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Frederick County board repeals English-only ordinance
//August 19, 2015
FREDERICK — The elected leaders of Frederick County are repealing an ordinance requiring that county business be conducted in English.
The Frederick News-Post reported on Twitter that the County Council voted 4-3 to repeal the measure Tuesday evening in Frederick.
The ordinance was enacted in 2012 by an all-Republican county board. The current County Council is composed of four Republicans and three Democrats. Republican Council President Bud Otis voted with the board’s three Democrats to repeal the ordinance.
Democratic members Jessica Fitzwater and M.C. Keegan-Ayer say the ordinance sends a message of intolerance to recent immigrants and businesses with international employees.
Republican member Billy Shreve called it a fiscal issue. He says the county saved money on translators and interpreters by having English as its official language.
