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The City of Frederick is holding their election this year and the county/state elections follow next year. I intend to again cover all the elections. The race for mayor and the board of aldermen promises to be exciting.

After, hearing from many of you of the need for a local video political discussion program, I plan to produce a one hour pilot. Guests will include elected officials, community activists and experts discussing the issues that matter most to you.

Winchester Hall

The online video program will cover pressing issues such as jobs, economic development, the building of an incinerator to burn trash, whether the county should sell the Citizens/Montevue assisted care and nursing homes, the impact of growth on Frederick County, the idea to build a hotel/conference center in downtown Frederick and what should be the local funding level for education.

To help me continue to publish www.FrederickPolitics.com and produce the pilot video, I am asking for your donations. Whether, it is $25, $50, $100, $250 or more, your contributions are appreciated and can be made easily using the donate button located in the right hand margin. Donations are not tax deductible.

The off year city election often results in low turnout at the polls and adds to what already promises to be an intriguing election. For the first time, with the addition of Jennifer Dougherty running as an unaffiliated candidate, city voters will have the choice between three candidates for mayor in the General Election.

In addition to the city elections, there is much more Frederick County politics to cover. Your assistance will help me produce the pilot video and continue to publish political news and commentary. Please donate $25, $50, $100, $250 or more to www.FrederickPolitics.com by using the donate button found in the right hand margin.

Thank you!
George Wenschhof

Frederick Democratic Primary Race for Mayor Heats Up

George Wenschhof

Karen Young

Democratic infighting is nothing new in The City of Frederick elections and this year’s primary election for mayor promises to be more of the same.

Galen Clagett

This time it is city alderman Karen Young facing off against delegate Galen Clagett and the fireworks are starting early with Young accusing Clagett of using a push poll to make her look bad.

"Young should get used to hard-hitting polls, Clagett says", was the headline of an news article written by Patti Borda that appeared yesterday in the Frederick News Post.

During a telephone interview Karen told me she was disappointed and that she wanted to run a positive campaign.

Young said Clagett is known for his lack of respect of women and his actions illustrate why many women do not run for office.  She added it only makes her work harder to help the next generation of women enter politics easier.

She told me she will not conduct a push poll and she hopes the campaign will focus on the issues and who has a better vision for the future.

Clagett did not return repeated calls prior to publication.

The city primary election is September 10 and this early heated exchange between Clagget and Young is not new for Democratic candidates for mayor.

The early campaign smiles always seem to fade as accusations fly and hard ball campaign tactics are utilized by candidates who often know each other well.

In spite of a Democratic voter registration advantage, a Republican mayor was elected in 2005 and 2009.  The last Democratic mayor; Jennifer Dougherty, who served one term from 2001-2005, is often blamed for the loss of former mayor Ron Young (D) to Jeff Holtzinger (R) in the 2005 election and for the loss of Jason Judd (D) to Randy McClement (R) in the 2009 election.

It is widely known Jennifer was livid, that as an incumbent, she was challenged by former four term mayor Ron Young.  In an act of desperation, Jennifer would try to tie Ron Young to the infamous “Black Book” scandal involving a local madam that took place during the last term of Republican mayor James Grimes, who Jennifer beat in the 2001 election.  Ms. Dougherty’s hardball action backfired and she would lose the primary election to Young.

It appeared to be a surprise to unknown Republican mayoral candidate Jeff Holtzinger, he won against Ron Young and was elected mayor.  Reports, at the time likened Jeff to a “deer caught in the spotlight” when he was informed election night he was the next mayor of The City of Frederick.

 

Holtzinger’s election resulting from the low city voter turnout and support from disgruntled Dougherty supporters.

In 2009, Dougherty would try for the fourth time to become mayor.  She was beat handily in the Democratic primary by newcomer Jason Judd, who was previously unknown in political circles.

Prior to the general election, I reported a Dougherty supporter paid for a robo-call to city voters urging them to write-in Jennifer Dougherty.  Once again, a Republican would win the mayor race.  This time it was Randy McClement who narrowly beat Jason Judd.

Jennifer is at it again, running for mayor for a fifth time.  This time as an Independent, she will once again impact the outcome.  She has to be hoping low voter turnout, split between three candidates, combined with siphoning off supporters from the losing candidates in the Democratic and Republican primaries, will result in her victory. 

A bitter and bruising primary often makes it difficult for supporters of the losing candidate to vote for the primary winner in the general election, which may play to Dougherty’s advantage in a close three-way race.

So far, incumbent Republican mayor Randy McClement does not have an opponent. Former mayor Jeff Holtzinger, who will have residency entanglements, is reportedly anxiously waiting in the wings to make his announcement.

Stay tuned….

 

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Absentee Ballots Counted Today for City of Frederick, Md. Election

George Wenschhof

Beginning today at 10:00 AM, the count will begin of the approximately 400 absentee ballots cast in the City of Frederick, Maryland election. You can read the current unofficial totals for the candidates here.

As I indicated yesterday, it is unlikely when the the absentee ballots are counted they will result in any change from the winners on Tuesday night. The more likely change would be the order of finish between the aldermen fourth place finisher; Carol Krimm and the fifth place finisher; Kelly Russell who are currently separated by 14 votes.

However, there is the mathematical chance Paul Smith who finished sixth; 111 votes behind Ms. Russell could make up the difference or maybe even Donna Kuzemchak who finished seventh among the aldermen candidates; 161 votes behind Kelly Russell.

I will post the absentee count here when they have concluded the count which will probably be early afternoon.

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12:05 PM Update:

371 absentee vote total.

Mayor:
McClement - 217
Judd - 148
Write-Ins - 6

Alderman:
Aloi - 167
Haddaway - 148
Huckenpoehler - 107
Imhoff - 199
Smith - 196
Krimm - 165
Kuzemchak - 156
O'Connor - 180
Russell - 153
Young - 188
Write-Ins - 2

Official Final Results

Mayor:
McClement (R) - 3712
Judd - 3431 (D)
Write-Ins - 95

Alderman:
Young (D) - 3765
O'Connor (D) - 3573
Aloi (R) - 3481
Krimm (D) - 3419
Russell (D) - 3393
Smith (R) - 3325
Kuzemchak (D) - 3235
Imhoff (R) - 3229
Haddaway (R) - 2824
Huckenpoehler (R) - 2267
Write-Ins - 30

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There was no change in the order of finish with the addition of the absentee ballots. Mayor elect Randy McClement received 58.49% of the absentee votes compared to Democratic candidate Jason Judd who received 39.89%.

Incumbent Republican alderman Paul Smith did come closer to the fifth and last slot on the board by gaining 43 votes with the absentee count. However, he had been 111 votes behind and ended up 68 votes short.

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City of Frederick, Md. Voter Turnout

George Wenschhof

I will try to provide some voter turnout data throughout the day courtesy of Stuart Harvey; Election Director, Frederick County Board of Elections. I have also provided the numbers reported during the primary election on September 15 so you can compare turnout. In addition, I provide the total votes received by the winning candidates in the 2005 election.

Voter Turnout by Polling Location September 15 Primary Election:

9:00 AM Total votes: 657 - 2.6%
11:00 AM total votes: 1253 - 5%
2:00 PM total votes: 2097 - 8.4% (1,383-D, 714-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 2878 - 11.5% (1,953-D, 925-R)

William Talley Rec Center (Precincts 1,5,11) 121 North Bentz St.
9:00 AM total votes: 268
11:00 AM total votes: 524 (379-D, 145-R)
2:00 PM total votes: 838 (594-D, 244-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 1096 (762-D, 334-R)

Frederick Church of the Nazarenne 7899 Oppossumtown Pike (Precincts 2,10)
9:00 AM total votes: 56
11:00 AM total votes: 98
2:00 PM total votes: 183 (117-D, 66-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 229 (142-D, 87-R)

Evangelical Lutheran Church (Precinct 3) 35 East Church Street
9:00 AM total votes: 64
11:00 AM total votes: 135 (106-D, 29-R)
2:00 PM total votes: 195 (150-D, 45-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 228 (174-D, 54-R)

Cornerstone Fellowship Church (Precincts 4,8,9) 66 Waverley Dr. #630
9:00 AM Total: 113
11:00 AM total: 233
2:00 PM total votes: 421 (243-D, 178-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 543 (315-D, 228-R)

Grace Community Christian Church (Precinct 6) 2100 Rosemont Ave.
9:00 AM total votes: 20
11:00 AM total votes: 34 (19-D, 15-R)
2:00 PM total votes: 60 (35-D, 25-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 79 (45-D, 34-R)

Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints (Precincts 7,12) 1811 Latham Dr.
9:00 AM total votes: 136
11:00 AM total votes: 229 (137-D, 92-R)
2:00 PM total votes: 400 (244-D, 156-R)
4:00 PM total votes: 703 (513-D, 190-R)

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2005 General Election Winners: complete results can be read here.

Mayor:
Jeff Holtzinger (R) 4740 - Won
Ron Young (D) 4382

Alderman:
Marcia Hall (D) 5330
David Koontz (D) 4491
Alan Imhof (R) 4140
Paul Smith (R) 4128
Donna Kuzemchak (D) 4126


Voter Turnout by Polling Location November 3 General Election:

Here's 10 a.m:

Talley Rec – 320 D, 190 R, 45 Others – 555

Grace Church – 23 D, 33 R, 10 others – 66

Church of the Nazarene – 55 D, 50 R, 14 others – 119

Cornerstone – 122 D, 122 R, 38 O – 282

Latter-Day Saints – 118 D, 136 R, 35 O – 289

Lutheran Church – 89 D, 38 R, 17 O – 144

Total – 1455 5% turnout (at this point in Sept, I had 3%)


Stuart Harvey, Election Director
Frederick County Board of Elections

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12:25 PM Update - GW - Some interesting trivia to chew on: as of 10:00 AM 757-Dems, 569 Rep. and 159 Other had voted. Before you think this favors the democratic candidates, in 2005 the total Dem turnout was 4546 (36%), Rep turnout was 3719 (35%) and Other turnout was 17% yet the Republican mayoral candidate won.

Noon: Talley Rec – 555 D, 338 R, 82 Others – 975

Grace Church – 43 D, 52 R, 13 O – 108

Church of the Nazarene – 106 D, 85 R, 24 O – 215

Cornerstone – 246 D, 213 R, 81 O – 540

Latter-Day Saints – 223 D, 235 R, 67 O – 525

Lutheran Church – 135 D, 60 R, 23 O – 218 Total – 2581

9% turnout

Stuart Harvey, Election Director, Frederick County Board of Elections

Total Dem turnout - 1308, Total Repub. turnout - 983, Total "Other" turnout - 290

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2:20 PM Update - GW

2:00 PM Voter turnout Numbers

Talley Rec – 727 D, 443 R, 109 Others – 1279

Grace Church – 53 D, 69 R, 17 O – 139

Church of the Nazarene – 152 D, 128 R, 31 O – 311

Cornerstone – 323 D, 302 R, 90 O – 715

Latter-Day Saints – 302 D, 307 R, 85 O – 694

Lutheran Church – 184 D, 78 R, 35 O – 297

Total – 3435 12% turnout

Stuart Harvey, Election Director; Frederick County Board of Elections

Total Dems - 1741, Total Repub. - 1327, Total "Other" - 367

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4:30 PM Update - GW - 4:00 PM Voter turnout numbers:

4 p.m. Talley Rec – 892 D, 551 R, 140 Others – 1583

Grace Church – 62 D, 81 R, 22 O – 165

Church of the Nazarene – 192 D, 166 R, 38 O – 396

Cornerstone – 416 D, 382 R, 105 O – 903

Latter-Day Saints – 377 D, 379 R, 107 O – 863

Lutheran Church – 225 D, 111 R, 46 O – 382

Total – 4292 14% turnout

Stuart Harvey, Election Director; Frederick County Board of Elections

Total Dems - 2164, Total Repub - 1670, Total "Other" - 462

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4:45 PM Update - GW - seems safe to say voter turnout will not hit 30% today - a sad state of affairs - we must urge the next mayor and board to move election day to coincide with presidential election.

Democrats are turning out at about 14.5% and Repubicans are turning out at 16.7% and "Others" about 8%. I doubt many Republicans are voting for Judd, however some Democrats will vote for McClement. "Others" could be a factor in mayoral race. Alderman too close to predict. Stay Tuned.

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5:50 PM Update - GW - Let's also remember the absentee ballots if the race is close. A total of 454 were sent and 382 received as of today. The breakdown doesn't help us gauge the outcome: Democrats - 177, Republicans - 180, "Other" - 25. More could be received tomorrow. They are counted on Thursday.

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Remember To Vote Today!

George Wenschhof

Today, voters will determine who will be their mayor and the five members of their board of alderman in the City of Frederick, Maryland. It is important for you to add your vote to the tally as it is added up later today.

If you have any question as to where your polling place is located click here, type in your address and you will receive your polling place.

The Democrats have outstanding candidates in this election and you can read more about them prior to voting by clicking on the link to their campaign website located in the right hand margin of my homepage. You may also wish to read the interviews I had with each of them which can also be read by clicking on the link provided in the right hand margin of my homepage.

The Democratic candidate for mayor is Jason Judd and the Democratic candidates for alderman are Carol Krimm, Donna Kuzemchak, Michael O'Connor, Kelly Russell and Karen Young.

The Republican candidate for mayor is Randy McClement and the Republican candidates for alderman are Shelley Aloi, Amanda Haddaway, William Huckenpoehler, Alan Imhoff and Paul Smith.

Polls open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM - Make sure you go!

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Robo Calls Urge Voters to Write-In Dougherty

George Wenschhof

This morning, I received a call from a friend who informed me they had received a robo-call over the weekend urging they write in Jennifer Dougherty for mayor in the City of Frederick, Maryland election on Tuesday. I suspected that the call was from Neal Wirth who earlier in the week had his letter to the editor published in the Frederick News Post and Gazette.

In this letter, Neal, a long time Dougherty supporter, was trying to make a point concerning allowing unaffiliated registered voters the ability to cast their votes in the primary election. Mr. Wirth argued that by writing in Jennifer Dougherty for mayor in the general election, a voter could lodge their protest for allowing open primaries.

I called Mr. Wirth to ask him if he had made the robo-calls and in a brief conversation he said he had done so and had clearly indicated who he was on the calls. He further stated the calls had gone to ten thousand voters and that he had individually paid for the calls. He also stated Ms. Dougherty was unaware of his action.

I also placed a call to Ms. Dougherty and we were unable to actually connect for a conversation. In a message left on my phone, Jennifer indicated she was not aware of the robo-calls made by Neal Wirth and could not comment further until she was able to actually read the text of the message.

Open primaries are typically not supported by members of political parties due to they allow voters from outside of their political party to weigh in on who their candidate in the general election will be. It also opens up the possibility of nefarious actions by certain individuals who would support a weak candidate in an opposition party in the primary, only to turn around and support their party nominee in the general election.

This action by Mr. Wirth comes right before the general election of what promises to be a close election between Democrat Jason Judd and Republican Randy McClement for mayor.

Four years ago, charges surfaced Ms. Dougherty had urged supporters to vote for Republican Jeff Holtzinger. This following her defeat by Ron Young in the Democratic primary. In spite of an overwhelming voter registration advantage by Democrats in the City of Frederick, Republican Jeff Holtzinger won the election.

Will these robo-calls placed by Mr. Wirth further muddy Ms. Dougherty's reputation among Democrats or impact the results of this election? Time will tell on that matter, but it appears obvious this was an action taken by an individual and not on her behalf. Perhaps Mr. Wirth would have been better served to use his own name as the write-in candidate for voters to use to lodge a protest for open primaries.

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Will Democrats Regain Control of City Hall?

George Wenschhof

The City of Frederick, Maryland general election is now only days away. Voters will be electing their mayor and five member board of alderman on Tuesday, November 3. Along with answering who the new elected officials will be, voters will determine if a Democrat replaces the Republican mayor and if the board maintains the current 3-2 Democratic advantage.

The campaign, on the most part, has been devoid of any strong positions taken by candidates on the issues that would result in awakening a sleeping electorate. Which begs the question "what if they held an election and no one showed up?". In a recent column I predicted the voter turnout to be no higher than 33% or 10,000 of the approximately 32,000 registered voters in the city. Other local pundits have told me they thought I was being generous in my prediction. I hope the voters prove me wrong and they turn out in record numbers on Tuesday.

If not, it is time for the incoming mayor and board to move the city election date to coincide with the presidential election cycle. Democratic candidate for mayor; Jason Judd has consistently supported my suggestion to move the election date from the day I first meet him in November 2008. I asked him then if he would support my proposal, which would also result in a shortened three year term for the incoming mayor and board. He has maintained his position on the issue when he offered his support in my online interview with him on 6-29-2009 and again in the last mayoral forum last Tuesday.

Representative Democracy works best when people vote and Jason's support to more than double voter turnout and reducing the cost of separate elections while shortening the length of one's own elected term in office, is just one of the reasons to vote for him on November 3.

Under the City of Frederick Charter, the mayor is what is known as a "strong mayor" who is the day to day administrator who also controls the gavel and agenda in the mayor and board meetings. As a result, the mayor is considered the prize in the election each political party strives to win.

A young man of thirty-seven, Jason exhibited poise throughout the campaign and has not been drawn into debate on issues not of his choosing. Jason had indicated throughout his campaign, he will lead by developing consensus on the issues. Often consensus is best formed from the bottom up, similar to the experience he gained in "grass roots" development as a community organizer.

This will be important as the new mayor will be overseeing a transformational city grappling with many issues while facing what will surely be a shortage of funds. In addition, the incoming mayor will be working with what promises to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, board of aldermen to ever hold office in the City of Frederick.

The board of aldermen are the legislative branch under the City of Frederick charter and as such act as a check and balance to the mayor. The aldermen candidates in this election are very strong and it would appear the five chosen by the voters will not be a "rubber stamp" for the mayor.

While the overall election has been quiet, the alderman candidates have been busy with their individual campaigns. As I have stated in previous columns, the incumbent aldermen typically have an advantage in reelection with low voter turnout. The one exception to that notion might be Republican Alan Imhoff, who appears to be in danger of losing his seat. Look to see Republican Paul Smith and Donna Kuzemchak win reelection, with Donna falling back somewhat from the close second she finished in the Democratic primary. This due to her being in office for twelve years. For as much as Donna's experience will be needed in the next board, over twelve years every politician does make some enemies and Donna is no exception.

Democratic aldermen candidates Kelly Russell and Michael O'Connor have worked hard at reaching out to the voters. Both are knowledgeable of the issues facing the city and also know how to navigate city hall; a must for an incoming alderman. Their experience and compassion for the voters will make them competitive on Election Day.

Democrats Carol Krimm and Karen Young have also worked hard during this election and are also sure to compete strongly on Tuesday. While Ms. Krimm's experience as working as a aid to delegates Galen Clagett and Sue Hecht would be of benefit to the city, working for two politicians also brings their negative baggage with you when you face the voters on Election Day.

Unfortunately, Ms. Krimm also has the curse of having served over the last several years on the local Democratic state central committee. Mostly ineffective and dysfunctional over the last eight years, the local Democratic state central committee has not had a member elected to office since 1997 when then chair of the committee; Blaine Young was elected alderman. He later would switch parties and become a Republican. Nonetheless, Ms. Krimm's experience and knowledge of the inner workings of government would be a plus on the board of aldermen.

Karen Young who received the top votes in the Democratic primary, will also have to deal with voters who connect her with her husband; former mayor Ron Young. While Ron fared very well against Mayor Jennifer Dougherty in the Democratic primary four years ago, he lost to a political novice; Republican Jeff Holtzinger in the General Election. However, Karen has campaigned across party lines, has personal experience in working in the community, and will be competitive.

Republican aldermen Shelley Aloi was somewhat of a surprise in the primary and has done very well with fundraising since - she could replace incumbent Republican Alan Imhoff on the board. However a recent email blast to supporters of a column written by Roy Meachum and published on www.TheTentacle.com on Tuesday has bought her the ire of some Democrats.

Amanda Haddaway has also run a competitive campaign so look to see her be in the mix as well when the votes are being tallied. Her fundraising efforts lagged behind the other candidates and this will make it tougher for her to win election. While William Huckenpoehler surprised many to advance from the Republican primary, do not look to see another surprise on Tuesday.

Republican candidate for mayor; Randy McClement, a soft spoken man during the campaign, received an influx of cash recently to help his campaign get out the vote. Large donations were received from a variety of sources including; George Delaplaine Jr. - $500, Joe Welty - $1,000, Mark Gaver - $1,000, Earl Mackintosh - $500, Elsie Schildt - $500 and Friends of David Brinkley - $2,500. With this help radio ads have been purchased and are already running. In addition, McClement campaign caps now adorn the roofs of many city cabs.

Registered voters favor Democrats (15,000) in the city over Republicans (10,000) with another 6,000 unaffiliated voters having the ability to weigh in on November 3. While you would think this would favor the Democratic candidates, one would only need to look back one election to see Republican Jeff Holtzinger beat Ron Young; the Democratic candidate for mayor.

In that 2005 election, charges surfaced that former mayor Jennifer Dougherty encouraged her supporters to vote for Jeff Holtzinger. This time around after losing the primary, Ms. Dougherty made a point to issue a press release stating her support for Jason Judd and the Democratic candidates for aldermen.

The Judd campaign has consistently been sending out email blasts to his supporters whenever an endorsement is issued, but not one from Ms. Dougherty. I asked Jennifer about this at the FCC Mayoral Forum on Tuesday. She indicated she and Jason had exchanged emails following the primary trying to set up times to meet and had been unable to find a time that worked in their busy schedules.

I find this interesting as a few of her closest supporters have indicated to me they were going to vote for Randy McClement. I asked if Jennifer had suggested this and they said absolutely not. Instead, they said they had not been convinced by Mr. Judd to vote for him. In what could be another close mayoral race, the die-hard Dougherty supporters could make a difference. It's not too late for Jason and Jennifer to meet and for the Judd campaign to send out a email blast and issue a press release that includes Dougherty's endorsement. Why not reach out and help build consensus?

The voters would be well advised to vote for the Democrats on the ballot this year in The City of Frederick election. From Mayor through every one of the aldermen candidates, the Democrats on the ballot have the best interests of all the voters in the City of Frederick in mind and would serve them well.

Make sure you vote on November 3!

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Last City of Frederick Mayoral Forum to be Held Tomorrow

George Wenschhof

Tomorrow night, Frederick Community College at the Jack B. Kussmaul Theather will co-host the last mayoral forum prior to the election on November 3. The other co-sponsors include the Frederick News Post, WFMD 930 Radio and the Frederick County League of Women Voters. It will begin at 7:00 PM and consist of two one hour segments.

During the first hour, Democrat Jason Judd and Republican Randy McClemment will answer questions asked from a three member panel. The panel will include Cliff Cumber; Assistant City editor of the Frederick News Post, Dr. Mike Powell of Frederick Community College, and Kevin McManus from WFMD 930 Radio.

The second hour will be moderated by Cliff Cumber and include a portion where the candidates can ask each other questions. Cliff asked me the other day if this was a first for the city election and I have to say I do not ever remember a local candidate forum allowing questions to be asked by the candidates.

This could be interesting as so far the election has failed to capture the attention of the voters will only 17% of the registered Democrats and Republicans casting their ballots in the primary held on September 15. Will Jason Judd continue to play it safe by playing it close to the vest and not clearly taking positions on controversial issues? Or will Randy McClement take a swipe at Jason by pointing out his lack of local work experience and his history with the Services Employees International Union?

If voters cast their ballots along political party lines, Democratic candidate Jason Judd would be heavily favored as registered Democrats in the city are around 15,000 and Republicans are around 10,000. In addition, approximately 6,000 unaffiliated voters will have the opportunity at the polls so a heavy turnout among this group could influence a close election.

Unfortunately, it is predictable that less than 33% of the registered city voters will turn out on November 3. With the election so far being void of any controversy or clear distinction between the two mayoral candidates, this forum will be the last live public opportunity for Jason Judd and Randy McClement to show the voters why they should cast their ballot for them.

Make sure you attend and more importantly vote on November 3!

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City of Frederick NACs Host Candidates

George Wenschhof

I was glad I went to the Joint Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) meeting held at the new Bernard Brown Community Center on North Market Street in downtown Frederick. The meeting provided the opportunity to hear what the NACs had been doing and an opportunity for the candidates for mayor and alderman to answer questions they posed.

The first half of the two hour meeting consisted of reports from representatives of the 12 NACs. These reports which were also available in a hand-out to guests provided information as to the neighborhoods they served, some of their accomplishments, their top three issues and a wish list. All valuable information for candidates seeking office.

The second half of the meeting had the candidates answering in a three minute period, a randomly selected question previously written by the NACs.

About 50 people attended the forum, of which 15 were candidates for office, members of the press and Police Chief Kim Dine. It was obvious, as NAC leaders delivered their reports, Chief Dine had their full support. Dine also had available as a handout a brochure pertaining to citizen and police partnerships.

Only incumbent Republican alderman Alan Imhoff did not attend. His run for reelection has been characterized as a stealth campaign by many who feel he has done little to encourage voters to support his reelection. Incumbents generally have the advantage due to name recognition and the predictable low voter turnout in the City of Frederick election. However, incumbent Democratic alderman David "Kip' Koontz was eliminated in the primary showing voters may take a different approach to this election.

Does this mean Imhoff is also in trouble? We'll see in ten days when voters take to the polls on November 3. Republican aldermen candidates Amanda Haddaway and Shelley Aloi came across well as they answered their randomly chosen question posed by the NACs. I also noticed they both worked the room prior to the start, during the break and following the meeting and several Democrats attending the meeting made a point to mention their names to me. Look to see both of them be competitive on November 3.

The other Republican incumbent alderman Paul Smith did well with his answer pertaining to traffic issues bringing up the need to coordinate with the state the timing of certain traffic lights at various intersections throughout the city. Republican alderman candidate William Huckenpoehler was present for the first half of the meeting but due to a family issue had to leave prior to answering his question.

I was late getting back to the meeting after the break and missed the statement by Republican Randy McClement who had led off and most of what Democratic candidate Jason Judd had to say in regard to his question.

All of the Democratic candidates for aldermen performed well with their question with Kelly Russell talking about how she would support continued funds for the NACs. Carol Krimm discussed public safety with bringing up the idea of combining law enforcement agencies as well as looking at new technology available to help officers such as "pocket cop" currently being used in Baltimore County and Annapolis.

Donna Kuzemchak spoke of how she felt the NACs, first created in 2002 under the Dougherty administration was what she was proudest of during her 12 years in office. Michael O'Connor acknowledged the need to use all available code enforcement mechanisms to deal with blight created by neglected and vacant buildings within the city. Karen Young spoke of how she had reached out to the Hispanic population by being the first candidate to have Spanish translation of her campaign website. She also felt education was important in furthering communication.

The growth of the Neighborhood Advisory Councils has been impressive since their creation in 2002. They are a great way for voters to get involved in their community and to work with city hall to solve identified problems. I would encourage city residents to get involved and attend their NAC meetings.

During the next city administration, I would like to see each aldermen assigned to several NACs as their liaison to city hall. Eventually, I believe the next logical step would be to create aldermanic election districts.

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Voter Apathy Continues in City of Frederick, Md. Election

George Wenschhof

The readers of my website know I have been a proponent of moving the City of Frederick election to coincide with the Presidential election. This move would save money, remove questions surrounding where polling stations are located and more importantly, more than double voter turnout. My numerous columns on the subject are linked in the right hand margin of my home page.

This election continues the trend of very few voters participating on primary and general election days. The 17% turnout in the primary on September 15 included about a 20% Democratic vote which was 20% down from the 25% Democratic turnout in 2005. In 2005, it was former mayor Ron Young who successfully challenged incumbent Jennifer Dougherty only to lose in the general election to political unknown Republican Jeff Holtzinger.

While Jason Judd beat Jennifer Dougherty in the primary 59-35%, he only received 1,672 of the 15,118 registered Democratic voters which is only about 11%. Receiving 11% of the registered Democratic votes is hardly a mandate. It was no better on the Republican side as Randy McClement easily beat Ron Tobin; who had withdrawn prior to the primary, 72-21%. McClement's 1,099 votes were from a total of 9,825 registered Republicans which is also only 11%.

The mayoral race typically leads the interest of the voters as the mayor is who runs the city government on a day to day basis and the alderman are the elective legislative body. Adding to what is already a predictable low voter turnout are two mayoral candidates that could hardly be described as charismatic. Unfortunately, neither Democrat Jason Judd or Republican Randy McClement have exhibited spirited personalities, taken a strong position on a issue or proposed ideas that will inspire new voters to go to the polls.

As a result, you can assume no more than 33% or 10,000 of the approximately 31.200 registered voters (pre-primary) will go to the polls on November 3.

This is no longer acceptable and it is finally time for a change. We must demand from the incoming mayor and board that they take immediate action to change the city election date to coincide with the presidential election cycle. When I interviewed Jason Judd prior to the primary, he said he would support changing the city election date to coincide with the presidential election cycle - you can read that interview here. If elected, we need to hold him to this promise.

In addition, it is time to have an in depth discussion on the creation of aldermanic election districts which is a logical extension from the existing Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NACs). I also proposed aldermanic election districts in 1997, only to be shot down by the "establishment and staus quo" politicos who warned of Chicago style politics coming to Frederick if aldermen were elected by Districts.

My argument then is the same as it is today, which is the city boundaries are growing so fast, many voters have trouble identifying with living within a city or even knowing their city elected representatives. Jennifer Dougherty, when she campaigned for mayor in 2001 often pointed out at "House Meet and Greets" she agreed with my idea of aldermanic districts and if elected would propose and implement Neighborhood Advisory Councils. She was elected and she did implement the NACs. The 2009 incoming mayor and board would also be well advised to take the time to discuss the creation of aldermanic districts.

Representative Democracy is a wonderful way to govern. However, it works best when citizens vote. It is past time for elected city officials to take the necessary actions to improve democracy in the City of Frederick.

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City of Frederick, Md. Alderman Forum Tonight

George Wenschhof

Only two weeks remain before the general election on November 3. So, plan to attend the forum tonight at Frederick Community College. Moderated by Dr. Ken Kerr, it will begin at 7:00 PM and last until 9:00 PM.

All ten of the alderman candidates (5 Democrats and 5 Republicans) will be in attendance. Each will be given the opportunity for a two minute opening statement and a one minute closing statement.

The candidates will be randomly given one of 10 issues which are: annexations, taxes, traffic, economic development, police;crime and public safety, golden mile east and west end, city services, buy-out, budget, and intergovernmental relations. They will have two minutes to answer.

In addition, each candidate will have five opportunities for a one minute rebuttal which allows for each candidate to have input on up to six of the ten issues.

The candidates will also be available for you to meet before and after the forum. Typically, they will have a table with information available located in the lobby area of the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater.

This seems like a good format when you have ten candidates participating in a forum.

At this point the three incumbent aldermen; Donna Kuzemchak (D), Paul Smith (R) and Alan Imhoff (R) appear to have an edge over the remaining candidates primarily due to name recognition and an anticipated low voter turn out in the general election. I do not expect the voter turn out to exceed 33% or 10,000 voters.

If incumbency proves to be an advantage, that leaves seven alderman candidates vying for two spots on the board. Look to see the challengers try to make a statement on an issue that will stand out with the media and the voters as few days remain in the contest.

Democrat Karen Young is a favorite to advance after coming in first in the Democratic primary on September 15. While her last name is helpful in name recognition to the voters (she is married to former mayor Ron Young), Karen has continued to work hard to earn the support of the voters.

Working just as hard to prove themselves to the voters and show incumbency is not enough of an edge to the voters is Kelly Russell (D), Carol Krimm (D), Michael O'Connor (D), Shelley Aloi (R), Amanda Haddaway (R) and William Huchenpoehler (R).

Russell, Krimm and O'Connor all impressed me in the primary and continue to have my support. Aloi and Haddaway are certainly campaigning hard. I was impressed when Ms. Haddaway sent me a recent email pointing out her Democratic supporters on her website and asking if I would consider interviewing her live online as I had done for the Democratic candidates prior to the primary.

Even though I publish a Democratic News and Commentary website, I would have interviewed her if I had the time to also interview the rest of the Republican aldermen prior to the election. I explained the lack of time and the issue of fairness and she understood.

Next week on Tuesday, the mayoral candidates will face off at the same location also beginning at 7:00 PM. Democrat Jason Judd and Republican Randy McClement will answer questions posed by a three member panel during the first hour. The three members of the panel will be Cliff Cumber - Frederick News Post Assistant City Editor, Dr. Mike Powell - Frederick Community College, and Kevin McManus - WFMD 930 Radio. The second hour will be moderated by Cliff Cumber and will include a portion during which the candidates can ask each other questions. This will be fun to see what they ask each other with only one week left prior to the election.

Both candidate forums are sponsored by Frederick Community College, Frederick County League of Women Voters, WFMD 930 Radio and the Frederick News Post. Plan to attend both!

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Will Recent City of Frederick Annexations Impact City Election?

George Wenschhof

Doubtful, would be my response to the headline question. The apathy exhibited by the city voters with their low voter turnout combined with a deafening silence in campaigning by any of the mayoral or alderman candidates would indicate the current annexation debate will not impact the November 3 election. However, this is an important issue and city voters and their opinions should be heard.

Two northern farms (Thatcher and Crum) along with the Summers farm on the west side were approved for annexation by the mayor and board with promises of a increase of jobs, higher taxation revenues which are needed along with other promises from developers to sweeten the pot.

Frederick County Commissioners have unanimously indicated they will vote to deny the annexations after seeing the results of the recent drive to gather enough signatures (20% of city registered voters) to force the annexation decision to a referendum by city voters. The deadline for obtaining the needed signatures is Sunday. If successful, the signatures would still need to withstand scrutiny and verification by, I am assuming, the City Board of Elections. If the petition for referendum fails or an actual referendum is unsuccessful in reversing the mayor and board decision to annex the three farms, the county vote to deny will prohibit development for five years.

Much has been said about the escalating of this issue by the city and county officials, speculating much of the argument surrounds "turf" battles. However, the annexation process has been in place for years for the purpose of creating some checks and balances on something as important as the incorporation of property within a municipal limits and the impact of it's subsequent development.

The review by state agencies is also part of the process and not a new addition or personal vendetta on their part against the city or the county when their comments are added to the record.

What does change over time is the individuals who are the city and county elected officials. Their opinions certainly impact on decisions such as annexations and have been taken into account when annexation requests were made over the years.

As one who has worked in the real estate development field in the past, I witnessed many different county boards of commissioners and various municipal officials go through the annexation approval process on numerous occasions.

One paramount and pivotal review which is always done is does the land in question fall withing the growth boundaries previously agreed upon by the county and municipality and is the planned development consistent with the planned zoning of the property. In this case, the three city annexations do fall within the comprehensively planned growth areas.

A short look back in time shows the city comprehensive plan update was approved during the last months in the Jennifer Dougherty (D) administration. Many at the time said the process was rushed inferring Dougherty knew she had the favorable aldermen votes to pass the proposed update.

Nonetheless, it did pass and the county commissioners did not object to this city comprehensive plan update. Today, those in favor of the three approved city annexations point this out and ask "why are the county commissioners objecting now?".

A good question, yet the planned growth area does not appear to be the question by the current county board of commissioners. The concerns I have read and heard after having spoken to Board President Jan Gardner and Commissioner Kai Hagen are more development detail oriented.

Gardner is concerned with how school capacity is being calculated and how is the need for a new school is being addressed. Hagen correctly points out the northern annexations do not spell out any agreement with the county to provide needed sewer to the property; without such agreement development will not occur. They also feel the manner to be utilized to mitigate the traffic issues on U.S. 15 are not clearly spelled out. In addition, they had questions surrounding fire and emergency rescue services available for the area.

The petition drive to move the city approval of the annexations is the first time in my recollection ever being done. However, again the law provides for a 45 day period following an approval of an annexation for a petition to take place.

Instead of recognizing this is an approved part of the approval process, charges and counter charges have transpired among some voters. The city and county electeds along with even former city mayors have also weighed in on with their views on the annexations, communicating with voters through letters, web pages and even a video with their position.

The recent passage by the county commissioners 4-1 of a resolution to require a referendum by the residents of the annexed properties is a right by law they have. However, in this case with reportedly only owners and a few tenants residing on the properties, this was indeed an unnecessary move by the commissioners. The vote was more of a tweak of the city, resulting in the minor cost for a very small special referendum election but what will do little else in regard to the outcome of the development of the annexed properties.

This section of the law is there in the case of larger subdivisions being annexed into a municipality so as to get feedback from those who would be affected. An example would be the Clover Hill subdivisions adjacent to the city.

Nonetheless, many of the questions being asked by county commissioners are important. Municipal authority is one I will always support. Yet, today the need to plan and cooperate on a regional basis is more important than ever.

The idea of comprehensive plans for municipalities and counties has been around for quite some time as a means to help plan for future growth and the impact that it has. Perhaps, it is time to review the current process, recognizing the impacts of growth now have effects outside of the city and county and often times even the state in which they are planned. Developing regional planning models for water, sewer, roads and transportation, seems to be worthy of serious consideration by all elected officials.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley does have some effort underway in the state as they recognize the need to work closely with neighboring states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

While it is doubtful the recent annexation of three farms into The City of Frederick will impact the election, I do hope the incoming mayor and board recognize the importance of regional planning. Many issues remain to be resolved before development can take place on these properties and cooperation with county elected officials will be needed in order to move forward.

If the petition drive fails and the county commissioners vote to deny the city annexations as they have promised, in effect, a five year moratorium will be put on the development of these properties. As commissioner Hagen correctly points out, if the city and county can not reach an agreement on the provision of sewer to the two northern annexations, development will not occur on those properties.

I would then suspect this would all result in a bigger impact on the 2010 county commissioner election. I would anticipate some candidates backed by pro-grow entities to promise to overturn the previous county board decision and to promise to reach agreement on the extension of sewer services.

Stay Tuned.

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Governor O'Malley Endorses Judd

George Wenschhof

I just received a press release with Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley expressing his support for Jason Judd for mayor of The City of Frederick. This should hardly come as a surprise as the Governor is a strong supporter of Democrats.

Back in the 2001 city election, I requested O'Malley to headline a campaign rally days prior to the general election in support of Democrat Jennifer Dougherty for Mayor and the Democratic slate of aldermen.

He gladly accepted and attended the event held at Whitaker at Hood College along with his Father-in-Law; Attorney General Joe Curren. I had also managed to have O'Malley's March" or perhaps it was called "The March" by then to play at the rally. Martin was mayor of The City of Baltimore at that time, but it was obvious by his appeal to everyone in attendance, he had future political opportunities ahead of him. He joined his former band and played guitar and sang for what seemed like an hour, highlighting a successful campaign rally.

Dougherty would go on to win that 2001 election and three Democrats were elected as Aldermen.

This weekend, Frederick County Young Democrats joined by volunteers will be dropping off leaflets of The City of Frederick Democratic ticket. It is similar to what we produced back in 2001 including a photo and a short platform description so look forward to receiving over the weekend.

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The City of Frederick Administrative Structure Deserves Examination

George Wenschhof

One of the more important functions of a mayor in The City of Frederick is the ability, with the consent of the aldermen, to develop the city organization personnel structure. The examination of the current organizational chart along with the responsibilities of positions is something an incoming mayor should immediately undertake.

For, it is a strong and efficient organization that will ultimately be responsible for implementing a new mayor's goals and objectives while continuing to provide the necessary services to the public.

It was surprising to me, when I threw out this question to all three Democratic candidates for mayor when I conducted my live online interviews prior to the primary, that none of them spent any significant time answering the question. Their interviews are still linked in the right hand margin of my homepage.

I threw out three titles (city manager, public information officer, and intergovernmental affairs director) of positions hoping to generate some discussion on the merits of them or others. I had also hoped for the acknowledgement and further elaboration into the importance of an efficient organization as it is commonly accepted that lean finances will be a major obstacle for the next mayor and board.

Not one candidate chose to discuss the need for an Intergovernmental Affairs Director in spite of example after example of a glaring need to have this position in city hall. The position would be responsible for improving relations between the city, the federal government, state government and county government. Along the way, this person would also be identifying and working to secure available grants that would be beneficial to the city.

The recent annexation debacle with elected city, county, and state officials in disagreement is a perfect example of how this position may have been beneficial. The annexation and approval of a new development does not address the problems facing much of the residential and commercial development in the west end of the city.

Prior to proceeding with even the Summers farm annexation on the west side, the city would be better served to examine ways other similar sized and located cities have redeveloped an area similar to the west side faced with many of the same issues. Incorporating the planned development of the Summers farm into an overall larger master redevelopment plan for the west end of the city makes more sense.

Another position I asked the candidates about was a city manager. A chief of staff position to the mayor makes more sense and would certainly be helpful. This position would also aid in clear lines of communication between department heads and the mayor. What has happened in the past when a mayor does not want to go through the hassle of obtaining aldermen approval for a new position, an existing position is filled, but the mayor has the hired individual take on different responsibilities. A current example is Ron Tobin who actually serves in a manner similar to a chief of staff to the mayor, but has another title.

A public information officer is certainly a positive and in this day of Internet capabilities, could be a person to manage both the city website along with providing information to the public. Continuing to improve communications through the Internet between departments and citizens should be a priority for the incoming administration.

I throw these three positions out for consideration as examples of what the incoming mayor and board should be examining immediately upon assuming office. Perhaps a committee should be formed and tasked with reviewing the current administrative structure of city government. This would be better than being faced with freezing vacant positions or cutting positions without an overall plan as a result of financial revenue shortfalls. The committee report and recommendations should be submitted to the mayor and board within 30-60 days of their taking office so action can be taken swiftly.

More efficient government will be a requirement in the immediate years ahead as the country and the world continues to recover from the severe recession. In the city, we can do our part by reviewing the existing governmental structure and making those revisions necessary for more effective services.

Even in days of good economic times, a mayor's goals and visions are aided by a strong and effective administrative structure. Let's hope this examination is undertaken by the new mayor and board.

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Questions Surround City of Frederick Annexations

George Wenschhof

The City of Frederick, Maryland municipal election has been, on the most part, a snore up to now. The actions by incumbent Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger who said he was not going to run again, followed by a decision to file for reelection and ending by withdrawing from the race has been the highlight of the election.

The momentary excitement of a contested Republican mayoral primary ended when city employee Ron Tobin, who was recruited to run by some of the "good old boys", announced he was withdrawing due to health issues. As a result, Randy McClement with essentially no competition, easily won the Republican party nomination.

The Democratic primary, while having the elements of an exciting primary with newcomer Jason Judd backed by former mayor Ron Young facing another former mayor and nemesis; Jennifer Dougherty, never caught the attention of the voters. Mr. Judd ran a careful campaign and Ms. Dougherty tried to show her nice side. However, while trying to be nice, she never pointed out any differences she had on the issues with Judd.

Any major questions surrounding the recent city annexations of three farms never really surfaced during the primary campaign. I had thought this may become an issue with voters and had asked the Democratic candidates for mayor and aldermen their positions on this issue when I interviewed them live online prior to the primary on September 15.

Ms. Dougherty took a laissez faire approach to answering, pointing out the decision would be made prior to when she would take office. Mr. Judd, as has become his customary response to any question, pointed out his preference for infill development and concern for added traffic to U.S. 15, but stopped short of saying he supported or opposed the annexations.

Only Michael O'Connor, of the five Democratic aldermen to advance to the general election, stated he opposed the annexations. He went on to say he would support a petition drive, if started, to force the issue to a referendum.

As everyone now knows, the annexations were approved by the mayor and board with the county government officials unanimously in opposition, thus creating a five year moratorium on the development of these properties. Sure enough, in addition, a petition drive was started with a deadline looming of 45 days to collect signatures from 20% of the registered city voters. Interestingly, the city charter requirement of 20% will exceed the actual number of voters who turned out in the primary election.

It appears approximately 6500 verified signatures will be needed to make this the first City of Frederick annexation forced to a decision by the voters. The question as to who will verify the signatures is yet to be determined, but my guess would be the City of Frederick board of elections.

Frederick County Commissioner Kai Hagen has joined with Janet Wiles of Friends of Frederick County to spearhead the effort, even offering volunteers $1 per signature. If those in opposition could clone city activist Malgo Schmidt, they would surely meet this goal. I ran into her on Saturday and she was tirelessly talking to folks who were all signing the petition. It appeared she alone had close to 800 signatures. However, when others are asked how the effort is progressing, no one is willing to go on the record with a number with only one last week to go before the 45 days have expired.

Incumbent Mayor Jeff Holtzinger responded to the opposition by sending a letter to all registered voters asking they not sign the petition while encouraging them to get all the facts. Unfortunately, he failed to disclose in the letter it was paid for by the Developers and Owners of the properties which had been annexed.

Frederick county commissioner John "Lenny" Thompson, not wanting to be left out of such an important issue, took the time to draft de-annexation measures which he hoped the new city mayor and board would utilize upon their taking office. In effect, this action, if taken, would nullify the annexations.

Frederick County Commissioners Board President Jan Gardner added a web page to the county government website dedicated to this annexation issue and why the annexations should be denied.

Those in favor of the annexations, perhaps fearful the petition drive would be successful and this become the first city annexation put to a vote, recruited the odd coupling of former mayors and adversaries Ron Young, James Grimes and Jennifer Dougherty to pen a letter in support.

So where do the current mayoral candidates stand? In what has now become a predictable reaction, Democrat Jason Judd emailed his supporters his present position on the annexations in which he said many things, but lacked decisiveness in his statements. He did sign the petition, but stopped short of saying he personally was opposed, instead using the approach he felt this was an issue the voters should decide. The problem with this answer is the city does not govern by referendum and the mayor as executive is who is elected to make these type of decisions along with the consent of the board of aldermen.

Republican Randy McClement feels it may be an opportunity for the city to obtain some "BRAC" funds to help pay for the needed U.S. 15 interchange.

Will the petition drive be successful is a question that will be answered in a week. Will this issue have an effect on the City of Frederick election is a question that will analyzed after the November 3 general election results.

I have often wondered that with the Frederick County Commissioners in unanimous opposition that results in a five year moratorium on development of the properties, why the rush for approval? Tax benefits will not be received by the city in any large measure until development of the properties.

In three weeks the city election will conclude and a new mayor and board of aldermen will have been determined. Next year, the Frederick County Commissioners face election. By waiting a little more than one year, the newly elected city and county officials could have tackled the issues surrounding these three annexations and with county approval, the annexations could proceed in a faster manner than after five years as is the case now.

Along the way, over the next year, city and county with state staff could examine ways to incorporate regional planning into the annexation approval process by municipalities.

We all now painfully realize water and sewer capacity is not merely a local issue. Nor is the impact of traffic generated by a local development on state and federal roads. Rather than battling over who has authority in the annexation approval process, time spent by staff at all levels of government working together to develop regional impact models would appear to be time well spent.

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