(5/2022) Running for County Council-at-Large has afforded me the duty and opportunity to reach out to voters from all across our county. A campaign is opportunity for candidates to express their message, but I have always found voter contact to be critical to the education of a candidate. There is no substitute to talking to folks and hearing from them about their priorities.

In this important year both parties in Frederick want change. After two terms of Charter Government, indications suggest that we will see a further leftward lurch from the Democratic Party. Conservatives want change too. It’ll be incumbent on Republicans to articulate our alternative vision for Frederick.

Seeing competitive visions is critical not because it matters who sits in what chairs. Partisan point scoring doesn’t help citizens better thrive in our community. This is important because local government decisions have such an impact on our lives. We’ve seen that even more on display over these past years.

The tasks before the next council are significant. The next county government will have an opportunity to find a balance for how our county grows. Frederick has seen rapid growth and increased density, while also experiencing sky rocketing housing prices and increased traffic woes.

Growth is not necessarily a bad thing, but everything should be dosed with moderation. Frederick is a wonderful county and folks want to live here. A healthy pipeline of development can ensure that housing prices are more reasonable for citizens and that we grow responsibly.

The task before decisions makers is to provide stability. We cannot thrive flipping between dramatic differences in land use. Livable Frederick was supposed to deliver in this regard. For a variety of reasons, we haven’t yet seen it do so. Sustained public policy is not about plans. Strategy is important, but good governance is forged through practice.

What I’m hearing from voters is that the next council will have to find a better balance that provide clarity and certainty for citizens, communities, families and businesses. It’s a chorus singing in tune: better roads, infrastructure, safety and business opportunity. A chief part of balancing growth is securing a reliable path forward for business development in the county.

Everybody says small and medium business is the backbone of our economy. But our approach to business has to be more than just a talking point. Free enterprise is among our greatest strengths. Bureaucracies are not great at assessing the needs of folks in the community. Consumers know their needs more than any government plan, or even the negotiated tastes of big business. Businesses closest to the community are more likely to grasp and respond these needs.

Competition is the process of discovery, learning and adaptation, and small and medium business play a critical role in our community because in a world of scarcity, they have to be flexible and move like water to meet community demand. The entrepreneurial spirit keeps our community vibrant and dynamic.

I’m the son of a small business owner. I’ve seen the struggle to meet a budget while innovating to keep afloat. This is at a moment when our county’s small and medium businesses are on the ropes. Over the past two years, we lost 13-14 percent of small businesses in our county. It’s a devastating blow. The next county government will be tasked with figuring out how our county can create an opportunity framework that allows entrepreneurs to innovate, grow and rebuild.

Business development needs to be woven in government planning. County government must invest in more and better conversations with small, medium and agricultural businesses across the county. While acting as honest brokers, let’s remove barriers and move fast on opportunities to attract business. Let’s be forward thinking to how an opportunity framework can support a thriving middle class.