|
Honest, Common Sense Solutions.
I am not a politician, I am a business
person. I am a local kid from humble
beginnings who has worked very, very
hard to become successful. I take a
common sense approach to problem
solving. I represent the folks who are
the backbone of Frederick County:
Farmers, Teachers, Nurses, Policemen,
Firefighters, Senior Citizens, Plumbers,
Carpenters, Electricians, and every
working man and women of Frederick
County, some who spend three hours each
day commuting to far away jobs. I
commuted for seven years and now have
been fortunate enough to both live and
work in Frederick County. I understand
your frustrations, and will work to make
your life in Frederick County easier and
more prosperous.
Affordable Housing – “everybody
deserves a decent affordable place to
live”.
Housing affordability has become a
crisis in Frederick County. Of all of
the candidates for County Commissioner,
I am the only one who has actually
provided affordable housing to the
working poor and working middle class of
Frederick County. As Past President of
Habitat for Humanity I am uniquely
qualified to lead this effort.
I will continue to work with our State
Delegates to create legislation to waive
impact fees for non-profit organizations
such as Inter-Faith Housing and Habitat
for Humanity.
I will introduce legislation to give
preference in the MPDU Program to
Frederick County school teachers,
firefighters, police officers, and those
who have established Frederick County as
their Home and workplace, and are in
need of Decent Affordable Housing. We
have a unique opportunity to use our
MPDU program as a recruiting tool to
keep and attract the best Employees in
Frederick County. A community is a
community when everyone has a stake in
its future. If our Children’s’ teachers
can’t live here, do we have a community?
I will introduce legislation to allow
land to be zoned exclusively for homes
to be built that meet the criteria of
Affordable Housing. Housing costs start
with land costs. If the land is not
affordable, it is impossible for the
house to be affordable.
Property Tax Relief for Senior
Citizens
The message we are sending to our
seniors is that they are not wanted
here. It is a crime that folks who have
lived their whole lives here can no
longer afford to stay because of
skyrocketing real estate tax increases.
Tax increases are especially hard on
seniors because most have fixed incomes.
It is just not right! I will introduce
legislation to freeze property taxes for
anyone over the age of 65 who has lived
in the county at least 25 years. I will
Create a “Pioneer” tax Deferral Program.
I will make it easier for seniors to
remain in their homes as they become
older. I will change the current Zoning
Ordinance to allow a “Practical
Difficulty” standard when considering
Variances because of Medical Conditions.
This will make it easier for seniors to
renovate their existing home, adding
things like first floor Master suites,
and handicap accessible bathrooms. With
this change seniors can continue to live
in Frederick County, in their existing
Home.
Education – The most important
obligation we have is the education of
our children.
No Teacher Left Behind – We need to
invest in people, not just buildings. We
must work to retain good teachers once
they are working in our schools. This
includes money for training, raises,
benefits, and the ability to own a home
in Frederick County.
We must standardize school designs. Why
do we re-invent the wheel every time we
build a new school? There are no cost
savings in doing business this way. We
never “work the bugs out” because every
time we build a school, it’s a brand new
design. We keep creating a new one,
making the same mistakes over and over
again. No private sector building
company would operate this way. Why are
we spending your money (tax dollars) so
inefficiently?
I will work to find an alternate
location for the Administrative Offices
of the Board of Education (BOE). Carroll
Creek in Downtown Frederick is the most
expensive real estate in Frederick
County and I feel that we should find a
less expensive location for BOE
headquarters. The money saved will be
invested into teacher salaries and
benefits.
Traffic
Frederick county citizens spend far too
much time on the road commuting and too
little time with their families. We must
plan and begin to build a “loop road”
around Frederick City to avoid the
backups that occur at the intersections
of all the major Highways in the center
of Frederick. This will take cooperation
from Frederick City, County, State, and
Federal elected Officials. We need a
strong team to get this done!
I will encourage cooperation between the
County and all Municipalities to support
economic growth that will provide high
paying jobs in Frederick County. “Live
Here, Work Here” is the goal so that our
citizens will not be required to drive
down 270 to work.
Support for the Non-Profit Community
Frederick County is blessed with
generous businesses and individuals who
give selflessly of their time and
treasure. From my involvement with
Habitat, the YMCA, Community Commons and
other local non-profits, I have seen
first hand the positive impact the
non-profit community has on Frederick
County. These groups deserve our
support, sometimes financial, sometimes,
moral. We need to offer support along
with recognition, encouragement, and
gratitude. They do a great job
supporting the needs of Frederick County
so your tax dollars can be spent
elsewhere.
Farmers
I believe in individual property rights
as provided for by the Constitution of
the United States. I am especially
concerned about our farmers, who often
depend on the value of their land to
provide for their retirement. The
agricultural community is vital to the
health of this community. Small family
farmers are under attack all across the
nation. I am committed to their cause
and preservation. We cannot have farm
land without farmers. If we want the
rolling hills and open space to stay
that way, we must find ways to keep
farmers in business! |