Just over seven years ago, I accepted the position as county administrator. My wife and I wanted to be closer to aging family members on the Shore. I also saw Caroline as an opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with some remarkable people. Personally and professionally, my time here has been incredibly rewarding.
It still puzzles me that not everyone recognizes how special Caroline County is, not only as a place but as an organization. I have worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; organizations as small as our family logging business in Montana and as large as the U.S. Navy. What happens here doesn’t happen everywhere. During my tenure, senior managers have passed on pay increases to give more to well-deserving people on their teams. They’ve declined bonuses, refused reimbursement of expenses, and relinquished valuable contract provisions voluntarily. I won’t name names to avoid embarrassing (or forgetting) anyone, but it has been inspiring for me to work with such dedicated and selfless leaders.
There is no greater evidence of Caroline’s unique culture than the budget process. I realize not every employee agrees with “The Caroline Way.” Some folks think it’s the job of the top person to “bring home the bacon” to a department or agency. That’s the prevailing approach in many cities and counties. It’s easy to recognize those places because they often have contentious budget hearings that can run past midnight. The squabbling usually spills into the local paper. In a zero-sum budget process where there are winners and losers but the one group consistently getting the short end of the stick is the taxpaying public. Not here.
In Caroline, every department head and allied agency chief is a community leader first. You won’t hear these folks asking, “What’s in it for me (or my department)?” Instead, they ask, “How we can work together to solve the tough challenges we face?” They advocate for a person and agency across the table. They trust the process and one another. This collaborative culture is Caroline’s best competitive advantage.
Let’s be honest, Caroline likely will remain among the poorer counties in Maryland. As I've said before, coming to Caroline for the money is like moving to Kansas for the surfing. But there are more ways than dollars to measure wealth. Whatever Caroline lacks in financial resources is more than offset by the people. In a word, by you.
I imagine everyone who works for the County could make more money somewhere else. Those of you who have stayed through the lean times aren’t here for the money. You’re here because you’ve chosen Caroline County as a place not only to work but to serve. Through your dedication and the leadership of the Commissioners and other allied agencies, the County has earned the trust and respect of the community. That support makes tough decisions (like last year’s income tax increase) possible. The ability to make those tough decisions is why Caroline County will eventually pull ahead of those other counties, you know, the ones with the expensive, waterfront estates. (I really am going to miss smack talking the other counties.)
A parting word of warning: The greatest challenge facing Caroline isn't unfunded mandates from the State of Maryland or another economic downturn. Together, we've survived tough times and come out stronger. No, the danger is forgetting who we are and how we've come to this point. The County isn't simply a place or an organization. Caroline truly is a way. It's a way of working, doing business, and living. It existed long before I arrived but for seven years, it has been our way.
It is my sincere hope it will remain yours for many years to come. Thank you and all my best.
Ken Decker
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