(5/2022) The filing deadline has passed, and I will not have to run in the July Primary. I now can focus on the general election in November. This spring and summer, I will be out meeting voters through door-knocking and attending many events such as carnivals and parades. I am looking forward to the Fall and having the opportunity to debate with the other candidates for the position on County Council at large. I am pledging that I will run a civil and respectful campaign with all the candidates for council.

Over the next few months, I will start to outline some of the priorities that I will have if elected to the county council. This month I will talk about education. Our county is facing historic growth in enrollments as more people move to our great county. That growth is putting pressure both on the operating and capital budgets for the school system. Frederick is one of the only counties in Maryland that increased in enrolled students this school year. That growth is expected to continue for years to come. We are going to have to make sure that schools in those growth areas do not become overcrowded. We also need to make sure that we can keep up with the renovations needed at our older schools as well. Schools like Walkersville High, Catoctin High, Middletown High, and others have not seen renovations in many decades and cannot be overlooked. More capital dollars will have to be dedicated to accommodating growth.

I am also a huge supporter of our Career and Technology Center (CTC) and CTE programs. As a county, we need to find a way to expand the CTC and its program offerings. Almost every program at the CTC currently has waiting lists to get in. The CTC gives students the opportunity to get career training where they can make a good living. Every student does not need or want to go to college. Many students just want to get an employable skill. The CTC provides those opportunities and we need to support expanding those opportunities.

Regarding the operating budget, Frederick County is at the bottom of the list for how much is spent per student in the State of Maryland. The current county administration under County Executive, Jan Gardner has been very generous in increasing FCPS’ budget over the past 8 years, but we are still playing catch-up. I am committed to supporting increased funding for education. Education is the great equalizer in our country, and we must support it.

This is also true of our great community college, Frederick Community College. FCC provides our county students the opportunity to get a great education right in our county at a much-reduced cost to universities. Frederick County is also blessed to have 2 great private Colleges in Hood and Mount St. Mary’s. I have been honored to be an adjunct faculty member at the Mount over the past 19 years.