City of Frederick, MD Democratic Chatter

George Wenschhof Bio

The race for Mayor of the City of Frederick is shaping up as a do-over of the 2005 election. All indications are former Democratic Mayor Jennifer Dougherty will announce her candidacy any day now. While another former Mayor Ron Young, her Democratic opponent in the 2005 city election, is supporting newcomer Jason Judd. The other Democratic candidate for Mayor is Jack Lynch.

For Ms. Dougherty, this will make her sixth attempt for public office while it is the first for Mr. Judd and Mr. Lynch. It was just last year Ms. Dougherty won the Democratic party nomination for Congress in the sixth district of Maryland. While she did not do any better in the general election than the Democratic nominee Andrew Duck did in the 2006 election, she did win the City of Frederick with 56% of the vote.

She did work hard at mending fences after the 2008 Congressional primary so look to see her continue to work at finding common ground among city voters. So far, in addition to her closest advisers, she has been reaching out to members in the community to discuss her interest in running for Mayor. Upon hearing of former city alderman Bill Hall's intention to run again Ms. Dougherty placed a call and had a conversation with him. She has also met with alderman Marcia Hall who recently announced she would not be running for any office this year. Marcia Hall had briefly entertained running for Mayor.

If Dougherty wins, she will be 2-6 in her attempts for elective office and at .333, that would make her a superstar in major league baseball today. If she would lose, at 1-6 and .166, she would be out of baseball and most likely any future quest for elected office would be over as well. The often visible and reported disagreements between Mayor Dougherty and Republican aldermen became a distraction during her term in office. However, if she has learned to lay off the high fastball and learned to hit the curve ball, expect a very competitive race and a good shot at returning to city hall.

Look for Ms. Dougherty to focus on the important issues facing the City of Frederick today and the need to have experienced leaders in office. The city budget and finances will surely be one of the major areas which will receive her attention.

Meanwhile, Jason Judd will need to shake the image of being the surrogate for Ron Young. His Union work experience also continues to be a issue with some city voters. Interestingly, when he submitted and we published his announcement column (we announced in July 2008 we will do the same for all Democratic candidates), Mr. Judd never once mentioned his work for Unions in describing his work experience.

Perhaps this was an oversight, but Mr. Judd should not avoid discussing his work with the Services Employees International Union (SEIU). An opponent could easily perceive this as a weakness and try to exploit his past work experience. The positives of what unions have accomplished for working men and women should be acknowledged and not ignored.

Not helping Judd break the surrogate label, was a letter to the editor from Ron Young that appeared in the Frederick Gazette today. Here he says he is not just against Jennifer Dougherty but is supporting Jason Judd because.... Interestingly, Mr. Young brings up and questions the residency of current Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger. Funny, due to the fact Ron Young did not meet the residency requirements that were in place when he wanted to challenge Jennifer Dougherty in the 2005 primary. This led to the squabble among elected city officials, ultimately resulting in a one year residency requirement which Ron Young did meet. Along the way, as the residency squabble was playing out, Republican Jeff Holtzinger whose residency was just outside the City of Frederick's boundary, became eligible to file and did so.

Do not look to see the residency issue be an important factor with the voters in this election. In fact, many are tired of hearing about residency and instead want the candidates to focus on the issues.

As to the city aldermen race, Kelly Russell remains the only Democrat to file for office. A link to her website is located in the right hand margin of our site so go and check it out. James Racheff sent me an email recently saying he will not be running for aldermen. He has a new job and young children he loves spending time with and does not want to miss those precious moments. Mr. Racheff will stay involved with politics by helping out on the Judd for Mayor campaign. Look for Mr. Racheff to run for office in the future.

Although alderman David "Kip'" Koontz has considered running for Mayor, do not look for him to do so if Jennifer Dougherty announces soon. He will be competitive for reelection for alderman. Incumbent Donna Kuzemchak will most likely run for her fourth term and will also be a favorite for reelection. As mentioned in a previous column on our site, former two term alderman Bill Hall is expected to announce his run for alderman after switching his voter registration back to Democrat. He will be a formidable candidate.

As I indicated last week, Burke Miller, the President of the Frederick County Young Democrats is weighing entering the race. He will know more after he makes his decision on Law school over the next several weeks. Another possible candidate that has surfaced in conversations I have had with Democrats is Michael O'Connor who was recently the host of the local cable "Pressing Issues" political discussion show. He ran previous for state delegate and lost. Mr. O'Connor is knowledgeable of city issues and would be a competitive candidate. Another name that was mentioned to me by several individuals is Josh Bokee. I have not met him but was told he serves on the Whittier Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) and may be interested in running for alderman.

Stay tuned....

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Frederick Co. MD Democratic Buzz

George Wenschhof Bio

The City of Frederick election is slow getting started but may turn out to be interesting as the year unfolds.

The only Democrats to file for the City of Frederick election, remain Jack Lynch for Mayor and Kelly Russell for Alderman. Both have websites and links can be found in the lower right hand margin of our Home Page. Go check them out and if you support their positions and feel like helping in a campaign, contact them with your interest.

Unannounced Democratic candidate for Mayor Jason Judd, believes the residency of current Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger is an issue that should be debated in the campaign. Holtzinger has publicly stated he has rented a home within the city limits and has met the requirements of the law. This, while maintaining his family residency just outside the city boundary.

Doubtful, Judd can make an issue of this, as Holtzinger's life-long experience in Frederick will make this a minor point in the campaign, but let's see. The fact no current elected city official or any private citizen has taken any legal action underscores the weakness of this issue in the election.

Meanwhile, Judd continues to work at building his campaign organization by soliciting help, including individual members of the newly formed Frederick Young Democrats.

There is an acronym (MOM) I have often used to help describe what it takes for a successful campaign - it stands for Message, Organization, and Money.

Judd is working to develop his organization as his experience as a Union field organizer has trained him to do. However, he remains an unknown to the voters, his message needs to be developed, and he will need to be able to raise funds to be competitive in the race for Mayor.

Incumbent Democrat Alderman Marcia Hall who intends to file for Mayor, continues to try to distance herself from supporting Mayor Holtzinger.

It was reported she did not support the recent negotiated 18 million purchase of the "Hargett farm" for a city park. However, this price was much lower than originally anticipated and this acquisition may no longer be an issue in the upcoming campaign. Katherine Heerbrandt, a columnist with the Frederick News Post wrote a good piece on this issue here.

Marcia is extremely well liked and has a strong existing organization. If her message to the voters and her ability to raise funds is strong, she will be a formidable candidate and is the present favorite to become the Democratic Party nominee.

Democrat Jack Lynch has partially developed a message centered on managed growth but continues to work at developing his organization and raising funds for his campaign. If he is able to build his campaign organization, he will have an impact on the race.

Meanwhile, there continues to be rumblings that Democrat Jennifer Dougherty will enter the race for Mayor. If the three known Democratic candidates for Mayor do not exhibit their strength with message, organization and money, expect her to enter the race.

If she does not enter the race, Ms. Dougherty will support Marcia Hall and with Ron Young supporting Judd, it will be another male v. female battle in the Democratic primary.

As someone who interacts with many city voters of all political affiliation, other than from the usual Democratic activists, I am not presently hearing a strong sentiment for the removal of Republican Mayor Jeff Holtzinger. This dynamic will need to change over the next seven months for the Democratic nominee for Mayor to be successful in November.

The Democratic nominee for Mayor will need to have a clear message of change that resonates with the voters.

Nothing new to report on the possible Democratic candidates for Aldermen. Incumbent Democrats Aldermen David "Kip" Koontz and Donna Kuzemchak remain strong candidates for reelection.

"Trish" Cunningham and James Racheff remain likely candidates for Alderman. It is actually surprising that Cunningham, who ran unsuccessfully in the last city election, has not filed. Racheff, who is busy with work and family, is able to find the time to dedicate to campaigning, will make a solid candidate for Aldermen.

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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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