(6/2022) The filing deadline has passed and only 2 filed as Democrats for County Council at large so I do not have to have a primary. However, our names are still on the ballot for the primary so I would appreciate your vote. I will now be focusing on the General election in November. Recently I had the honor of attending all the graduations held by Frederick County Public Schools. We have 10 Comprehensive High Schools, Rock Creek school, Heather Ridge school, and Success. Attending graduations is one of my favorite things to have done as a BOE member. Seeing and hearing all the success stories is inspiring. Over my 12 years on the Board, I attended 179 graduation ceremonies. I only missed one and that was because my daughter was having her baccalaureate ceremony when she graduated from high school.
I also had the honor a few weeks ago to attend the 50th anniversary of the opening of Myersville Elementary School. It was awesome to see so many current and former principals, teachers, and support staff and the pride that the community has for its school!
In the upcoming months, I will begin putting signs out and canvassing neighborhoods so look for me and if you would like a sign or contribute to the campaign, my website is www.brad-young.com. If you would like me to attend or speak at any events, you can contact me at FriendsofBradYoung@yahoo.com.
I will be covering issues over the upcoming months but will start with my number one issue which is education. As one of your county councilmen, funding education at the highest level possible will be a priority. Frederick County funds our school system at the lowest level in the State of Maryland. I am very proud that even with the lowest funding, we are always near the top in performance statewide. However, if we do not continue to increase funding to the school system, we will find it harder to attract and retain personnel. We should never be in a position where Washington and Carroll Counties are paying more than we do for teachers or other staff. I believe in my heart that education is the great equalizer in our county and a strong public education system is vital for a strong community!
We also need to continue to fund building new schools for capacity and addressing the aging buildings that we have in the county. I was very happy to be at the groundbreaking for the new elementary school in Brunswick last month which will be completed and open in the Fall of 2023. Frederick County has done a great job obtaining a AAA Bond rating which allows us to issue debt at the lowest rate possible. We need to continue to be fiscally responsible and maintain the rating moving forward. Frederick County has a lot of building needs over the next 10 years and I look forward to working to find solutions and making sure that we continue to have first-rate facilities in all communities!
