(8/2022) The primary is now over, and we can focus on the general election in November. I am honored with the over 13,900 votes that I received in the primary. Renee Knapp and I will be the Democratic Candidates and Phil Dacey and Tony Chmelik will be on the Republican side. In the general election, you get to vote for two candidates. I am looking forward to a good and clean race talking about the issues that voters are concerned about.

The biggest issue that I have been hearing as I have been knocking on doors and talking to voters in public is about growth. Several areas of our county have experienced significant growth in residential structures putting pressure on our schools, roads, parks, and first responders. Much of the growth that has been occurring had been approved under previous administrations and once in the pipeline, could not be stopped. I am a tenth generation Fredericktonian, and I love our county. I also love the increased diversity and new cultures that growth has brought. I am not opposed to growth, but it must be sensible and accompanied by the infrastructure needed to support it. Last year, growth brought 1,500 new students to FCPS. That is the equivalent of needing two new schools for those students. FCPS does not have the capacity to keep adding that many new students without new schools.

The other issue that I have been hearing about and more so with people on fixed incomes is the increase in their property taxes due to the increase in their assessment of the value of their house. As your councilman, I will propose new programs and additional support for current programs to not allow people to be taxed out of their homes. With the huge increases in property values over the past few years, more increases are on the horizon for property owners unless something is changed.