Longtime Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie’s seat is now open following his plea of nolo contendere to felony theft charges. According to
WBAL-TV
, the plea accepted by the Baltimore County Circuit Court means that Guthrie, aged 86, will be subject to a year of unsupervised probation. The charge against Guthrie stemmed from accusations that he embezzled $23,496.83 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers during his time as president.
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler has been vocal about the situation, calling for Guthrie’s resignation before the court decision, suggesting that the implications of his actions extend beyond just finances. “Mr. Guthrie has egregiously claimed that these charges were nothing more than politics and that since this purported theft occurred in Baltimore County, it has no bearing on his service here in Harford County,” Gahler stated, as per
WMAR-2 News
. “Both claims are complete nonsense.”
Harford County Council’s attorney, Meaghan Alegi, by the state constitution, confirmed that Guthrie’s plea means his council seat is considered vacant. “His Harford County Council seat is deemed vacant as of today,” Alegi stated, as reported by
WBAL-TV
. Based on Article XV, Section 2 of the state constitution, any elected official who, during their term, pleads guilty or no contest to a felony is automatically removed from office.
The next steps involve filling the now-empty seat. As stated by Alegi and echoed by
WMAR-2 News
, “Within 60 calendar days of the vacancy, a majority of the remaining Council Members must appoint an individual to fill the vacancy from a list of at least 3 names submitted from the Democratic Central Committee.” Thus begins the Harford County Council’s search for a replacement, ensuring representation for District A remains uninterrupted.
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