(1/2023) Hello, North County! I am proud to be writing my first column as your Frederick County Executive. I want to thank voters for their confidence in my leadership. I am ready to serve each and every resident of Frederick County, whether I earned your vote or not. Together we will build bridges and bring our community together to meet this moment with bold ideas and pragmatism. Our goal is to ensure everyone in our county has the opportunity to live, work, and thrive here.

Our administration will be guided by three key values: inclusion, accountability, and sustainability. We will work to ensure everyone has a voice and is heard. That is why we have established collaborative, community-driven workgroups to help identify our goals for the next four years. Our Transition Team is co-chaired by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rick Weldon and business owner Toni Bowie. Over 120 people are serving on our transition team workgroups and we are focusing on seven key priorities:

• Economic Development and Jobs;
• Education and Workforce Development;
• Government Innovation;
• Housing and Quality of Life;
• Public Health and Human Services;
• Public Safety; and
• Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Transportation.

Each team will submit a report outlining their vision to me this spring. If you would like to learn more about these workgroups or provide feedback of your own, I encourage you to visit our transition website, www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Transition.

Town Hall on Budget

One of the most important jobs of the County Executive is to decide how to invest in our county’s future. Last month, we kicked off the annual budget process with a public hearing. Dozens of people spoke up to communicate the various needs of our community and what they see as priorities for the next budget year, which begins July 1To ensure opportunities for all to be heard, we have scheduled a series of five budget town halls, one in each council district.

We have scheduled our first town hall meeting in District 5 which encompasses Emmitsburg, Thurmont, Walkersville and Woodsboro. The town hall in District 5 will take place on Saturday, January 28, at 1 p.m. at the Thurmont Regional Library on Moser Road. I will be joined by District 5 County Council Member Mason Carter.

If you are not able to attend the District 5 meeting, you are invited to attend any of the other town halls. Details will be announced on our County’s website when they are confirmed. Please check www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Budget for updated information.

Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program

Preserving important pieces of our rich history is one of the ways we put Livable Frederick into action. That is why Frederick County offers a program to help property owners stabilize or restore historic structures in our rural, unincorporated areas. The Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program is currently accepting applications for 2023 grants.

These competitive grants provide as much as $50,000 toward work on properties that are either listed on the County Register of Historic Places or contribute to a County-designated Historic District. Grants can be used for expenses to stabilize, rehabilitate, restore, or preserve the exterior of historic buildings. If you are interested in learning more about this program, you can attend one of two virtual workshops this month: Tuesday, January 10, at 2 p.m. or Monday, January 23, at 5:30 p.m. To register, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Historic-Preservation.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Questions about the grant program can be emailed to Historic Preservation Planner Amanda Whitmore at AWhitmore@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Rustic Roads Program

If you have ever driven or biked along one of our rural roads, like Gambrill Park, Mink Farm, Wilhide, or Whiskey Springs, to name just a few, then you understand why it’s important to keep their charm. These roadways draw tourists, bicycling enthusiasts, and others to our beautiful county. We know that protecting our wonderful network of rural roads that wind through views of our beautiful scenic landscape is a priority.

That is why the County recently launched a new Rustic Roads Program. Maintaining charm while keeping the roadways safe can be a challenge. The goal of our program is to balance the sometimes competing interests of ensuring safe travel with protecting and enhancing the roads’ unique appeal. We began this new program on the recommendation of the Scenic and Rural Roads Advisory Committee.

All 80 miles of lanes that are currently designated as rural roads will be designated "Exceptionally Rustic" in the new program. Another 287 miles have been identified as candidates for Rustic Road designation. Candidate roads must have a speed limit of 35 mph or less, see fewer than 1,000 vehicle trips a day, on average, and be located outside of Community Growth Areas and major subdivisions. Roads also could be eligible if there are scenic or natural features along them, or if they have historical or cultural significance. Special signs will be designed and posted on Frederick County’s "Exceptionally Rustic" roads. The signs will be part of a larger effort to market the scenic roadways to tourists and to educate the public about the significance of the roads and their cultural and historic value.

Frederick County Turns 275

The year 2023 marks the 275th anniversary of Frederick County. We kicked off the celebration with the Key Drop on Carroll Creek at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Special family-friendly events are planned all year long to continue the celebration. We hope you will join in the fun! Find our calendar of activities, merchandise for sale, and other details online at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/275. And stay tuned for exciting news about our special Jubilee at Utica Park this summer!