Former Thurmont mayor to challenge Burns

Pamela Regaux
Frederick News-Post

(10/4) The town will have at least two residents to choose from for mayor at the election this month.

Bob Wagerman, a former mayor, was nominated as a may-oral candidate at Monday's pri-. mary along with the incumbent, Martin Burns.

The commissioners, Ron Terpko and Wayne Hooper, both incumbents, will run uncontested, except for write-in candidates.

Mr. Burns said he defeated Mr. Wagerman in the election four years ago by nearly 200 votes.

Mr. Wagerman conceded that he lost to Mr. Burns last time, but he noted the first three years of Mr. Burn's term has been rife with dissent.

"I would like to restore the good name of Thurmont," Mr. Wagerman said.

Mr. Wagerman said he was Thurmont's mayor for two terms, from 1988 to 1999.

"He has a super attitude," Thurmont resident Wayne Waggener said. "I nominated him because he has the town of Thurmont's best interests in mind."

Mr. Burns said he hadn't heard that anyone was running against him, but when he saw Mr. Wagerman walk into the office Monday evening, he expected to be opposed.

The primary was held in the town office. Any resident of Thurmont can nominate another Thurmont resident to run for office. Every nominee was seconded.

Though the seats in the meeting room were full, the fact that both commissioner seats are unopposed shows that what John Kinnaird stated prior to the primary was true — there is no single issue driving people to the polls.

Alice Kemp lives on Main Street. She said she wasn't going to the polls, but one issue that's starting to become a problem is electric bills and the way the town handles them.

If she's two days late with a payment, the town sends her a reminder, she said.

"We get a few too many friendly reminders," she said.

The town should spare themselves the paperwork and cut the rates with the money they save, she said. Ms. Kemp intends to monitor her electricity because the rates doubled in one month, she said.

The election will be on Oct. 24 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Fire-man's Activity Building, 127 E. Main St.

The new terms will begin Nov 1.

Candidates have to finance their own campaigns.

At today's Board of Commissioners meeting, Mr. Burns will nominate a new police chief, and the board will vote on the nominee, said Rick May, the town clerk.