(2/11) Following the revelation that the Mayor had submitted an application to the Town’s Community Legacy Grant program to partially reimburse him for the replacement of the roof on his personal home, which led to questions at February’s Town Council meting about a potential conflict of interest because the application was reviewed by a working group appointed by the Mayor, the Mayor withdrew his application.

Mayor Don Briggs submitted an application to be reimbursed for the replacement of the roof on his home on South Seton Ave. back in October of 2022. The $12,500 requested by Briggs represents 25% of the total funds allotted to the town of Emmitsburg as part of this year’s Community Legacy Grant program.

Briggs was one of twelve applicants for this year’s program. All the applications were reviewed by the Town’s Sustainability Communities Working Group, whose members were appointed by Briggs.

The Town Council does not approve Briggs’ selections to the working group, nor does the Town Council have an oversight role in the distribution of the funds, even thought the distribution of funds is done by town staff.

Briggs’ application was one of two applications that submitted a request for $12,500, the maximum payment allowable by the program. Four of the twelve applications were received from absentee landlords seeking to defer the cost of routine maintenance on their rental units.

The Working Group’s final recommendations on financial payment amounts are also not reviewed, nor approved, by the Town Council before they are sent onto the state. Following their review of all 12 applications, the working group recommended that Briggs be awarded $10,000.

While three applicants were awarded grants for re-imbursement of roof replacements, none of the roofs, including the Mayor’s, were deemed to be in "poor condition". When asked why the applications were approved, this paper was told: "because we had the money to spend."

A review of the Mayor’s application found that the justification for his submission was not consistent with the scope of work he proposed to be re-reimbursed for. The Mayor justified his application for the replacement of his existing metal roof with a new, ‘single slate’ roof, stating that metal roofs are susceptible to ‘global warming’ effects and that he wanted to return his house to its 1925 appearance with a new ‘single slate’ roof.

Contrary to Briggs’ statement however, the scope of work the mayor is seeking re-imbursement for is in fact the installation of a metal roof, the very type of roof he argued against.

Commissioner Joe Ritz raised the lack of Council oversight of the grant process in general and the appearance of a conflict of interest in the Mayor’s application being approved by a working group appointed by the Mayor, at the February Town Council meeting. The Mayor said Ritz’s concerns over the appearance of conflict of interest was "petty," saying he had brought millions into the town in grants and "deserved credit…"

Ritz forcefully rebutted Briggs’ comments saying that "an appearance of conflict of interest should never be considered petty, and should be taken seriously" by the Town Council. Ritz added that the "town is in the process of raising the water rates, and before we ask residents for more money, we need to demonstrate that we are good stewards on the money entrusted to us."

In response to a comment by Commissioner Sweeney that he himself had received an grant for work on his house, Ritz said, "I’m OK with that, the difference is you didn’t select the people who decided to give you the money. That’s where the apparent conflict of interest is."

The Community Legacy Program is a partnership between the town of Emmitsburg and the Maryland Dept. of Housing and Community Development. The state will pay up to 50% of the cost for exterior facade and other improvements, with the property owner paying the remainder. The Town supplies the administrative part of the program. The maximum payment per property is $12,500 per year.

The purpose of the State’s Community Legacy program is to provide local governments and community development organizations with funding for essential projects aimed at strengthening communities through activities such as business retention and attraction, encouraging home ownership and commercial revitalization. According to the State, projects selected to receive funds should be aimed at stabilizing a community, reversing social, economic or physical decline or encouraging sustainable growth.

Projects/activities typically include, but are not limited to: residential and commercial façade improvement programs, real estate acquisition, including land banking, and strategic demolition, streetscape improvements, and home rehabilitation among residents.