(10/2022) Humans have argued about everything, since the dawn of time. Using an opponent’s own words to win an argument is only about five minutes younger. That’s a little exaggerated. The straw man argument—attacking a distorted version of an opponent’s argument—lives on as the means to turn an audience away from the debate topic.

Today’s audience: You and Me

Today's straw man: Montgomery County North

Today’s real topic: Smart Growth for a diverse population

The Montgomery County North straw man argument is woven from a simple idea. Frederick County faces a threat in the form of Montgomery County. Our neighbor to the South is waiting to sneak up on Frederick County and swallow it whole.

In the County Executive race, the republican platform declares, don't let Frederick County become Montgomery County North. The democratic platform promotes Smart Growth that is being implemented in the county.

Right before the transition to a Charter Government 2015, the Board of County Commissioners made long term commitments with developers. The legal title is Developers Rights and Responsibilities Agreements (DRRAs). DRRAs put development plans in place for up to 30 years, with no legal right to appeal. Developers, once they had Letters of Understanding (LOU) and DRRAs, had no further requirements to make changes for the benefit of Frederick County. There are at least 13,000 dwellings with DRRAs that are complete or in the planning stages through 2039.

Jan Gardener’s administration had to work with them as written. Regardless of changing needs for schools and infrastructure, the DRRAs remain unaltered. This experience inspired the Livable Frederick Master Plan. This is a set of guidelines for managing future growth. The goal is maintaining quality of life as new variables appear. Livable Frederick is not a set of laws or agreements that we must follow for a set period of time.

Even with the huge number of houses planned for the county there are reasons why Montgomery County won't be duplicated here. The land available for development has limits in Frederick County. The topography limits residential uses. Zoning is in place for agriculture. With protections on agriculture and natural limitations to development, the republican statement of banning a type of housing, high density or otherwise, is a misdirection. Having a diverse population calls for having a variety of housing options.

We live in a free society, where people move in and out of neighborhoods as they find housing for their needs. When the population has safe homes to live in, that is when social issues start to stabilize. In Montgomery County crime has been on the decline for a decade. Maybe they are on to something. Maybe communities can’t be summed up in a campaign tag line.

The republican platform claims banning high density development is an answer to not becoming Montgomery County North. But we already have housing density, a contractual gift from a previous administration. So what is this argument about? One of the things that give Montgomery County personality is its diverse population.

The message of "banning high density development" is to keep out:

the "other"

the immigrant

the ones not like me

The straw man says, my taxes are too high. Rising property values usually match rising costs of maintaining the property value, including roads, utilities, schools, and the public amenities that make the housing desirable. Property value and desirability, one is measurable, one is not.

Schools are where Montgomery County North and the No Property Tax straw men meet. A problem with development brought into Frederick County before 2015, developers could opt to pay a flat fee up to 2016 which was a cap on their contribution to schools. In the years with Jan Gardener as CE our property values have gone up, the tax rate stayed the same, resulting in increases on property tax paid. All the while, our county attracts more people buying valuable property and sending their kids to the public schools. Lower taxes for the sake of lower taxes is such a great idea. Until you need something. Schools get overcrowded. Where does the money come from to pay for more schools?

Transportation is a problem around our county. Needing a vehicle in rural areas is obvious. Commuting around Frederick City, or living in Woodsboro and working in Walkersville, seems easy. Without a car it's a real challenge. For commuting in general, debate continues about widening 270, high efficiency trains, public transportation, or more public charging stations for electric cars. Transportation partnered with livability is a county issue, and impacts people in different ways. People living off the public transportation routes need a car to do anything beyond visiting the neighbors. Building a low density neighborhood does not spontaneously make it a community. That takes neighbors working toward common goals.

New public facilities, such as libraries, can shine a light on the lack of communication between interested parties. Current debate is where to put a new library to the west of Rt 270, the empty building at 800 Oak Street or farther down the Golden Mile. There are practical reasons for the existing building. It can house a lot of offices, and a library. It needs renovation, not a start to finish budget. There are sound financial reasons to choose this option. Public transportation exists, but is marginal.

Farther west there is a large population with families, lots of children. It is "only a mile or so away". That mile is pretty long if you have to work hours when your school age children need to go to the library to do school work. Most parents wouldn’t want to send their kids off by themselves on public transportation.

A free public asset can wind up not helpful, free or an asset if you have to have some affluence to use it. Schools and libraries two great assets in a great place to live.

What’s needed in this election? Leadership for our diverse community. Jessica Fitzwater is getting my vote.

Read other Good Day Good Neighbor's by Dorothea Mordan