, Cluster said.

"Because we established it, we can do whatever we want to it, up to and including abolishing it," said Cluster.

Cluster's first proposed bill would require the authority to have a public bidding process for any contract or business deal valued at $25,000 or more.

A second bill would require the authority to seek the approval of a majority of state legislators and the councilmember who represents an area where the agency is seeking to sell a parcel of land.

Cluster said he decided to take the action after becoming upset about recent news coverage of the authority.

"I read the stories on Patch and it occurred to me that (legislators) and the public really don't know what the Revenue Authority does," said Cluster.

Particularly upsetting to Cluster was a story about a deal made between the authority and Bill Madonna, a Florida-based golf pro, to create a golf academy at the Fox Hollow Golf Course. The agreement was entered into without a bidding process and .

Cluster was also upset about what he said was a rushed sale of the Lavender Avenue parking lot to a developer who plans to develop it for a national pharmacy chain.

During an authority meeting earlier this year, Cluster threatened to go to Annapolis next year and look into abolishing the agency.

Cluster said that's still an option and added that he has a few more ideas.

"This isn't over," Cluster said of his first two bills. "This is just the beginning. As I peel back the layers, I find more and more that bothers me and this isn't going to be the end of it."