Confusion surrounds Mayor’s cancellation of public lecture on incinerator costs

George Wenschhof

When I asked Democratic alderman Karen Young, who is running for mayor, about Mayor Randy McClement’s (R) recent decision to cancel a public lecture series, she said “anyone can put up their hand and signal no - creative leadership finds a path to yes."

At issue is The City of Frederick mayor cancelling a lecture scheduled for May 13 entitled “The Financial Implications of the Proposed Incinerator and its Impact on the Residents of Frederick”.

At the time of publication, the mayor had not responded to my email asking why he cancelled the lecture series.

“People Building Frederick’s Future”; a community organization headed by Ed Hinde, had initiated the ongoing public lecture series and over the last five months, had coordinated three public lectures which had been held at city hall. The free meetings, which were open to the public, were videotaped by city staff and placed on the city website so residents could also view at their convenience.

The first three lectures were given by Edward T. McMahon; Senior Fellow – Urban Land Institute, David Ager; Community Planner with Seth Harry; Revitalization Expert, and Dean Klein; Director of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness in Fairfax County Virginia.

Widespread speculation is the topic covering the proposed contentious Frederick County government plan to build a costly waste-to-energy facility lead to the cancellation by the mayor.

When I asked Hinde if he had followed a city procedure for use of the facility prior to the previous lectures, he said he was not aware of any city policy.

In an email, Mr. Hinde said “I followed the standard procedure as before in requesting to hold the speaking engagement in city hall and was provided with confirmation via an email from Donna Folden of the mayor’s office dated May 1, saying that while city hall wasn’t available for the date I requested, the conference room in the Annex building was available, which I then secured.”

Afterward, on May 7, Hinde received an email from Donna Folden informing him “….City facilities are not to be used for outside entities or organizations unless the topic or event is sponsored by the City or is a City initiative. Therefore, we request that you find another location for the meeting on Monday, May 13, 2013….”

When I asked alderman Kelly Russell (D) about the cancelled meeting, she forwarded an email she had sent to the mayor on May 2, where she said, in part “I think that there is a bright line that can be drawn on what is or is not listed as a public meeting. However, I am unclear how we determine which private groups are given access to A/V (audio/visual) support and staff time, and how (or if) the city is (or should be) compensated.”

Russell concluded in the email “Is there any policy we can point to when making these decisions? If we have none, then I suggest that we discuss formulating some.”

Hinde told me “People Building Frederick’s Future” intended the lectures to be informative with expert speakers on topics of interest that benefit the community. 

He sent me the fact sheet on the organization that says, in part, “As residents of Frederick, we are unified by our commitment to create the highest quality of life for the entire Frederick community, current and future.  Leveraging our heritage, preserving our environment, and working with other stakeholders, we draw inspiration from successful, well-designed communities elsewhere to help Frederick become one of the best small cities in America.”

During my interview with alderman Karen Young, she indicated she was supportive of moving forward with establishing policies and procedures for public use of city facilities.  She added the work by Ed Hinde to bring such talented speakers to Frederick has been of great benefit to city residents.

Interestingly, and adding further confusion as to what the city policy is for use of their facilities, is a planned legislative town hall to be held at city hall on Saturday May 18 by Democratic delegate Galen Clagett, who is also running for mayor.

It appears there is lack of clarity or a policy in place providing guidelines for the use of city facilities.

Certainly, the hard work done by Ed Hinde and “People Building Frederick’s Future” is well intentioned.  Providing a public lecture series on topics of interest by experts in the field will benefit city residents.

Hopefully, the mayor’s reasons for cancelling the scheduled lecture did not have anything to do with discussion surrounding the planned building of a costly incinerator to aid in the disposal of waste. An important and relevant topic that deserves further discussion by informed speakers, who will only serve to better educate residents in regard to waste disposal options available to them.

Rather than simply ending an informative public lecture series, alderman’s Russell’s suggestion for the mayor and board to move forward to establish a city policy in this regard makes sense.

I would urge them to do so and reschedule the lecture entitled “The Financial Implications of the Proposed Incinerator and its Impact on the Residents of Frederick”.

Stay tuned….

 

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Wal-Mart Not the Answer for the Golden Mile

George Wenschhof

It was disheartening, upon my arrival home, to hear of plans for a Wal-Mart to be the latest savior for the Fredericktown Mall, a mall that has been beset with misfortune.

During, my visit to Sonoma County, California, I attended an organized community effort to block a planned Wal-Mart expansion in Rohnert Park.

Interestingly, the opposition invited Robert Reich; chancellor's professor of public policy at UC Berkeley who also served as labor secretary from 1993 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton to speak at a rally they had organized.

Reich used the opportunity to highlight problems with the economy and to emphasize the makeup of our communities and society is still decided by the people who live in them.

Often repeating the “we the people” preamble, of the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights, Reich urged those in attendance to “take back our economy and take back our democracy”.

Specifically addressing Wal-Mart and their claim to be a job creator, Reich said the global retailer is a "net job destroyer" when it arrives in communities, adding “that for every job they created, 1.4 jobs were lost in the surrounding area”.

The typical worker at the nation's largest employer Wal-Mart makes $8.81 an hour Reich said, and as a result of their low paying jobs, Wal-Mart employees were more likely to live in less expensive suburbs, adding to congestion on the highways.

Many factors have contributed to the tarnish now existing on the once “golden mile” area in The City of Frederick.

The hard work put forward by members of the community, the Golden Mile Alliance, and others to develop a vision for the future, should not be discarded on the basis of an alleged purchase offer made by Wal-Mart.

Thankfully, the city planning commission, in a 4-1 vote, denied the latest proposed zoning change made by the owner of the Fredericktown Mall.

Hopefully, the city board of aldermen will also deny the request.

If anything, hard work needs to be continued to ensure efforts made to revitalize the once vibrant golden mile is well researched with the entire community in mind and with an eye to the future.

 

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Frederick County Political Buzz

George Wenschhof

Maryland General Assembly Sworn In - new state senator Ron Young (District 3) told me the day before "tomorrow I get sworn in and the next day I'll get sworn at" - a line that caught my attention and one I felt worthy of passing along.

I've known Ron for many years, and for those who know him, he is never at a loss for one-liners. A trait shared by the only other Democrat to win election in Frederick county; state delegate Galen Clagett (District 3-a).

I asked Ron how he is going to vote on allowing wine to be shipped to Maryland residents and he said he would support it. The bill has been opposed by the Maryland liquor lobby in the past.

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The budget will once again be the focus of the Maryland legislature this year and I look to see a serious effort made to raise taxes in spite of the fragile economic recovery. A gas or liquor tax is an alternative.

The bungled roll out of slots has contributed to the financial shortfall. The continued push to force slots on the state owned Rocky Gap Resort, if successful, will be another failed effort and another example of the state pouring good money into a bad venture.

Changing the current laws surrounding slots will be attempted. However, due to the manner in which they were approved (constitutional amendment), the process will require a super majority.

A problem I pointed out at the time, when state legislators punted on making a decision and put it to the voters to decide. I have always maintained politicians are elected to make decisions and not put difficult issues out to referendum.

At some point, a serious examination is needed for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). The noble reason for it's existence to boost economic development in distressed areas in the state has mostly failed and is costing taxpayers considerable money. Rocky Gap Resort needs to be sold to stop the continued yearly state financial losses.

Look to see Gay Marriage receive considerable support, but for civil unions to receive passage by the General Assembly.

Immigration laws, similar to the one in Arizona will be put forth for consideration, but do not look to see passage.

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City of Frederick - Rick, "like a rolling stone" Weldon continues to let no moss grow as he moves again from his position as executive assistant to the mayor of the City of Frederick to a similar position with the mayor of Brunswick.

Today is his last day and I wish him well as he heads home. Rumors are rampant as to who his replacement will be - the latest I heard was former alderman and mayor candidate Joe Baldi. Baldi, like Weldon is well liked, and with his city experience, would be able to hit the ground running.

While I'm on the city, does it seem like public works is struggling to keep up with snow removal? Last year's back to back blizzards were a good excuse for the poor snow removal. But, the recent minor snow/ice storm left many side streets covered with ice two days later. I'm probably being too picky here as their job is always difficult and I do appreciate their work. But, snow removal is one thing voters take stock of when they go to the polls.

So, how is Mayor Randy McClement Doing? A nice man, he has avoided any of the contentious mayor/alderman interactions voters have witnessed in the past. For the first year on the job he has escaped close scrutiny, partly due to the state/county elections. From this point on, expect more focus on his administration. To date, it has been void of vision or goals and has taken on the appearance of a caretaker administration. The city deserves better.

The recent announcement that Hope VI "affordable townhomes" will be offered starting at $335,000.00 caught my attention - affordable? - Hardly. They will be built on 6th street in downtown Frederick, one block away from a privately owned parcel where townhomes, offered in the same price range, have not sold for the last three years.

The "change in the neighborhood" from the former public housing units has been, on the most part, a positive. However, none of the former residents can afford a $335,000 home.

In addition, the failure to focus on the redevelopment of the west end continues to be a problem. Building a eyesore fence along the once "golden mile" is not the answer. The construction of several pedestrian bridge cross ways makes more sense and would be more aesthetically pleasing.

Efforts to involve the community in soliciting ideas to redevelop the west end is noble. But, how about asking professionals? Surely, national municipal organizations have examples of where similar sized cities, facing the same challenges have successfully redeveloped troubled areas.

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Frederick County - recently defeated county commissioner Kai Hagen announced he has started up a non-profit organization "Envision Frederick". The listed members of the Board of Directors make up a who's who list of those who opposed the majority of the current board of commissioners.

While I opposed his reelection, I wish him well in this new endeavor. Having a dialogue on the future of Frederick County is always a good idea. The tricky part, in addition to raising the needed capital, will be keeping the politics out of the non-profit organization's efforts.

"East Frederick Rising", another well intentioned organization, has struggled with funding since their formation several years ago.

After an initial feeding frenzy by the press in regard to Commissioner Paul Smith's desire to amend a section of the ethics law and their focus on Commissioner Kirby Delauter's potential ethics issues in regard to his business, the new board of commissioners have settled in.

Smith failed to fully explain his intention and got clobbered as a result and when he did try to explain, the damage had been done. Delauter choose to simply not communicate with the press, a strategy that does not work well today. Business owners who enter politics in small communities are always faced with potential ethics problems. It often dissuades well qualified candidates from entering the fray. However, the ethics laws are there for good reason and a candidate for office should be aware of them.

One who is not shy with the press, Commissioner President Blaine Young, shared with me he understands the press wants information and he tries hard to accommodate them and be accessible.

Budget issues will continue to be a major concern as roughly a 3% reduction is needed in the general fund. Privatization of services is one area the new board wants to examine. However, look to see this be easier said than done.

As promised in the campaign of four of the new commissioners, a review will be available to property owners who had their land downzoned during the last board of commissioner's term - a reasonable approach to a difficult issue. Do not look to see major zoning changes coming as a result. More likely, a handful of property owners will now have a remedy.

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Candidate Residency Requirement Rears It's Ugly Head Again in Frederick County Maryland

George Wenschhof

Two days after the July 6 candidate filing deadline, news comes that two candidates for Frederick County Board of Commissioners do not meet residency requirements and were disqualified by the Frederick County Board of Elections. The section of the County Charter quoted is as follows:

PART II CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF FREDERICK COUNTY, 1979

CHAPTER 2-2: ADMINISTRATION

§ 2-2-19. Residency requirements.

(a) A candidate for county commissioner shall be a resident and registered voter of Frederick County for at least 6 months immediately prior to the date of election.

(b) A county commissioner who no longer resides in Frederick County may not continue as a county commissioner.

(2006, Chapter 205, § 1)

Interestingly, the two candidates were a Democrat (Caroline Eader) and a Republican (Adam Avery).

Challenges to residency laws of candidates for public office have been struck down repeatedly by the courts as was the case locally prior to the 2005 City of Frederick election.

As some may recall, former four term Mayor Ron Young filed to run against incumbent first term Mayor; Jennifer Dougherty.

During Mr. Young's second marriage, he choose to move into his wife's home which was literally located across the street from the city boundary with the county.

However, sometime prior to filing for office, Mr. Young had moved to a home located within the City of Frederick.

Ms. Dougherty was quick to bring up the fact that Mr. Young did not meet the existing three year residency requirement of the city in order to run for office.

This led to Young filing suit with the court overturning the three year requirement, but stopping short of what length of time was acceptable; instead sending that back to the city to address.

The quick version of the rest of the story is Ron Young defeated Jennifer Dougherty in the Democratic primary election.

Interestingly, when Mayor Dougherty vetoed an earlier alderman vote to reduce the residency requirement to one year, which would have allowed Young to run, Alderman David Lenhart sued the mayor.

Upon receipt of the Judge's decision on the residency challenge by Ron Young, Mayor Dougherty rescinded her veto of the alderman vote to reduce the residency to one year.

This led to one of the more bizarre happenings in local elections. Amendments to the Charter take forty-five days before they are official, allowing for citizen appeal by petition.

During this 45 day period, there was technically no residency requirement in the city as the Judge had ruled the 3 year requirement unconstitutional and the charter amendment to change residency to one year was not official.

Two candidates for mayor filed during that 45 day period who did not live in the city. One, Republican Jeff Holtzinger was elected defeating Democrat Ron Young. Holtzinger choose not to run again after one term in office.

This incident is what led the Board of County Commissioners the following year in 2006, to address the residency requirements for candidates for county offices to what I provided at the beginning of this article.

So where does this leave the two candidates who were disqualified?

First, if the claim (I received as part of a group email) by Caroline Eader that she was not asked any residency or voter registration questions when she registered and received a packet indicating she was officially filed is true, it is a troubling omission by the Frederick County Board of Elections.

Second, it is questionable any residency requirement will withstand a constitutional challenge. The change to six months and a registered voter was an attempt in 2006 to make it a minor requirement, that hopefully would never be challenged as the City of Frederick's three residency had been in 2005.

The options for the candidates are to either accept the decision they are not eligible and wait until the following election, or file suit against the county residency and voter registration requirement.

If a suit is instituted, it is likely to be heard quickly as the primary is September 14. Money will then be spent by both a candidate(s) and the county government.

The more appropriate action would be for the Board of County Commissioners to vote to amend the charter by eliminating these candidate requirements, allowing these two candidates to run for office.

Voters can make the decision on what is important to them and candidates can point out the length of time other candidates have lived here or been registered to vote if they believe that is an important issue.

The prudent action is to allow Caroline Eader and Adam Avery to run for office and let the voters decide who they elect.

Update: 9:30 AM - during a conversation this morning with Stuart Harvey, Supervisor of Frederick County Board of Elections, it was realized the current form of county commissioner government could not amend the charter and a change would need to go before the state legislature. This would not happen before 2011, after the 2010 election. So, it appears the only recourse for the candidates is to sue and challenge the candidacy requirement.

Mr. Harvey also indicated they did provide to candidates paperwork which included statements to the effect they must meet all applicable laws and that they would be verified. However, specific information pertaining to the length of residency and voter registration is not provided.

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"All Things Political" with George Wenschhof

George Wenschhof

I am pleased to announce the addition of FrederickPolitics.com to my website. FrederickPolitics.com will feature a one hour political discussion show entitled "All Things Political".

Some of the shows will feature a discussion with a local, state or federal elected official or candidate for office. Other shows will feature a discussion with members from the community on a local issue of interest.

Programing will begin in June. So, plan to visit the site and watch the future segments of "All Things Political". My first guest will be Susan Turnbull, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.

I invite you to watch a short video about my new show below.

To place an advertisement or sponsor a segment of "All Things Political", email me at GeorgeWenschhof@gmail.com

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Upcoming Guests on "Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof"

George Wenschhof

As a result of the very positive feedback regarding the Democratic candidate interviews preceding the City of Frederick, Maryland primary election, I will be reaching out and conducting additional live online discussions.

I am finalizing dates and times with Katherine Heerbrandt, Chief Kim Dine, and Beth Willis and will publish when we have confirmed. I also want to receive some questions from you to include during the conversation with each guest.

Ms. Heerbrandt is a columnist with the Frederick News Post and also hosts "Frederick's Forum" on WFMD Radio 930 on Saturday morning from 9:00 - 11:00 AM.

Kim Dine has been the Chief of Police for The City of Frederick over the last seven to eight years. We will find out exactly how long when he is on and I ask him. He was hired by Mayor Jennifer Dougherty (D) during the early part of her term in office from 2001-2005.

Beth Willis may not be as well known as the first two upcoming guests but I have known her since we worked together in Frederick County Government back in the late 1970's. She has been leading the important discussion on the health and safety issues surrounding the bio-lab expansion planned at Fort Detrick.

I am looking forward to having them live online and will inform you as the dates become firm.

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City of Frederick, MD Mayoral Candidate Jason Judd to be Guest Tonight

George Wenschhof

Tonight, beginning at 7:00 PM ET, I will be having a conversation with Democrat Jason Judd who is running to be mayor of the City of Frederick, Maryland. Plan to tune in to see his positions on various issues important to you.

Last week, my guest was Jennifer Dougherty, the other announced Democratic candidate for Mayor. The link to my interview with Ms. Dougherty is located in the right hand margin of the Home Page.

The deadline for filing for office is July 7 and the primary is September 15, 2009.

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City of Frederick, MD Change of Election Date Update

George Wenschhof

So far, the City of Frederick elected officials have not acted on my proposal to change the election date from the current off-year election date to coincide with the presidential election.

As I pointed out in previous columns (all of which can be accessed by clicking on their title located in the right hand margin of our Home Page) this change would more than double the anemic 30% voter turnout in the general election.

An added potential plus is a cost savings for the city by piggybacking on the presidential election cycle. Also, public schools would be able to be used for the election. The local schools informed the city they would not be available for polling locations for the election this year.

Instead of looking to ways to make this work, delays have occurred and potential problems highlighted, including the current early primary date the state of Maryland has in the presidential election which some felt would not work well in the city election.

One of the solutions I proposed to that issue was to move the city primary date from mid September to early June after the schools had closed so that they may be used for polling locations. I agree, we do not want to have the voters going to separate polling locations from the primary and the general election as that would be confusing.

An even better solution to this perceived problem with a split primary is to work with the state legislature to move the presidential primary date back to May which it was during the 1970's and 1980's. The push to move Maryland's primary to an earlier date was an attempt by the general assembly to make the state's ten electoral votes more relevant.

Throughout the 1990's and up to 2008, the Maryland presidential primary was held in early March and then last year moved to February 12. These moves did not impact on the relevancy of the ten electoral votes held by Maryland. There are a total of 538 electoral votes and 270 are needed for a candidate to win the presidency.

The month of May would be a better date for Maryland also due to the snowy and inclement weather in February and early March. This would also work well with the City of Frederick election as presently the general election is held only seven weeks after the late primary on September 15. Seven weeks hardly allows the candidates time to inform the voters the differences they have with their opponents.

The City of Frederick election would then be able to dovetail with the presidential election and would utilize the same polling locations.

Meanwhile, the City of Hagerstown, Maryland City Council, who recently held their municipal election, voted 5-0 to move their election to coincide with the presidential election. This was without mention of a need for a split primary and obviously would change their current primary and general election dates. The Hagerstown Herald-Mail has more here.

Stay Tuned....

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City of Frederick, MD Democratic Buzz 3-27-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The City of Frederick election campaign is in the early stages with the deadline for candidates to file not until July 7. We plan to hold online forums for the Democratic candidates after the filing date. However, there is already plenty of buzz flying around pertaining to the two Democrats who have filed for Mayor.

Jason Judd is the newcomer and Jennifer Dougherty is attempting to reclaim the position she held from 2001 to 2005.

I felt and the candidates agreed, it is never too early to interact with the voters so we will be holding "Ask the Candidates" forums with online questions beginning next week.

We plan to start with Jennifer Dougherty next week. From Monday through Wednesday you will be able to ask your question to her on the post we publish. We will then rank them and on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM ET she will answer live as we post the questions. This will continue for one hour. In our post on Monday we will provide you with the details on how to ask your question.

The following week we plan to do the same with Jason Judd. We are still waiting to hear from Mr. Judd as to what week suits his schedule best. Ms. Dougherty is ok with either week. So, get your questions ready on the issues that matter to you and enter them next week!

If we receive positive responses from you, we will do more of these "Ask the Candidates" questions as the campaign continues and we will also include the Democratic candidates for the five member Board of Aldermen.

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I sent a late email to both Jason Judd and Jennifer Dougherty yesterday and asked them if they had any initial comments on the Budget submitted earlier this week by Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger.

Ms. Dougherty replied with: Yeah, a few thoughts on the budget...
Proving it is hard to condemn and pay for parkland, he cut playground and pool programs. Cut police but increased engineering. Raised water and sewer - that fund is 77 percent higher in his 4 years.
Getting into the nitty gritty and more to follow.

We had not heard from Jason Judd by the time we published this post. If we receive a comment(s) from him on the proposed budget we will publish an update on this post. Mr. Judd emailed me his initial response Friday evening. In part, he said the following: The Mayor's budget shows pretty plainly the damage done to the City's fiscal health in recent years. We've seen our per cap. City tax levy climb 25% over the last seven years--that’s an inflation-adjusted 25% and that's a lot of money. City spending in the years of the real estate bubble took a big bite out of our families’ budgets, but we're now $10.5 million in the hole and we've doubled our long-term debt.

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Speaking of Democratic alderman candidates, Kelly Russell, who was the first Democrat to file for Alderman, recently sent me the following email:

Hello Frederick friends!

The City of Frederick's Shared Use Path Plan is a plan to provide viable routes to facilitate travel throughout city without an automobile. There are six corridors in the plan: Carroll Creek, East Street, Fredericktown Village, Monocacy Boulevard, Monocacy River, and Rock Creek. You can read more here: Shared Use Path Information

The corridors have about 25.7 miles of proposed pathways. Of the 25.7 miles, approximately 8 miles have been constructed. In the future, developers will help build additional miles of pathway as part of their development plans. Here is a map: Shared Use Path Map

As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus package), there is money being made available to states for Transportation Enhancements funds, a pool of money that funds many bike and pedestrian projects. States have only 120 days to obligate their funding, and it is critical that Frederick gets its fair share to assist in completing the Shared Use Path.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has a web page where you can use a form letter or an online form to write to Governor O'Malley to urge allocation of funds for Frederick's project. I encourage you to take a few minutes to send a letter. This is a concrete step we each can take to help move Frederick toward a more sustainable future! Let's get started now!

Here is the link: Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Thanks!

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The other Democrat to file for alderman is Andrew Kotkin and you can read his website by clicking here.

His first post on his site is entitled "Five Points" and discusses why he is running for office. So, go to his site and check it out!

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Frederick's "Up and Coming" Young Democrats

Optimistic for the Future

Elizabeth Plant Bio

I'm never going to know exactly what to say in these things...

My cohorts in the Frederick Young Democrats are much more politically focused than I, many of them currently are, were, or are considering political science as a major in college. Then there's me, a Theatre major who's political leanings were brought about by a love of the television drama, "The West Wing" (Obama is my Bartlet), feelings of equality for all, having a family friend run for office, and the organic need for structure.

What I like about President Barack Obama are entirely brought about by those things, and my overly optimistic, newly politically active ways have grown as a result.

One way that I have found a sense of optimism and West Wing-ed-ness in the new administration, all three weeks old that it is, is the grand mixture that make up the President's cabinet.

People who have amazing education and life experience. I mean President Obama chose his major rival, Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State. She is the first former First Lady to not only hold a cabinet position, but as Secretary of State, only the third woman to hold the position ever. Though it would have been more "Santos"-like (another Presidential character in the West Wing) of him to choose Senator John McCain (R-Az.).

Granted, some of this optimism is tempered by the issues that have arisen in the confirmation proceedings. I think I will always have a bit of respect for a man who can be taken seriously while wearing red framed glasses. However, not adding in the car and driver that your company provided for you makes me a little squeamish about what else he could have forgotten in his taxes and in other areas in his life. I'm glad that the President's nominee Tom Daschle looked to the greater good and withdrew from consideration. Rather, than have major questions lingering during his time as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

It also drives me crazy that Hilda Solis's confirmation is being held up because her husband only now paid off the tax liens on his business she had nothing to do with and because not everyone is comfortable with a Secretary of Labor who wants to update labor laws (seriously senators?).

Another reason for my unfailing optimism is the local elections. There's a sense of hope which has trickled its way up 270 and into Frederick. There's a sense that as much as "old Frederick" is still alive and kicking, there are those who see Frederick is changing into an even more multi-cultural and vibrant community.

We are coming into a time where Frederick is moving forward to a place where it won't be considered a little back woods town north of DC, but a place where people of all backgrounds can thrive.

I'm glad that I'm part of the Frederick Young Democrats and I can be called "up and coming" like the rest of them. I'm glad to share with you my thoughts when its my turn, just know it may come off as regular while others may come off as awesome. Just don't judge me on the same scale as you do them, I'm still catching up.

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Democracy for America to Support Local Candidates

George Wenschhof Bio

Democracy for America (DFA) is well known to progressives who have seen their support given to candidates for Congress and the successful Barack Obama for President campaign. It is important to realize DFA also provides assistance to candidates running for local office. City of Frederick, Maryland Democratic candidates for Mayor and Alderman, as well as other candidates for local office across the country, should take note of the following information. These candidates may wish to consider applying for consideration for assistance.

I just received a email from Charles Chamberlain, Political Director for DFA who provided the following information and asked that I help in providing this information to candidates.

Candidates who are interested in receiving a DFA endorsement can apply at: www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/Application

Candidates who receive a DFA-List endorsement receive a national organization of support which will aid the candidate in many ways. The questions the organization considers when endorsing a candidate are as follows:

• Will the candidate move the progressive movement forward in their community?
• Does the candidate have substantial support from our local members?
• Do the candidate's positions and policies fit into the broader progressive movement?
• Is the campaign people-powered and the candidate working to win?

If you are a candidate for a local office, take a few moments to check out their website and decide if you wish to apply for their endorsement and assistance in your campaign.

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Frederick Co. MD Democratic Buzz

George Wenschhof Bio

Last week on Tuesday, I published a column pertaining to who may be the Democratic candidates in this City of Frederick election year. If you missed that column, you can read it here. I indicated more Democratic candidates may emerge as the deadline for filing is not until July 7, 2009.

One additional Democratic candidate who may file for Alderman is James Racheff. I enjoyed a long conversation with him this past Saturday. He is currently the chair of the City of Frederick Zoning Appeals Board and also sat in on several meetings of the city charter review committee. Mr. Racheff also flew to Boulder, Colorado with county and city elected officials and staff to review their waste disposal methods. He has a sincere interest in the future of the city and would be a competitive candidate for Alderman.

This week, I want to examine what may be some of the issues that come up in the campaign. I do not intend to delve into the intricacies of each issue in this column, but rather will attempt to list what the issues may be. The candidates, of course, will be providing their positions on these issues and others as the campaign unfolds. Again, the primary election will be held on September 15 and the general election will be held on November 3, 2009.

Let's take a look at some of the issues listed below in no particular order of significance:

The Hargett farm condemnation for a city park - current Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger campaigned on the need for a municipal Park in this neighborhood and upon winning the election immediately began the process of identifying a location. After the location had been identified, a condemnation process was instituted after the property owner and the city could not reach agreement on the price.

The majority of the Aldermen including Democrat Marcia Hall (who I indicated will run for Mayor) supported this action proposed by Mayor Holtzinger. A local court decision recently ruled the process was allowable and ordered appraisals to be provided by March.

The property is zoned for residential development with some site plan approval granted. Questions that may arise will pertain to loss of tax revenue along with loss of impact fees. Also, expect questions as to why chose an already approved and zoned residential area which will possibly be valued higher than property absent of such zoning.

While other comments will be from residents in the neighborhood who feel this is a much better use than the planned residential use. They feel another residential development was sure to add strain to an already less than satisfactory road transportation grid for the area.

City Employee Pension and Early Retirement Plan - Plenty has been said about this with a final analysis of the effectiveness of the plan change still elusive. Again, this plan was approved with a majority vote of the aldermen. It appears the level of cost savings originally anticipated for the city was higher than what will transpire.

What caught the attention of some local political activists was when certain city staff who took advantage of the early buy-out ended up being hired back. While they were hired back at an entry level salary, the city was still paying twice for 1-2 years of employment.

It appears this action, which was instituted and approved for positive reasons, will require additional scrutiny to determine if modification to the approved plan will need to be made by the Mayor and Board.

Residency - most city voters are tired of hearing about this issue after the brou-hah-hah that occurred under the former Democratic Mayor Jennifer Dougherty administration. Some activists continue to question the residency of Mayor Holtzinger. While he stands by his statement he meets the requirements in the city charter.

As everyone knows, Dougherty challenged Ron Young's eligibility to run against her in the Democratic primary and went on to veto a charter amendment changing the residency requirement which had been approved by the aldermen. The end result of her action resulted in the current Mayor being able to file and eventually winning election to the office of Mayor.

While this issue may receive a loud drumbeat by some candidates, do not expect this to be a major concern of the voter.

Budget - Financial Condition of the City - in this serious economic downturn the entire country is experiencing, a critical review of the Budget and the financial condition of the city is an issue all candidates should address.

The tax rate for homeowners increased during the Dougherty administration and so far has been reduced during the Holtzinger administration. The Budget to be introduced by Mayor Holtzinger for the next fiscal year is sure to receive a thorough examination by the candidates. Keep an eye on the tax rate and if it is kept the same or reduced. Also the size of the budget and the level of services being provided. There is always plenty of areas in a Budget for disagreement among candidates in an election year.

Planning and Zoning - an area that always comes up in an election year. Is growth happening in a manner voters approve? This becomes a moving target in a city like Frederick due to the rapid growth that has taken place. Often, new residents question the process even more than the long time residents.

However, traffic congestion continues to exist at all the major routes into and out of the city and remains a major issue among voters. Needed state and federal funds are just not being brought home by current state and federal elected officials. Hopefully, with the passage of the proposed Stimulus Plan by President Barack Obama, much needed infrastructure funds are received for the City of Frederick.

Regardless, a "pay as you grow" approach should be in effect for future growth. However, the major problem is not how to plan effectively for future growth, but rather, how to catch up in the city infrastructure due to mistakes made over the last few decades. Also expect current approved or proposed annexations to receive attention during the campaign along with candidates describing their vision for the future of the City of Frederick.


Failed effort at Historic District Designation - one alderman candidate Kelly Russell, who resides in the neighborhood, proposed the change. Unfortunately, 46 of the 62 owners of the properties which would have been affected by the change disagreed with the idea. While the three Democratic aldermen voted in favor of the designation, the Mayor vetoed their approval.

It is doubtful this will become a major issue in the campaign, especially when 79% of the families who would have been affected by the change, disagreed with having the historic district designation being attached to their homes.

Speaking of the Historic District, I have a proposal the city should consider which would aid homeowners within the historic district, the historic commission, and the home contractors who perform the renovations in the district.

I suggest city staff provide a training class for home contractors on the allowable materials, etc. that would be approved by the Commission and after successful completion of the course, the contractor would be certified in "historic district" renovations. The contractors would receive valuable information and when a homeowner began the process of renovating their home, they could be provided with a list of approved contractors by city staff.

Police Department - Police Chief Kim Dine has done an outstanding job since his hire during the former city hall administration. He is well liked and respected among the many different segments that make up the community.

As this is a major component of what is provided by city government expect discussion during the campaign on the size of the budget in this area.

One such issue sure to receive attention will be when amendments in a previous budget year introduced by aldermen to increase police officers and police cruisers, they were vetoed by Mayor Holtzinger twice before reaching a compromise.

The big question is what is being done to locate and build a new police station. The current headquarters located in part of the Frederick County Courthouse complex is woefully undersized.

Department of Public Works/ Infrastructure - under the Mayor Holtzinger administration, a water agreement with the County government was reached, a realignment of Monocacy Blvd. was done, an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) was approved, the homes under HOPE have begun construction and the (MPDU) Moderately Priced Dwellings Units provision has moved forward.

Trash collection and snow removal are important issues to voters in a local election and memories are long when a bad event transpires. In one of the early years in his administration, some voters questioned the actions taken by Mayor Holtzinger in a snow event that resulted in snow turning to ice banks along the curbs which screwed up parking for some time in the city.

Speaking of Parking, downtown parking woes continue - this has been an ongoing problem regardless of who has filled the Mayor seat. I wrote a column on this issue which was published on TheTentacle.com on May 11, 2007. You can read it here. Basically, I believe the mindset of the city should be to make the visit to downtown Frederick enjoyable and to make every effort to minimize parking hassles by residents and visitors. This, as opposed to looking at how to increase a revenue stream for the city. The bad will generated by the latter approach outweighs any monetary short term gain.

Let's not forget Clustered Spires, Keys Stadium, and the Weinberg Center - should the city continue to own and in the case of the golf course, operate these entertainment centers? Expect some discussion in this area, especially due to the economic downturn.

Speaking of the Keys Stadium, here's a beef I have held for some time. The cost for admission is great for families, but once inside the vendor prices are similar to those that exist at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. As the City owns the park, how about placing some regulations on the price of a hot dog and soda. I am sure there are plenty of local business owners who could provide the food concessions at Keys Stadium at a much more affordable price. Presently, it's almost like a bait and switch - you get in at an affordable rate but are nailed when you go to buy something to eat or drink.

How about the Weinberg Center? The reason I say that is it's not currently a huge controversy. This is pleasant after the fighting pertaining to funding and privatization that occurred under the Dougherty administration between Mayor Dougherty and a past President of the Weinberg Board of Directors.

The ballpark, golf course and the theater are great attractions and offer benefits for the city. But, expect all to be brought up during the campaign.

Well, that's a start at looking at some of the issues that may come up during the campaign this year. We will be following the election and adding our thoughts on what the candidates say throughout the campaign about the issues facing the voters in the City of Frederick.

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Frederick Co. MD Democratic Buzz

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, after requests from many local Democrats, I start what will be a weekly post which will appear on Tuesday. It will cover whatever I happen to be hearing about Democrats in Frederick County, Maryland.

If you have some buzz to share with our readers, you can either post what you are hearing by clicking on the "Comments link" at the end of this post or you can send me an email to georgewenschhof@gmail.com and I will try to include in a post.

Today, we will take a look at who may be the Democratic candidates in the City of Frederick Elections. Next week on Tuesday, we will look at what will likely be the issues in the City of Frederick election.

City of Frederick voters will be electing the mayor and five aldermen this year. Candidates can now file for office at City Hall and the deadline for filing is July 7. The primary election will be held on September 15 and the general election will take place on November 3, 2009.

For Mayor:

Jack Lynch has already filed after announcing his intentions six months ago on our website. Although he announced early and was the first to officially file, he is still working at putting together his campaign organization. He struggled a little getting out of the gate when he talked about moving the Fairgrounds which are not owned by the city government. Mr. Lynch is a nice gentleman who has some good ideas about future growth of the city and an overall vision for the future. Let's see if he can get his message out and have it resonate with the voters.

Marcia Hall, a two term Alderwoman, basically announced January 11, 2009 her bid for Mayor on Katherine Heerbrandt's Saturday morning WFMD AM radio show. Ms. Hall has been rumored to run for some time - she may as well go file and make it official. The old standard political advise of waiting to officially file when you are in office for fear people will scrutinize your every vote no longer holds in this case. Everyone is already looking at her every move. She is well liked and also managed to stay out of the "fray" during the Dougherty administration.

She will be a formidable candidate and her supporters will surely point out as the top vote getter among the Aldermen in the 2005 election, she received more votes than incumbent Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger.

Detractors will say she has not often been clear on her positions on an issue and will try to label her as wishy-washy. Her biggest challenge will be delineating the differences between herself and Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger (should he run again) on the issues. Her voting record as Alderman will be thoroughly examined and pointed out by her opponents.

I interviewed Jason Judd for three hours prior to a column I published on December 19, 2008. He is a thoughtful and deliberate candidate who has experience in community organizing. I have witnessed this first hand as city residents from many different "clicks" in the community have come to me to express their support of his run for Mayor. There is also a strong possibility former four term Mayor Ron Young will manage his campaign. Mr. Young raised over $100,000 in his campaign for Mayor in 2005. He beat incumbent Mayor Jennifer Dougherty handily in the Democratic primary but lost by a few hundred votes to current Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger.

The rap that will come up against Jason Judd will be his work for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) with detractors trying to make an issue they don't want union representation in the City of Frederick.

His close advisers have been offering ideas as to when to officially announce and I have heard closer to April is the preferred date.

Although Jennifer Dougherty was probably the only Democratic candidate for Congress who was unable to benefit from the enthusiasm generated by the Barack Obama campaign, do not discount the possibility of her running for Mayor again. The only demographic area Ms. Dougherty won in the 2008 congressional race was the City of Frederick. However, that was due to city Democrats being united against incumbent Congressman Roscoe Bartlett.

Ms. Dougherty has become the perennial candidate having now run five times and only winning once. It is obvious she enjoys the debate on the issues and being critical of other candidates. Unfortunately, after her disastrous one term as mayor, she reminds many of the character played by Robert Redford in the movie "The Candidate" when he said after winning the election; "What do I do now?".

Should she run again, she would further divide the local Democratic party more than she has already done as many will remember she did not support Ron Young after he defeated her in the primary. Many believe she urged her closest supporters to vote for Republican Jeff Holtzinger in the general election and therefore was a factor in Young's loss to Holtzinger.

Anyway, some other Democrats may join the race, but it is shaping up as another male-female battle once again in the Democratic primary. If Jennifer Dougherty can resist running against Marcia Hall as she was unable to do against Andrew Duck, this primary could end up being a battle of surrogates of the 2005 Democratic candidates for Mayor. Jason Judd will have Ron Young's support and Marcia Hall would have the support of Dougherty. Marcia Hall may actually be better served if she kept some distance from Ms. Dougherty.

Do not look for either aldermen David "Kip" Koontz or Donna Kuzemchak to enter the race for Mayor. Both three term incumbent Kuzemchak and first term Koontz will most likely file for Aldermen.

For Aldermen:

Donna Kuzemchak won for the first time in 1997, campaigning loudly about the need for a stop light on a street near her neighborhood with her concern about the safety of school children. In the last election, she was the fifth leading vote getter among the Aldermen candidates. The one thing about Donna is you do not have to wonder how she feels on an issue - she will let you and everyone else know. She will be a strong candidate for reelection.

David "Kip" Koontz - while he may really want to run for mayor, he is a strong candidate for being reelected as alderman. He ran for elected office several times unsuccessfully prior to being elected. His supporters will probably urge him to stay as alderman. He will be another strong candidate and is likely to be reelected.

Both David and Donna have to consider the "what if question" - that is, if I run for mayor and lose, where do I go from there. Losing a city race and trying to run for county or state office in 2010 is not a promising proposition. Waiting to run again in the next city election is too long of a wait.

Kelly Russell - Is she a Republican or a Democrat is the question most voters are asking me. She is the only Democrat to officially file for aldermen to date. Those who know her well are confused in regard to where she stands. She openly gave her support to Republican Harold Domer in the 2006 race for Frederick County Sheriff. Mr. Domer's supporters could easily be classified as former Republican City of Frederick Mayor James Grimes supporters.

Just recently, Ms. Russell supported Democrat Jennifer Dougherty in her bid for Congress. In the only race she won, Dougherty defeated Grimes in the 2001 City of Frederick election. There is no secret the Dougherty and Grimes camps do not support each other. Many voters have expressed a distrust of Ms. Russell so her campaign at present looks to be a tough one.

Carol Krimm - She presently works for state delegate Galen Clagett. She had worked for delegate Sue Hecht until Sue was defeated soundly by Alex Mooney in her attempt to win the state senate seat in district 3 in the 2002 election. Ms. Krimm would be competitive in this race if she filed.

Stephen Slater - He recently moved into the City and will meet the residency requirement by the time the election is held. He is the son of Tom Slater who lost two races when he ran for state delegate and city aldermen. He is an attorney who currently works with his father's law practice. Stephen helped a start-up of the Frederick County Young Democrats prior to when his father ran for alderman in 2005. He was instrumental in them helping his father in his failed bid for alderman. That chapter of the local Young Democrats faded shortly afterward.

Although the name may give him some recognition, his father did not win an election and voters do not know Stephen's position on any city issue so his work will be cut out for him. However, he could easily make the primary cut with his challenge being the general election.

Both Slater and Krimm are members of the Frederick County State Democratic Central committee. This may be a dubious distinction as no one from the central committee has been elected to another office since the 1997 election when the then chair of the committee, Blaine Young was elected as Alderman. Blaine Young is now a Republican.

Sarah Finefrock - the only reason I mention this name is her friend Jennifer Dougherty mentioned it when she recently hosted Katherine Heerbrandt's local radio talk show. Jennifer said Finefrock had just moved back to Frederick (I wonder if she meets the residency requirement) and would make a good candidate. Jennifer talked her into running for Register of Wills in the 2006 election and she was thumped. She would be a long shot in this election.

"Trish" Cunningham - She ran for alderman in the 2005 election and lost but has become known as a city watchdog ever since often challenging decisions on issues. It is likely she will file, but she will once again have difficulty in winning election.

Ken Berlin - Another one who ran for alderman and lost in the 2005 election. His bitterness surrounding that loss continues to be exhibited in his acerbic remarks he often leaves at the end of articles of the online edition of the Frederick News Post. Unfortunately for him, his idea of a land value tax in the 2005 election did not catch on with the voters. Mr. Berlin does have ideas to consider concerning the city and if he could get over his loss in the 2005 election, would be a competitive candidate for alderman.

Others are likely to come forward and file as the July filing deadline is so late.

Look to see Republican incumbent aldermen Alan Imhoff and Paul Smith run again for alderman in spite of some who would like to see Mr. Imhoff run for Mayor. They will both be competitive as aldermen candidates. If local Deli owner Randy McClement runs for anything, it will most likely be alderman. It is very doubtful he could beat incumbent Mayor Jeff Holtzinger. Randy ran for alderman in 2005 and lost and would be competitive this time. If Jeff Holtzinger decides to run for reelection as Mayor, he will easily win the Republican primary.

As of now, it looks like all of the incumbents will run again with Marcia Hall leaving her alderman position to run for Mayor. Unless strong arguments are made to the voters by the candidates to unseat incumbents, there will only be one open alderman seat.

Stay Tuned, we'll look at the issues next week.

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City of Frederick, MD Officials Express Support for Election Date Change

George Wenschhof Bio

During a Mayor and Board workshop meeting yesterday afternoon, Mayor Jeff Holtzinger and four of the five aldermen expressed support for moving the City of Frederick Election Date to coincide with the Presidential election. Only Alderman Paul Smith indicated he would not support the change. His reason, as we reported earlier, was he felt city issues would get lost in the national election.

Bill Ashton, a long-time city government watchdog, pointed out the candidates for the many Frederick County elected offices had never complained that the Governor's race and state issues had received all of the attention in their election. The Frederick County and Maryland state elections are combined and will be held next year.

This change of the city election date to coincide with the Presidential election year would more than double the current anemic 32% voter turnout and also most likely result in some cost savings to city taxpayers.

Public comments in support of the change included many of the Frederick Young Democrats who had earlier issued a press release stating their support for this change. Guy Djoken, President of the Frederick County Chapter of the NAACP also testified in favor of moving the date.

I mentioned Alderman Alan Imhoff and I had long been supporters of this change. I pointed out that when I ran for Alderman in 1997, the population of the city had doubled in the 25 years since I had graduated from Governor Thomas Johnson High School in 1971 - yet the voter turnout was only in 30% range. In the 2005 election, when the current Mayor and Board were elected, the turnout was only 31.75%.

One dissenting comment came from a member of the Green Party who felt city issues would be lost if the elections were combined.

If passed, the charter amendment would result in the city officials elected in November serving a three year term to 2012, at which time the city election would coincide with the presidential elections.

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