2014 Political Season Buzz Begins

George Wenschhof

With absentee ballots still to be counted today before results of The City of Frederick election is official, attention is already shifting to what will be a very busy 2014 election year.

The primary election will be held June 24, 2014 and the general election will be on November 4, 2014.

Democratic candidate for Frederick County executive; Jan Gardner will make her official announcement on Saturday November 9 at 1:00 PM in front of Winchester Hall.

In her zeal to be the first to announce, she inadvertently stepped on a planned candidate training day sponsored by the Frederick County Democratic state central committee.  I’m hearing the class will be given a recess and invited to attend her announcement.

Voters in Frederick County will have a crowded ballot next year when they elect the Governor and Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, Congressman, state senator, state delegates, county executive, seven council members, Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Clerk of the Court, Register of Wills and three Orphans Court judges.

Whew!  It is no wonder Gardner is trying to get a head start.  Rumors of infidelity continue to swirl around Frederick Republican board of county commissioner president Blaine Young.  So, the much anticipated contest between Young and Gardner may not take place.

While, the dirt is flying around Blogs smearing Blaine Young, local Republican leaders have told me there is damaging information on Jan Gardner that will certainly surface.

After, witnessing the negative robo-calls made by the state Republican Party against Democratic alderman-elect Donna Kuzemchak, one can only hope the county executive election next year focuses on the issues and electing the best person.

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and his running mate Howard county executive Ken Ulman have jumped out in front in the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor and their Frederick County chairs are Goodloe (Geb) Byron and Elizabeth Chung.

Speaking of negative campaigning and Attorney General Doug Ganslers name immediately surfaces.  It is obvious, someone opposing his campaign for Governor has been leaking negative information on Gansler as his campaign has been forced to endure accusations concerning his alleged reference to Brown appealing to African Americans, a state trooper dust up over improper driving and the latest photos of Gansler present at a underage beer blast at a beach house.

Meanwhile, state delegate Heather Mizeur, a huge underdog in the race, continues to campaign across the state building her grassroots support.

Republican candidates for governor are Harford County Executive David R. Craig, Del. Ron George of Anne Arundel County and Charles Lollar, a Charles County business executive.  

Lt. Governor Brown is the early favorite to win, but don’t count out Gansler who has an impressive record and a campaign fund to compete seriously in the race for Governor.

Frederick County congressmen Chris Van Hollen(D) and John Delaney(D) are both expected to win reelection.

Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), who toyed with the idea of running for Governor, is easily expected to win re-election.

The two early favorites to replace Attorney General Doug Gansler are state delegates Brian Frosh and Jon Cardin.

In addition to electing a county executive for the first time, Frederick County voters will be electing seven council members; five from districts and two at-large.

Whitney Duck (D) is expected to run in the Brunswick district and Jessica Fitzwater (D) has announced she will be running in one of the two city of Frederick districts.  Expect more announcements soon.

In the local state delegate races, look to see Stephen Slater (D) run in district 3-b and look to see lots of juggling among candidates for the two open seats in district 3-a.  Former City of Frederick alderman Carol Krimm(D) is expected to run.  Other names surfacing are Karen Young (D) who just lost in her bid for mayor of Frederick, Ryan Trout (D), who ran for delegate in district 4-a in 2010 and lost.  Trout will need to leave his position with the city Housing Authority, where he is prohibited from running by the Hatch Act.

 

Maryland state delegate Galen Clagett (D-district 3-a), who lost in the Democratic primary in his bid to become mayor of Frederick, assured me yesterday he was not going to be running for re-election.

County Commissioner Paul Smith(R) has also been rumored to be running for delegate in district 3-a. 

The 2014 political season is just getting started, so there will be much to follow.

Stay tuned.

 

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Young Given Carte Blanche

George Wenschhof

My immediate fear of the results from the county commissioner election last year in Frederick County, Maryland, has unfortunately been proven true. As I followed the election last year, I was disappointed that once again, Frederick county voters were subjected to a "growth" versus "no-growth" theme from the aspiring candidates.

I lamented on how this theme had dominated over the past twenty years and as a result, voters in Frederick County had suffered. My subsequent endorsements were aimed at an attempt to bring a balance board to office. One, I believed Frederick County voters deserved.

The dramatic pendulum swings from one direction to the other every four to eight years have brought about instability, affecting everything from government services and economic development, to nonprofits who provide services to those in need.

The 2010 election followed four years in office of the so-called "Dream Team", a bipartisan group of four commissioners who fell into the "no-growth" category.

Knowing Blaine Young, who was leading the latest version of the "pro-growth" team, would win big, due to the lack of strong candidates in the race, I choose to support Democrats Michael Kurtianyk and Linda Norris along with Republicans Paul Smith and Billy Shreve.

Although, Republicans would form a majority, I opined a balanced board would result.

While I was correct Young would win big, I underestimated his strength to carry three fellow "pro-growth" candidates into office with him.

Unfortunately, when the votes were counted, all Republicans were elected to the board, with David Gray being the lone wolf left from the previous anti-growth board. Gray has subsequently been regulated to taking up space at board meetings, his thoughts on issues totally dismissed.

Gray's attempts to raise the level of discussion on issues he is passionate about by holding separate meetings open to the public; have resulted in attendance by only a handful of far left wing activists. A sad picture to witness and one which supports my call for his defeat in last year's election.

Blaine Young, winning the most votes, has gone about making changes at lightning speed, since becoming president of the board.

The moves have been many; appointing a charter writing board, balancing the 3% budget deficit with draconian cuts to Head Start and non-profits, changes in county staff and department alignment, review of the controversial down zonings which took place during the previous board, privatization moves in county owned nursing homes, examining privatizing government services, reduction of fees charged to developers and adding prayer to the start of county meetings, are but some of the many changes made in less than six months.

Balancing the budget on the backs of needy children and seniors is not an action I will ever support. Cutting back funding to non profits during a time they are needed more than ever makes little sense.

The blitzkrieg assaults on Frederick County policies and procedures a result of Blaine Young being given carte blanche by the commissioners who rode his coattails into office; Billy Shreve, Paul Smith and Kirby Delauter.

Delauter, Shreve and Smith have taken the role of a devoted call in listener to Blaine Young's popular local radio talk show, never questioning what is being presented, or even offering a proposal of their own.

Delauter, who along with Young have made clear they are only serving one term in office, often expressing it in such a way; they should be honored by doing so. However, with only serving one term, there is no accountability to the voters and we are already seeing the destruction one can cause when there is no intent to run for another term. Promising to serve for only one term is hardly the pledge most voters want to hear from a candidate.

Adding further injury to voters is the state of Maryland has no recall provision for county commissioners.

Shreve and Smith, however, may wish to run for reelection and being a puppet to Young for four years will not endear or distinguish them to the voters when the 2014 election is held.

Blaine Young understands how to use the position he is in better than many who have served before him. However, his actions to date do not show the wisdom of reasonable and fair decisions, but rather, decisions based on reversing what the previous board had done.

Young is also showing he believes in the Republican Party mantra of government should be run like a business. Problem is, government is not a business and should never be run as such – It exists to provide services to all in a fair and equal manner at present and into the future, regardless of their status in life. Business exists to make a profit, and rightfully so.

The old saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is one to keep in mind during the one term Blaine Young serves as president of the board. That is not to say Young will be corrupt, rather it is to point out too much power in the hands of one person is not what was intended in the county commissioner form of government.

Young understands in politics making moves early and quickly in one's term increases the odds of immediate success in those endeavors as well as the likelihood voters will forget by the time they go to the polls in three and one-half years.

As a result, at present, political opponents are on their heels, unable to mount a defense or present alternatives as the changes are happening so fast.

However, the actions taken by the board to date already ensures another destructive "growth" versus no-growth" election battle will take place in less than four years.

I believe we can do better. Frederick County voters deserve reasonable, fair, effective and balanced representation - They should demand it.

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Frederick County Political Buzz

George Wenschhof

New Frederick County Maryland Board of County Commissioners take Office - in a swearing in ceremony I attended at the Null Building located on the Frederick Fairgrounds. A nice crowd attended on a chilly and rainy day.

The first time I can recall an all Republican Board of Commissioners having won election in Frederick County. This punctuates the work cut out for the new chair of the Frederick Democratic Central Committee Myrna Whitworth.

The first comments and actions taken by the new Board pertained to benefits received by county commissioners - as all three of the new commissioners are employed and receiving benefits, they saw no need to receive county benefits and moved to remove them, joined by board president Blaine Young. While the savings are minor compared to the size of the overall county budget, the proposal is in line with campaign promises made by four of the commissioners.

A better final action would be to make the benefits an option to elected commissioners. Not all candidates in the future will have benefits from another job to rely on and the lack of these benefits could easily dissuade qualified candidates from running for office.

Making it an option, would allow them to meet their campaign promises by refusing to accept the benefits, while not jeopardizing county residents with the possibility of a lack of qualified candidates in future elections.

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It did not take the new commissioners long to exhibit changes are afoot. They moved quickly to fill the vacant assistant county manager position with the hiring of David Dunn who was city manager of the Town of Brunswick. This is a big step up for Dunn, but he is due time to see how well he performs in his new position.

The other person to benefit is current county manager Barry Stanton who was promoted by the former board from the assistant county manager position, right before the election - after Ron Hart's second retirement. Stanton staying in this position after the new board was sworn in was a question mark to some who follow local politics. Stanton apparently is on board with the objectives outlined by the majority of the new board, expressed by them during the campaign.

Division Chiefs in the county all are appointed positions so stay tuned to see if any changes are to come. Also, watch to see if any department heads resign over the next several months.

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The inclusion of requests to the Frederick county state delegation, of immigration related proposals, by Sheriff Chuck Jenkins and former Republican County Commissioners John Thompson and Charles Jenkins was hardly a surprise.

I opposed them four years ago and continue to do so. The counting of children of illegal immigrants in the public school system would be cumbersome and of no practical use. In addition, the Maryland General Assembly will never pass such a law. So, the local action is merely a political exercise to further promote a perceived popular local position on this volatile issue.

Instead, as immigration is a federal issue, pressure should be put on members of Congress to tackle, discuss and implement a comprehensive immigration reform law which would include the strengthening of U.S. borders, an update in current immigration procedures and a reasonable fair pathway to citizenship.

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The new board also voted to appoint by March, 2011, a charter writing committee with the question being put to the voters in the 2012 presidential election. A good move and one which I have supported for quite some time. The vote, to coincide with the presidential election will also ensure the highest voter turnout, without the extra cost of a special election.

My first published column on the issue appeared in TheTentacle.com on February 2, 2007. A more recent column written by me entitled "Change Needed in Frederick County Government" was published on my website on October 6, 2010, prior to the election. One point, of many which appeared in the first piece which I felt strongly about then and still do today, is "The charge given to the charter-writing committee should require that it hold an on-going series of open and public meetings throughout Frederick County to solicit feedback and input from the residents".

The committee, once established, will have up to eighteen months to complete the charter so there is ample time to hold regional meetings throughout the county.

Some opine the creation of the charter writing committee is a continuation of the "growth" versus "no-growth" political battles over the last twenty years. It is no more that than it is a result of political affiliation. As, it was a Democratic majority board who appointed the charter writing committee back in 1991.

Rather, it is about more effective government.

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New commissioner Paul Smith caused a stir on his reported request to repeal the ethics law. Not something the average voter would be in favor of taking place. I understood more specifically what he was proposing as I questioned the law originally put forward by former commissioner John Thompson. It was an amendment, as I recall, to the ethics ordinance, which required an onerous reporting of any contact by commissioners with people they spoke to, in regard to pending land-use applicants. Included, in the law, was a fine for failing to comply.

Unfortunately, for Commissioner Smith, he failed to fully explain his proposal and when he finally did so, to Frederick New Post Reporter Meg Tully, her article appeared after public reaction was already whipped up opposing his proposal.

Board President Blaine Young, showed his political wisdom, by not voting with Smith. Commissioner Smith would have been better served had he expressed his concerns of this section of the ethics law and requesting a review as opposed to voting to repeal before public discussion took place on the issue.

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Next up for the commissioners is to reconcile a projected 11.8 million budget shortfall. Reporter Sherry Greenfield of The Gazette wrote in a recent article that County Budget Officer Michael Gastley was surprised that property tax revenues were down. You have to wonder what planet he has been living on as the entire country has experienced a major recession, with reduced property values a resulting cause and effect.

The General Fund Summary total for 2011 is 438,308,019 with the Board of Education receiving 52%. Fortunately, while 11.8 million is a substantial figure, it is less than 3% of the 2011 general fund total.

Hopefully, a concentrated effort is made to reduce the possibility of lost county jobs due to the anticipated loss in revenue. Another area that deserves attention is the debt service, which at 33 million, currently makes up 8% of the general fund - if renegotiation of terms or other changes are possible to reduce the debt load, it should be done.

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Frederick County Democratic Central Committee chair Myrna Whitworth responded to the early actions by the Commissioners with an angry letter to the editor published on December 8 in the Frederick News Post. Unfortunately, the reaction from many who read the letter was it had the tone of sour grapes.

Perhaps, she would be better served by looking inward and devoting energy to rebuilding a dysfunctional and ineffective Democratic central committee. The committee currently lacks all three of the major components which foster success in politics; message, organization, and money.

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All in all, no surprises so far by the new Board of Commissioners. Stay tuned...

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Change Needed in Frederick County, Maryland Government

George Wenschhof

For twenty years, residents of Frederick County Maryland have been governed by either a "pro-growth" or "anti-growth" Board of County Commissioners.

Rather than continuing the swing from one ideology to another, it is time for voters to elect a more centrist and balanced board. This will result in a more reasoned approach in addressing issues such as the impending reduction of the budget, creating jobs closer to home, charter government, growth and the disposal of trash.

Electing recently appointed Commissioner Blaine Young, Michael Kurtianyk, Paul Smith, Billy Shreve and Linda Norris will ensure a more balanced approach to decision making takes place over the next four years.

Incumbent commissioners Kai Hagen and David Gray are painful examples of the outdated five headed commissioner form of government.

Mr. Hagen obviously never learned the truth in the old saying which explains why we are born with two ears and one mouth (so, we listen twice as much as we talk), as he speaks incessantly, while often saying nothing.

A long term community activist and first term commissioner, he also never learned the difference between being an activist and an elected official, leading to his ineffectiveness as a commissioner over the last four years.

Mr. Gray either displayed his lack of understanding of the importance of becoming president of the board or his unwillingness to accept the responsibility that comes with it, by relinquishing the gavel after winning it, in the election four years ago.

None of these characteristics are qualities one should look for in an elected official and neither Mr. Gray or Mr. Hagen deserve another term in office.

When the newly elected commissioners discuss the budget cuts sure to come, all programs and services will need to be examined. Special care should be given to those departments who provide services to those in need as the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed have grown as all county governments across the country struggle to rise out of the deepest recession since the great depression.

The firing of county employees should be the last resort in meeting needed budget reductions. Instead, a focus on not filling essential positions and/or a hiring freeze should be examined. If employees still need to be laid off, the focus should be on mid level management positions, who often are a result of previous funding increases.

Creating jobs closer to home should be a priority of the new board of commissioners as way too many Frederick County residents continue a daily time consuming commute. Commissioner Blaine Young has made this a priority in his campaign.

One suggestion for the new Board is to work with the state legislature as well as our Representative in Congress to promote tax incentives for businesses who provide telecommuting to employees a minimum of one day a week. Passage of this legislation would be a great start in helping Frederick County residents reduce their weekly commute time.

A win-win proposal which would save energy, help employers with job retention and recruitment, while allowing employees more time to spend with family.

Creating a charter writing committee by the new board is one of the first things the new Board of Commissioners should do. The charge of the committee should be to complete the document, providing time for public input, with the question put to the voters in the 2012 presidential election. Once passed by the voters, it would go into effect for the 2014 election.

During the charter writing period, the committee should hold regional meetings throughout the county. The purpose of the meetings would be to provide the public with updated information on the progress of the charter document and to ask for comment and suggestions.

Moving to a county executive and county council will make for a much more effective form of government for Frederick county residents and is long overdo.

When it comes to issues relating to growth, the main concern has rightfully been to ensure infrastructure (schools, roads, water, sewer, fire and rescue) keeps pace with new growth.

While an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) has been passed and impact fees instituted over the last twenty years, they have not made a noticeable difference in this area.

When attending first and second grade at Parkway Elementary School, I shared a classroom with students in the second and third grade due to overcrowded schools. At that time (1959-1960), the population of the county was about one-third of what it is today.

Years, after enacting well intentioned impact fees and the APFO, portables have replaced split classrooms, older schools remain badly in need of repair and new planned schools stand in line for funding, hardly a measurable improvement.

Roads remain congested and water and sewer availability remain a consistent problem associated with growth.

The new board would serve the residents well by reaching out to a nonpartisan research and think tank to review the results of the enacted growth policies of the last twenty years and if necessary, propose a new means of raising the needed revenue. The University of Maryland Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise may be one who would provide the research.

Whether a fee is involved or not, a professional review of existing ordinances and regulations should be undertaken immediately.

In addition, the nonpartisan organization should be charged with both reviewing the current county development approval process and proposing a better, more effective and efficient way, than the existing time consuming and costly process.

As location has always been pivotal to buyers of real estate, Frederick County has always been destined to grow.

The discussion of growth should not be an adversarial exercise in Frederick County. Rather, the discussion should be one that leads to effective land management principles which benefit the entire community.

When it comes to the disposal of trash, where and how will always be a controversial decision for elected officials. While the cost of building the approved incinerator is a whopping 300 million plus, opponents led by Commissioner Kai Hagen have failed to offer a reasonable option.

Moving from a current county recycling rate of slightly more than thirty per cent to a rate not needing a landfill or an incinerator is not a realistic alternative. Continuing to truck waste out of state is not a viable answer.

One reasonable and less expensive alternative that should have received more consideration is another landfill or expansion of the existing landfill to serve the need of trash disposal in Frederick County which I wrote about two years ago.

What I proposed was a cost-benefit analysis be done between a landfill and an incinerator. Also, a similar effort made to identify possible locations for a landfill should take place as was done for an incinerator.

Candidate Michael Kurtianyk during a recent sit down interview said he would like to see the county investigate acquiring the former East Alco site in southern Frederick County to be used either for a landfill or incinerator site.

An interesting suggestion, as the acreage could also incorporate a regional compost facility and a resource recovery park.

The dramatic swing between "pro-growth" and "no-growth" boards over the last twenty years has been detrimental to the residents of Frederick County and needs to come to an end in this election.

With the election of Blaine Young, Michael Kurtianyk, Paul Smith, Billy Shreve, and Linda Norris, a balance of reason and experience will prevail over the next four years.

Blaine Young has the political experience which will be a benefit in dealing with the many issues facing county residents today.

Paul Smith, like Blaine Young, has the experience of serving as a City of Frederick alderman. An attorney, he will bring a welcomed reasoned approach to the issues.

Billy Shreve has long been involved in the community serving on boards and commissions. His time spent as chair of the Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals and as a member of the City of Frederick Planning Commission will be invaluable.

Michael Kurtianyk has shown throughout the campaign his willingness to put principles in front of party. A refreshing approach to the issues from a politician and one which will be appreciated by the residents of Frederick County.

Linda Norris, with experience in working both in the public and private sector will be a added plus as a member of the Board.

Her time spent as Public Information Officer and as Director of Recycling for Frederick County Government will serve her well as commissioner.

The election is only four week away. Make sure you visit candidate websites, read voter guides and most important vote on November 2.

Your vote is important and does make a difference.

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Battle for Control of Frederick County MD Commissioners Intense

George Wenschhof

Across the country, the battle is between Democrats and Republicans over who will control Congress. This outcome of this battle will be determined in six short weeks when the mid term elections are held on November 2. The role of government, the level of taxation, and the economy are the major issues the two major political parties must convince voters that their positions are best for them and the country.

However, In Frederick County, Maryland, a familiar battle is taking place in the race for county commissioner. Five commissioners will be elected by the voters and has been the case for the last two decades, the race is not highlighted by political party affiliation.

Rather, it is one again, rightly or wrongly, best categorized as a contest between candidates who are members of a "pro-growth" slate or "no-growth" slate. Candidates who fall within these two designated camps may argue the designation or use of the term, but it is the main way voters identify them.

However, there are additional important issues for voters to pay attention to the positions candidates have on them.

It is time Frederick County changes to a charter government and for voters to elect a county executive and a council elected by geographic regions across the county with one representing the City of Frederick. The new Board should immediately appoint a charter writing committee and charge them with having a referendum on the 2012 presidential election ballot for voters to decide.

Whether the county should move forward on building the agreed upon 300+million waste-to-energy incinerator is another issue voters should zero in on.

The 300+ million is a lot of money to commit to handle the county waste. However, the anti-incinerator candidates led by Commissioner Kai Hagen have yet to propose a reasonable alternative.

Zero to no effort has been made to date at identifying potential landfill sites downsized appropriately recognizing increased efforts toward zero-waste will be implemented. This would result in huge savings with a compost facility and resource recovery center located on the same site.

How future commissioners will handle the sure reduction in future budgets is also important for voters to ask candidates.

Also, what efforts will be made by future commissioners to improve the frayed relationship between the county commissioners with town and cities across the county.

The "pro-growth candidates are led by incumbent Commissioner Blaine Young who is joined by fellow Republicans Billy Shreeve and Kirby Delauter.

The "no-growth" candidates are led by Commissioner Kai Hagen who is joined by Republican Commissioner David Gray and Democratic candidates Linda Norris, Janet Wiles and Ellis Burrus.

Two candidates who do not fit entirely into either of these groups, but who are more aligned with the "pro-growth" slate are Paul Smith (R) and Michael Kurtianyk (D).

In addition to the voters determining which side will hold a majority on the board, they will also be deciding who will be the next President of the Board of Commissioners. It is safe to assume this contest will be waged between Kai Hagen (D) (8,110 votes) and Blaine Young (R) (13,393 votes), both of whom are ensured reelection and both led their tickets in primary voting.

Mr. Young appeared on my show "All Things Political with George Wenschhof" prior to the primary and I was impressed with how he handled the interview. You can watch that interview here.

More Republicans voted in the Frederick County, Maryland primary, a trend which followed voter turnout across the nation. Whether Democratic voters will become energized and turn out for the general election remains to be seen.

Interestingly, as a result of actions taken by the Board after the last election, the Board President will be who receives the highest vote total. Previously, the president had been the top vote getter among the majority political party elected to office.

So, besides determining who will lead the new Board, voters will decide whether "pro-growth" or "no-growth" candidates will form the majority.

Both of these battles promise to be intense over the next six weeks.

Paul Smith (R) is considered a moderate and placed a strong second (8,847 votes) in the Republican primary. The former one term City of Frederick alderman is also an attorney. Blaine Young is reaching out to Mr. Smith and including him in the Republican ticket. Although, Smith was voted out after serving only one term as alderman, look to see him win a seat on the Board of Commissioners.

Linda Norris, who has tried hard to run her own campaign and not be lumped in with the Kai Hagen "no-growth" slate finished a strong second in the Democratic primary with 7,884 votes. Another moderate, look to see her also win a seat on the Board.

Ms. Norris also appeared on "All Things Political with George Wenschhof" prior to the primary. You may watch her interview here.

The top two finishers from the Republican and Democratic primaries do not always win in the general election. But, this year, look to see them be the favorites.

Who will win the fifth seat promises to be interesting with the outcome likely very close between Republicans Kirby Delauter who finished third in the primary with 8,420 votes, Billy Shreve who finished fourth in the Republican primary with 7,352 votes and Democratic candidate Janice Wiles who finished third with 6,506 votes.

Michael Kurtianyk who finished last in the Democratic primary will pick up Republican support in the general election. However, he will not be a part of the Blaine Young led Republican slate. While he will pick up Republican support in the general, it is doubtful he will be able to attract enough votes to finish in the top five.

Democratic candidate Ellis Burrus finished fourth in the primary with 4,790 votes and it will also be tough for him to climb up to finish among the top five in the general election.

Don't look to see incumbent Republican Commissioner David Gray repeat his performance from four years ago when he also finished down on the ballot in the Republican primary. Gray benefited four years ago of having the support of fellow Republican commissioner John "Lenny" Thompson and Democrat Commissioner Jan Gardner, both of whom are not on the ticket this year.

After rallying to finish as the top vote getter among a majority Republican Board, Gray relinquished the gavel and with it the president of the Board, as he voted to change the procedures in electing the Board President to the candidate with the most votes. Thus, giving the power of the gavel to Democrat Jan Gardner.

Although both Paul Smith and Linda Norris are moderate, they would most likely, in crucial votes, align their vote with Blaine Young and Kai Hagen, respectively.

Which makes who wins the fifth seat in the general election all the more interesting.

Six weeks remain for the candidates to campaign and "it is never over until it's over"; which sounds like a famous Yogi Berra quote.

Stay Tuned...

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Editor's Note: Voting numbers used are from Election Summary Report of Unofficial Results dated 9-14-2010.

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Democrats Win Super Majority on Board of Alderman

George Wenschhof

Yesterday, less than one out of four registered voters went to the polls in the City of Frederick, Maryland election with Republican Randy McClement becoming the mayor-elect. While the mayor has always been the prize in the city election, four of the five aldermen-elect are Democrats ensuring a strong check and balance between the executive and legislative body. you can read the unofficial results here and the unofficial results by precinct here.

The election was extremely quiet and the low voter turnout further illustrates the need to make changes to the existing election process in the City of Frederick. I have long been a proponent of moving the election date to coincide to the presidential election cycle and you can read many of the columns I have written on the subject by clicking on the links provided in the right hand margin of my home page.

Anne Leffler; President of the City Board of Supervisors of Elections also wants to explore the idea of a mail-in election which promises to increase voter turnout. Let's hope the new mayor and board appoints a committee immediately to study and given a charge to recommend changes to the existing city election process to increase voter turnout.

Ms. Leffler did an outstanding job at city hall last night as she relayed the results to the folks who had gathered at city hall. All indications are the election went smoothly as the election judges at the polls continue to exhibit their professionalism. Final unofficial election results were provided to attendees at city hall "in print" by 9:45 PM.

Some pundits will say the Democratic party loses in the governor races in Virginia and New Jersey and the Democratic lose by Mr. Judd in the City of Frederick mayoral race was due to a trend of dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama. One only needs to look at the individual candidates to see that is a hopeful stretch by Republican leaders who are trying to rally a fractured party for the 2010 mid term elections.

Jason Judd was unable to close the deal as he did not capture all the Democratic support nor does it appear he won many Republican cross over votes or "Others" in yesterday's election. This is similar to what happened four years ago when Democrat Ron Young lost to political newcomer Republican Jeff Holtzinger. The continued low voter turnout also further skewers election results.

The remaining three Incumbents; Donna Kuzemchak (D), Paul Smith (R) and Alan Imhoff (R) were all shown the exit by this small number of voters who clearly wanted new faces in city hall.

The incoming board of alderman promises to be an extremely strong board surely capable of questioning and standing up to any ill fated proposal presented by the mayor. It appears unlikely a fiasco such as the approval of the city employee early retirement "buy-out" approved under the Holtzinger administration will happen under the watch of the incoming board.

Karen Young (D) is talented and a hard worker and is set to become mayor pro-tem on the board. Michael O'Connor (D) also worked hard and earned his second place finish by showing his compassion for the voters and his dedication to the position. Carol Krimm (D) finally broke the curse of the local Democratic Central Committee by becoming the first member to be elected to public office in twelve years. Ms. Krimm is very knowledgeable of the inner workings of government and will be a big plus for the board. Kelly Russell (D) also worked hard across party lines to win election to the board. The only change likely to occur after the absentee ballots are counted on Thursday is the order of finish between Ms. Krimm and Kelly Russell as only 14 votes separate them between fourth and fifth place. Shelley Aloi (R) did extremely well as a new comer to politics, finishing a strong third. She also worked very hard and enjoyed support across party lines.

The write-in campaign championed by Neal Wirth fizzled as ex-mayor Jennifer Dougherty only received 81 votes and these votes would not have altered the outcome of the election.

An interesting aside to the city election was the lack of impact Frederick County Commissioner Kai Hagen (D) had on the final results. Mr. Hagen had actively campaigned for Jason Judd and was holding signs for him at the polls on Election Day. This is the third major local issue he has been on the losing side over the past year. The first two were his opposition to the Waste-to-Energy Incinerator and his support of the city petition to force a referendum of the recent annexations into the city. Whether his support of Judd is strike three for Mr. Hagen remains to be seen as the county election next year is rapidly approaching.

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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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City of Frederick Asks for Input on Election Date Change

George Wenschhof Bio

As many of our readers know, I proposed a change in the date of the City of Frederick election date to coincide with the Presidential election. You can read more on my position here. This election date change will result in more than doubling the current weak 32% voter turnout and also save the taxpayer some of the costs associated with holding a separate election.

Bipartisan support for the change resulted in the Mayor and Board of Aldermen holding a workshop to discuss this issue. During the workshop held on January 14, 2009, the Mayor and 4 of the 5 Aldermen supported the change. Only Republican Alderman Paul Smith was opposed to the change. You can read more about that meeting here.

Mayor Jeff Holtzinger issued a media advisory yesterday asking for input from citizens on the proposed change. Following positive response, the next hopeful step would be for the Mayor to advertise and schedule a Mayor and Board meeting to formally vote on the proposal.

The President of Frederick Young Democrats, Burke Miller informed me they are planning to go door to door to share with voters their support of this change.

Below is the contact information for the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Take the time to either call or email them with your support for this change of the election date to coincide with the presidential election.

Mayor@cityoffrederick.com - Jeff Holtzinger (R)
(301) 600-1380
Mhall@cityoffrederick.com - Marcia Hall (D)

(301) 600-1382
dkoontz@cityoffrederick.com - David Koontz (D)

(301) 600-1386
aimhoff@cityoffrederick.com - Alan Imhoff (R)

(301) 600-1632
psmith@cityoffrederick.com - C. Paul Smith (R)

(301) 600-1863
dkuzemchak@cityoffrederick.com - Donna Kuzemchak (D)

(301) 600-2966

It is way past time to increase the number of voters who determine who your city elected officials will be. When you contact your officials with your support for the election date change to coincide with the presidential election, let them know democracy works best, when higher number of voters participate in the process.

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City Of Frederick, MD Election Date Change Update

George Wenschhof Bio

I published a column on November 28, 2008 entitled "Time to Move Election Date for City of Frederick, MD". To recap, in this column I proposed moving the election date to coincide with the Presidential election, stating the dismal 32% voter turnout in the city general election is unacceptable. It seemed reasonable to move the City of Frederick election date to coincide with the Presidential election as the voter turnout was more than twice the amount of the city turnout.

The Presidential election is also less cluttered with candidates than the state/county election year. In addition, the change would most likely result in a cost savings. If the current Mayor and Board of Aldermen approved this charter amendment change of the election date, the incoming Mayor and Board would serve three years and as of 2012, the next Presidential election, their terms would be the traditional four year terms.

This is not a partisan issue as City of Frederick Alderman Alan Imhoff (R) has also long held held this view.

It was a comment: "Great idea George! Have you talked to Jeff or the BoA about this." left by "Mike" at the end of that column that spurred me to take the following steps. I thought it would be interesting to write about this process as I attempt to move this issue forward for discussion by the City of Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

You are also welcome to leave comments/suggestions by clicking on "Comments" at the end of the column.

The discussion of moving the City of Frederick election date has not received, to my recollection, discussion in a mayor and board workshop or has it been placed on the agenda at a mayor and board meeting.

I believe the discussion should take place and prior to contacting the Mayor and Board I figured I would begin to discuss the issue with a few people and see what was their reaction. In writing a column entitled "New Wave of Democrats Eye Mayor for The City of Frederick, MD in 2009", I asked both Democrats Jason Judd and Jack Lynch their opinion on the change of election date. I point out in the column they both supported the idea and would have no problem with if elected Mayor, serving a shortened first term of three years.

Jason Judd liked an option of having the City primary date of September stay the same. The primary for President and Congress usually is early February or March and is determined by the state legislature. Then both the City and the Presidential race would have a combined general election date in November.

In 2008, the Maryland primary was February 12 and this year the City of Frederick primary is scheduled for September 15. During this seven month period the city candidates as they campaigned would benefit from the heightened interest of voters generated by the Presidential election.

In a meeting with with a local senior Republican official on another matter, I brought up the idea of moving the city election date and they agreed, stating "it just made common sense" and went on to say they were not aware of the issue receiving any discussion by the local Republican central committee.

Later, at a unrelated scheduled meeting with Burke Miller, the President of the newly formed Frederick County Young Democrats, I brought up the idea. He was supportive and indicated he would discuss with his group. After meeting with his group, Mr. Miller sent me an email stating their support of the idea.

I then called Bob Kresslein, the chair of the local Democratic central committee and although he was personally supportive, he obviously could not speak for the committee until the issue was discussed. As this was prior to the holidays, they would not have an opportunity to discuss until after the new year. Mr. Kresslein also indicated it was likely if the Democratic candidates in the city election were not in agreement for the change, it was doubtful the committee would take a position.

After discussing with others, all of who were in favor of the change of election date, I figured it was time to take the advice of "Mike" and contact the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

I started with a phone call to the Mayor. With it being the holiday season, I was surprised to receive a return phone call from Mayor Holtzinger on December 23. He listened politely to my suggestion and indicated his support for the idea. He spoke of Alderman Imhoff's long time support for the election date change and indicated he believed Mr. Imhoff would bring up the issue for discussion in a mayor and board workshop.

As I had not yet received a negative comment on the proposal, I emailed the proposal to the Aldermen and provided a link to the column I had written earlier on the subject. This began an email exchange between some of the Aldermen, the Mayor and myself.

Even though this was the middle of the holiday season, I immediately received a reply from Alderman Alan Imhoff (R) who indicated his long time support. He also indicated his support of non-partisan elections. The reason he felt the election date change had not moved forward was due to opposition by the local political parties and some former local officials feeling the city election would get lost in the hype of the presidential election. The other most prevalent reason he had heard was the length of time between the primary and general election.

Alderman Donna Kuzemchak (D) responded saying she was one who believed local issues would get lost if the election was held at the same time as the Presidential election. She argued the media would not cover both elections with the scrutiny necessary for people to make informed decisions at the local level.

Alderman Paul Smith (R) responded with a similar concern as Donna had expressed and felt the elections should be kept separate.

I responded to the concerns expressed by Aldermen Kuzemchak and Smith with the following points. One, the demographics in Frederick County have not to date supported the hiring by local media of reporters to cover the national election so their reporters would certainly be able to give the city election the same coverage as they provide in the current election year. Secondly, I failed to see the logic that the voters participating in a 32% voter turnout election were more informed than the voters who participate in an election with a 70% turnout. Third, as to the length of time between the primary and the general election, I pointed out an option (as Jason Judd had mentioned earlier) would be to have separate primaries and a combined general election. I followed with the voters are most engaged in a Presidential election and this would benefit the city candidates as they campaigned for office.

Mayor Jeff Holtzinger (R) weighed in saying after talking to others he did not feel the voters would do any less due diligence if the city election was held at the same time as the Presidential election. He also said "I think it is at least worth discussion and consideration by the Board. This could also potentially save the City money and would allow for the use of the schools as polling places, as schools are closed for the Presidential Election."

Alderman Smith then responded with "Saving money is an important consideration. I look forward to the discussion."

Alderman Kuzemchak then said "George,
I don't believe either Alderman Smith or I argued that the turnout wasn't lower. The argument was simply the turnout was more informed on what they were voting. I've started speaking to some people about this and find I am only getting the argument about turnout, not about how informed those voters are. Are you suggesting it would be best if we had 100% voter turnout in any election – even if those voters are simply brought to the polls and told how to vote by someone else? My argument is simply that voter knowledge is more important than voter turnout. I certainly don't want to hit the point where you have to raise a ton of money to run for Alderman just so the public might possibly see your name somewhere and remember it. With my name or Paul's name, that helps – for opposite reasons – but not so much for others.

Again, I look forward to the discussion.
Donna"

To which I responded with the following:
Hi Donna,

Thanks for your recent response. However, I believe it is impossible to argue that the voters in a lower turnout election are more informed voters than the voters in a higher voter turnout election. More importantly, I believe in encouraging high voter turnout in all elections, which is among the important tenets of our representative democracy.

Thank you again for responding and I look forward to the discussion of this issue.

Happy New Year!
George

As Aldermen Marcia Hall (D) and David Koontz (D) had not responded to the email exchange I called both, reaching Ms. Hall and leaving a message for Mr. Koontz. Ms. Hall was basically non-committal, at one point understanding some of what Donna was saying, then saying it may make more sense to move the city election to the state/county election cycle as the issues were similar. I pointed out the state/county election cycle was already cluttered, had a lower average voter turnout than the presidential election, and to line up the current city election would require the incoming mayor and board to serve a five year term. She indicated again she had an open mind on the issue.

So that is a quick update on this important issue for The City of Frederick. I am hopeful the Mayor and Board move this issue for discussion in workshop and it receives merit for being placed on the agenda for a mayor and board meeting for further discussion and a vote. I will periodically publish updates as the discussion continues.

If you live in the City of Frederick, I would encourage you to let your elected officials know how you feel on the issue of moving the city election date to coincide with the Presidential election which would more than double the current abysmal city voter turnout. It is your opinion that is most important. Take a moment and weigh in with your thoughts.

Here is their contact information:

Mayor@cityoffrederick.com - Jeff Holtzinger (R)

(301) 600-1380
Mhall@cityoffrederick.com - Marcia Hall (D)

(301) 600-1382
dkoontz@cityoffrederick.com - David Koontz (D)

(301) 600-1386
aimhoff@cityoffrederick.com - Alan Imhoff (R)

(301) 600-1632
psmith@cityoffrederick.com - C. Paul Smith (R)

(301) 600-1863
dkuzemchak@cityoffrederick.com - Donna Kuzemchak (D) (301) 600-2966

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