Harford County Council wil vote on a bill that could oust Jacob Bennett on Tuesday

A bill moving through the Harford County Council would close a legal door that a kindergarten teacher pried open three years ago, and the teacher at the center of it all is asking voters to send him back for another term.

The Bill

Council Member Pat Giangiordano introduced a bill on May 5. If it passes and voters approve it, the measure would rewrite Section 207 of the Harford County Charter — the section that governs who is allowed to serve on the council.

Under the proposed change, anyone employed by or working on behalf of any government entity that receives county funding would be barred from holding a council seat. That list includes the Harford County Board of Education, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and any other agency funded through the county budget.

The bill would also prohibit council members from seeking employment with any of those entities at any point during their term in office.

The legislation cannot take effect on its own. It must first pass the council, then go before Harford County voters for approval at the next general or congressional election.

A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 6:30 p.m.

The Backstory

The bill traces its roots directly to a legal battle that played out across the winter and spring of 2023 — one that began the moment District F voters chose Jacob Bennett over a two-term incumbent.

Bennett, a kindergarten teacher, defeated Republican Curtis Beulah in November 2022 by 92 votes — 47.6 percent to 47 percent. Beulah had held the seat since 2014.

Before Bennett could take his seat, incoming County Executive Bob Cassilly moved to block him. Cassilly argued that Bennett’s employment as a teacher created a conflict of interest and made him ineligible to serve under the county charter. He excluded Bennett from the official inauguration and swearing-in ceremony, denied him council pay, and cut off his access to a council office, email account, phone, and mileage reimbursement.

Cassilly filed suit in Harford County Circuit Court on December 9, 2022. Circuit Court Judge Richard Bernhardt ruled in Cassilly’s favor February 15, 2023. Cassilly then changed the locks on Bennett’s office.

Bennett appealed. The Supreme Court of Maryland reversed the circuit court’s decision April 5, 2023, ruling that neither the county charter nor the legal doctrine of incompatible positions prevented Bennett from serving on the council while working as a teacher. The court also noted that the Board of Education is not considered part of state or county government for purposes of that charter provision.

Critically, the Supreme Court also found that the existing charter language was ambiguous — an observation that Giangiordano’s bill cites directly as justification for rewriting it. The ruling was later referenced in a similar eligibility challenge involving council member Aaron Penman.

Bennett Today

Bennett is now seeking a second term representing District F. He continues to work as a kindergarten teacher.

Cassilly has continued to raise concerns about the potential for conflicts of interest when government employees hold council seats, pointing in particular to Bennett’s support for legislation involving binding arbitration for county employees.

What Comes Next

Even if the council passes the bill, the change would not take effect automatically. Harford County voters would have the final say, casting ballots on the proposed charter amendment at the next general or congressional election.

The outcome of that vote — and of Bennett’s reelection bid — will determine whether a kindergarten teacher continues to hold a seat on the Harford County Council, or whether the charter is rewritten to make sure no one in his position ever could again.