(5/2018) Livable Frederick

In last month’s edition of the Woodsboro Walkersville Times, the editor drew some erroneous conclusions about Livable Frederick that I am compelled to correct.

So, what is Livable Frederick? Livable Frederick is an update of the county comprehensive plan that provides a framework or master plan for the future of Frederick County. Frederick County has had a comprehensive plan since the late 1950’s and has updated that plan about every 10 years.

Livable Frederick is about having the people who live here decide our future. It is citizen driven not developer driven. In the past, development interests have often driven our plans and people have been unhappy with the outcome. This puts citizens in charge and that’s the way it should be.

Livable Frederick protects taxpayers. Most residents want residential housing to be timed with the ability to provide roads and schools. Most residents want the developers to pay for the needed infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Young Board of County Commissioners took the county backward by allowing developers to build housing even when schools and roads were inadequate. They inked contracts to zero out fees for contribution to transportation needs and to allow developers to overcrowd schools with no plan to fund or build them. Even though the current administration has strengthened our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and approved no new residential growth, we continue to live with the sins of the past.

Livable Frederick engaged people in an unprecedented public process.

For the first time, Livable Frederick began with a year-long public engagement process to develop a shared community vision for what the citizens want Frederick County to be like in 20 years and beyond. This outreach effort included a survey, focus groups, and outreach efforts at many community events and with many community organizations. Over 100 citizens also participated in workgroups to help draft the plan rather than have county staff draft it alone. This brought other perspectives and views to the table and made for a better draft plan.

Livable Frederick establishes a development framework for the future with goals and action items to deliver the vision.

So, what’s next?

The implementation of Livable Frederick very closely follows the implementation plan included in the 2010 plan with a focus on planned growth areas or corridor areas to consider redevelopment and re-zoning using a public processes that will engage property owners living and working in that area or corridor.

Livable Frederick does not give the County Executive or the County Council any additional power regarding land-use decisions. Land-use decisions and the required approval and public processes are defined in state law. Under charter government, it is the County Council not the County Executive that makes land use decision. Multiple public hearings are required before both the planning commission and the county council before a rezoning decision can be made.

We have a responsibility for the future. Livable Frederick is about the future. It is about the future of how we will live, how we will work and our quality of life.

It should not be missed, that some who oppose Livable Frederick want us to do nothing. There is a cost to doing nothing. If the County does not protect and plan for our future, others will take advantage of our failure to plan.

Livable Frederick is the path forward to manage growth responsibly, protect what we value and love about our community, and plan for a prosperous future.

In Frederick County, we have been dealt a good hand to be successful. We have great schools, a safe community, a high quality of life, rich history, and a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. If we let the naysayers keep us from taking action, the developers will decide the future of our county instead of the citizens who live here.

It’s Budget Time!

A few weeks ago, I proposed a county budget for Fiscal Year 2019 that is lean, sensible, balanced and fiscally responsible. The budget shapes our future and reflects community priorities and values. It delivers results – exceptional schools, safe communities, a vibrant economy, and a high quality of life. The budget holds the line on taxes, with absolutely no tax rate increases for the fourth year in a row. Frederick County Government has and will continue to live within its means.

Everything we do in county government is about serving people. County employees provide award winning services that ensure our high quality of life including great libraries, beautiful parks, senior centers, well-maintained roads, and much more.

So, what does the budget accomplish?

• Education – To ensure every student can be successful and achieve their goals for work or higher education requires the best teachers and staff in our classrooms. The budget supports the third year of a multi-year phase-in to a new pay scale for teachers and school staff.
• People – County employees work hard to provide efficient and effective services to Frederick County residents and to keep our community safe. The budget includes salary improvements for county workers to acknowledge their hard work to provide outstanding services that ensures our high quality of life.
• Infrastructure – The capital budget includes a record investment in school construction and renovation; construction of the second phase of Utica Park; a new branch library in Myersville; and, numerous road and bridge projects.
• Public Safety – Our volunteer fire and EMS companies will see additional funding support for the services they provide. The budget also picks up funding of 41 firefighter/EMT positions that were created by a federal grant and includes a pay increase for firefighters offered as part of a negotiated agreement. Five additional call-takers are proposed to be added at the 9-1-1 Communications Center to help meet growing call volume.

The budget also includes a few items specific to the northern part of Frederick County. The County will partner with the Town of Emmitsburg by providing $20,000 toward the construction of sidewalks near the elementary school and library. The county will support Thurmont by providing the town with nearing $10,000 to update and replace carpeting at the Thurmont Senior Center.

I am most excited about some new initiatives in the budget.

We want everyone who works in Frederick County to be able to afford to live here too. Affordable housing can be an issue for young families, senior citizens, and others. To help support more workforce housing, the budget dedicates about $500,000 from the existing recordation tax for the Housing Initiative Fund. The Housing Initiative Fund uses these limited dollars to leverage federal tax credits to help develop workforce housing. It also provides first time buyer assistance, rental assistance, emergency home repairs, and more.

Almost everyone knows a family who has experienced the devastating impacts of heroin and opioid addiction. The budget includes one-time money of $500,000 to incentivize a private sector or non-profit agency to stand up a detox center in Frederick County to help people impacted by addiction. While this problem is multi-faceted, it is clear that we need more detox and substance misuse treatment to provide hope for recovery.

Like all budgets, there are many more legitimate requests for funding than can be met. This budget focuses on core services and valuing our county workforce. I am proud to protect taxpayers, balance legitimate and sometimes competing budget needs, and to hold the line on taxes. In the end, the budget delivers community priorities including great schools, a safe community, and high quality services.

The full proposed budget is available online at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/budget.