I am writing in response to the article “‘All work and no play’: Harford official writes movie quotes in French during contentious budget hearing,” published in the Baltimore Sun on Aug. 20. The piece described Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler’s criticism of Director of Administration Rob McCord’s handwritten notes at a budget hearing.

Harford County deserves a sheriff who spends his time fighting crime, not chasing headlines. Instead, Jeffrey Gahler has turned budget hearings into a sideshow by attacking McCord for scribbling a French version of a familiar proverb during an April meeting. The phrase — “Tout travail et aucun jeu fait de Jack un garçon ennuyeux,” or “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” — long predates “The Shining.” Variations of it appeared in English literature as early as the 1600s, and French translations have been used in schools for centuries as an example of simple wisdom: a reminder that life requires balance. It is not “satanic.” It is a well-worn proverb passed down for centuries, not a horror-movie incantation.

Harford County is fortunate to have well-educated leaders at the top of its government. Rob McCord is a brilliant attorney, capable of managing high-level budget deliberations while also engaging his mind creatively — whether in another language or in poetry. That’s the mark of a public servant who brings intellectual depth to his role, not someone deserving of childish attacks.

The real embarrassment is Sheriff Gahler’s decision to waste taxpayer resources combing through another official’s notes and blasting them to the press. Public records requests require time and staff attention. Every hour spent on this stunt is an hour not spent reducing violent crime, supporting deputies on patrol or ensuring our county has the law enforcement resources it needs.

What Harford County needs is a sheriff serious about public safety, not one obsessed with sideshows. Gahler’s “satanic” rhetoric is a distraction, not a solution. We deserve better leadership than this.

— Leigh Maddox, Aberdeen

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Aegis content by submitting your own letter.