Gazette: Brunswick to elect three for City Council, Three incumbents, three challengers vie for positions
Brunswick will hold an election for three City Council seats on Aug. 3; filling a fourth vacated seat on the council will have to wait until October.
Councilman Jeremy Biser resigned his seat July 2 because his job requires him to relocate to Pennsylvania, according to an e-mail from city administrator Dave Dunn. A special election to fill the rest of Biser's term will be held Oct. 5.
The seats of Councilmen Tom Smith, Mary Elizabeth Bowie and Beth Johnson are up for election, and all three have filed for re-election. Along with the incumbents, residents Andrew Alger, Ellen Renfro and Angel White have filed to run.
Councilmen serve four-year terms and earn $300 annually, according to the city's charter. The council meets twice per month.
The Gazette asked each candidate to answer the same three questions. Answers were limited to 100 words, and were cut off after reaching this limit. Ellen Renfro, who is on vacation, did not return the survey.
What makes you the best candidate for councilman?
Andrew Alger: I was born and raised in this city. I loved going to school here and I love this city. I feel that my ability to listen to the citizens and take everyone's concerns and opinions into account when making decisions would make me the best candidate for councilperson. I am a senior at Hood College studying law and society. A political career should be a career of serving, serving the people. I want to be the voice for the citizens in Brunswick. By listening, we can create better communication between the city and our citizens. Good communication leads to a ...
Mary Elizabeth Bowie: I've lived in Brunswick since the early '80s and have had the pleasure of meeting and knowing many residents here! I have the ability, compassion and desire to make change. I feel I have been an open line of communication between the citizens and city hall. I am organized a good listener and I follow through with residents concerns/ request. I have the time to invest and I have a good/active volunteer record here in Brunswick. I am able to do the above because I love where I live, my hometown – Brunswick!
Beth Johnson: I don't think anyone is the perfect candidate for city council. All seated/voted in councilmembers bring in their own areas of expertise and knowledge. A good trait for a good councilmember is to be open to discussions, know that you can't please everyone. You may vote on something that could make your best friends and neighbor's enemies, but then they may not have been your friend at all. You have to meet residents at all times. I mention Brunswick proudly wherever I am and a conversation always starts about someone that lives there. I meet that person through that introduction ...
Tom Smith: Experience in the management end, both in private industry and elected offices, having served as council member from 1998 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2010 and mayor of Brunswick from 1994 to 2000. I have had to make the hard choices relating to budgets, manpower, and the running of a city, as well as a multimillion dollar office building complex. I have been the chief engineer there for 26 years. I have resided in Brunswick since 1978, and have given my time and energy to the well being of our community. My many years of volunteer work with ...
Angel White: I am the best candidate because I will look to the future. As a mother of two young girls (7 and 11), I want to work to make Brunswick realize its full potential. I will work on providing a vibrant, strong, and diverse community for our children to play, learn, and grow. My business has over 600 regular clients – many are Brunswick residents. I have at least 15 minutes with them when they come in to discuss issues that are important to them. Brunswick has tremendous potential, and we should all work together to develop that potential for our children.
What is the most important issue facing Brunswick in the next four years?
Alger: Revitalization of business and Main Street is very important for our future, but the most important issue facing Brunswick in the next four years is infrastructure. Our water pipes, roads, and sidewalks are crumbling under our feet. With the addition of Brunswick Crossing, the size of this city could double in the next 10-20 years. We need to be ready for the stress that twice as many people; twice as many vehicles are going to put on our current infrastructure. There has been much work done in this area ... there is still a lot to be done. We need to take ...
Bowie: Increasing population everywhere puts a strain on our natural resources. Conservation of water is a concern. Brunswick's new tiered billing system of water charges encourages [conservation]. It may need to be fine-tuned to guarantee that every household gets the water it needs at an affordable rate. In my opinion, the youth of Brunswick need activities and services. I believe if a community invests in its youth, there is an investment in our future. I have spearheaded a Youth Council for the Brunswick area. With the help of other community leaders it is hoped this will be a model for other ...
Johnson: The most important issue over the next four years will be, of course, the budget. We're all making smarter decisions at home on spending and earnings just like the city is doing, diminishing our wish lists and being more realistic. I also think another concern will be integrating "newer" residents into the community, letting them know what we have to offer and talking with them about becoming involved in volunteering thus making a better community.
Smith: The most important issue facing Brunswick, the state, and the nation is one with a common theme. The economy, when one serves during prosperous times, when money is plentiful, it is easy to make every one happy. When times are hard, one needs to be able to say NO, even to the point of loosing votes. Brunswick just passed a four-cent tax increase on this years budget, and yes, no matter what the Mayor says, it was a tax increase, the real problems were pushed off till next year (which is [predicted] to be worse on the economy than this year) ...
White: In a word, change. Change is hard, and Brunswick is undergoing a lot of change – specifically economic conditions, population, and traffic. Just by driving around we see how change is impacting our lives. Well-managed change will be good for us. During a national economic crisis our city is growing. Although infrastructure plans are established, I will work to smartly integrate old and new. As retail space is added to Brunswick Crossing, we need to attract businesses to the downtown area so that Brunswick grows evenly. By marketing Brunswick better, we will improve outside investment and bring in new revenues.
What are the potential new challenges you see the city facing as the population grows with the addition of Brunswick Crossing?
Alger: We already know that because of the economy much of the commercial growth in Brunswick Crossing has been put on hold or will be slow to start. I believe that the biggest challenge for the city will be finding ways to incorporate the new residents with the current residents. The worst thing that could happen is for Brunswick Crossing to become isolated from the rest of the city; becoming an entity unto themselves. Main Street and downtown needs to become "alive" again so that the residents of Brunswick Crossing as well as the current residents of the city have places ...
Bowie: As we grow the need for increased services and personnel will be a challenge in this struggling economy. For example, the police department will need to expand, and the city will need additional personnel administratively along with the public works department staff. The purchase of police vehicles and other necessary equipment will also need to be addressed.
Johnson: As Brunswick Crossing has been in the development and planning stages for years, things are moving along as expected, I believe, minus the house sales. The new residents will be receiving welcome baskets introducing them to what we have to offer as a community as far as business is concerned. The next challenge, as I said before, is to get any new residents working with existing organizations. Keeping them interested and directed to downtown will be a challenge, if not planned right, and also moving the city to a ward system for proper representation will be an interesting piece of ...
Smith: I believe that Pleasants has made a good start on their part by hiring Cristina May as a liaison with the city. When new people move in, she will be able to help them learn the ways of Brunswick and Frederick County. My worst concern is that people come here and want to change everything. When I moved here in 1978, my wife and I set about to join in with Brunswick, not try to change things. We joined different organizations volunteered our time and gave back to the community, rather than try to change it to our way. I ...
White: Infrastructure is the most significant challenge we face as a community – traffic, in particular, is a serious concern. We don't yet know what the commuting patterns of new residents to Brunswick will be. We are very fortunate to have the MARC rail here; my husband rides it to work and it was a factor in our decision to move here. If we could attract new businesses – recognizing that "business" is not necessarily a retail establishment – we could have more citizens that work where they live, improving our quality of life and strengthening our families as we reduce commute times.
by Tripp Laino | Staff Writer
Brunswick will hold an election for three City Council seats on Aug. 3; filling a fourth vacated seat on the council will have to wait until October.
Councilman Jeremy Biser resigned his seat July 2 because his job requires him to relocate to Pennsylvania, according to an e-mail from city administrator Dave Dunn. A special election to fill the rest of Biser's term will be held Oct. 5.
The seats of Councilmen Tom Smith, Mary Elizabeth Bowie and Beth Johnson are up for election, and all three have filed for re-election. Along with the incumbents, residents Andrew Alger, Ellen Renfro and Angel White have filed to run.
Councilmen serve four-year terms and earn $300 annually, according to the city's charter. The council meets twice per month.
The Gazette asked each candidate to answer the same three questions. Answers were limited to 100 words, and were cut off after reaching this limit. Ellen Renfro, who is on vacation, did not return the survey.
What makes you the best candidate for councilman?
Andrew Alger: I was born and raised in this city. I loved going to school here and I love this city. I feel that my ability to listen to the citizens and take everyone's concerns and opinions into account when making decisions would make me the best candidate for councilperson. I am a senior at Hood College studying law and society. A political career should be a career of serving, serving the people. I want to be the voice for the citizens in Brunswick. By listening, we can create better communication between the city and our citizens. Good communication leads to a ...
Mary Elizabeth Bowie: I've lived in Brunswick since the early '80s and have had the pleasure of meeting and knowing many residents here! I have the ability, compassion and desire to make change. I feel I have been an open line of communication between the citizens and city hall. I am organized a good listener and I follow through with residents concerns/ request. I have the time to invest and I have a good/active volunteer record here in Brunswick. I am able to do the above because I love where I live, my hometown – Brunswick!
Beth Johnson: I don't think anyone is the perfect candidate for city council. All seated/voted in councilmembers bring in their own areas of expertise and knowledge. A good trait for a good councilmember is to be open to discussions, know that you can't please everyone. You may vote on something that could make your best friends and neighbor's enemies, but then they may not have been your friend at all. You have to meet residents at all times. I mention Brunswick proudly wherever I am and a conversation always starts about someone that lives there. I meet that person through that introduction ...
Tom Smith: Experience in the management end, both in private industry and elected offices, having served as council member from 1998 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2010 and mayor of Brunswick from 1994 to 2000. I have had to make the hard choices relating to budgets, manpower, and the running of a city, as well as a multimillion dollar office building complex. I have been the chief engineer there for 26 years. I have resided in Brunswick since 1978, and have given my time and energy to the well being of our community. My many years of volunteer work with ...
Angel White: I am the best candidate because I will look to the future. As a mother of two young girls (7 and 11), I want to work to make Brunswick realize its full potential. I will work on providing a vibrant, strong, and diverse community for our children to play, learn, and grow. My business has over 600 regular clients – many are Brunswick residents. I have at least 15 minutes with them when they come in to discuss issues that are important to them. Brunswick has tremendous potential, and we should all work together to develop that potential for our children.
What is the most important issue facing Brunswick in the next four years?
Alger: Revitalization of business and Main Street is very important for our future, but the most important issue facing Brunswick in the next four years is infrastructure. Our water pipes, roads, and sidewalks are crumbling under our feet. With the addition of Brunswick Crossing, the size of this city could double in the next 10-20 years. We need to be ready for the stress that twice as many people; twice as many vehicles are going to put on our current infrastructure. There has been much work done in this area ... there is still a lot to be done. We need to take ...
Bowie: Increasing population everywhere puts a strain on our natural resources. Conservation of water is a concern. Brunswick's new tiered billing system of water charges encourages [conservation]. It may need to be fine-tuned to guarantee that every household gets the water it needs at an affordable rate. In my opinion, the youth of Brunswick need activities and services. I believe if a community invests in its youth, there is an investment in our future. I have spearheaded a Youth Council for the Brunswick area. With the help of other community leaders it is hoped this will be a model for other ...
Johnson: The most important issue over the next four years will be, of course, the budget. We're all making smarter decisions at home on spending and earnings just like the city is doing, diminishing our wish lists and being more realistic. I also think another concern will be integrating "newer" residents into the community, letting them know what we have to offer and talking with them about becoming involved in volunteering thus making a better community.
Smith: The most important issue facing Brunswick, the state, and the nation is one with a common theme. The economy, when one serves during prosperous times, when money is plentiful, it is easy to make every one happy. When times are hard, one needs to be able to say NO, even to the point of loosing votes. Brunswick just passed a four-cent tax increase on this years budget, and yes, no matter what the Mayor says, it was a tax increase, the real problems were pushed off till next year (which is [predicted] to be worse on the economy than this year) ...
White: In a word, change. Change is hard, and Brunswick is undergoing a lot of change – specifically economic conditions, population, and traffic. Just by driving around we see how change is impacting our lives. Well-managed change will be good for us. During a national economic crisis our city is growing. Although infrastructure plans are established, I will work to smartly integrate old and new. As retail space is added to Brunswick Crossing, we need to attract businesses to the downtown area so that Brunswick grows evenly. By marketing Brunswick better, we will improve outside investment and bring in new revenues.
What are the potential new challenges you see the city facing as the population grows with the addition of Brunswick Crossing?
Alger: We already know that because of the economy much of the commercial growth in Brunswick Crossing has been put on hold or will be slow to start. I believe that the biggest challenge for the city will be finding ways to incorporate the new residents with the current residents. The worst thing that could happen is for Brunswick Crossing to become isolated from the rest of the city; becoming an entity unto themselves. Main Street and downtown needs to become "alive" again so that the residents of Brunswick Crossing as well as the current residents of the city have places ...
Bowie: As we grow the need for increased services and personnel will be a challenge in this struggling economy. For example, the police department will need to expand, and the city will need additional personnel administratively along with the public works department staff. The purchase of police vehicles and other necessary equipment will also need to be addressed.
Johnson: As Brunswick Crossing has been in the development and planning stages for years, things are moving along as expected, I believe, minus the house sales. The new residents will be receiving welcome baskets introducing them to what we have to offer as a community as far as business is concerned. The next challenge, as I said before, is to get any new residents working with existing organizations. Keeping them interested and directed to downtown will be a challenge, if not planned right, and also moving the city to a ward system for proper representation will be an interesting piece of ...
Smith: I believe that Pleasants has made a good start on their part by hiring Cristina May as a liaison with the city. When new people move in, she will be able to help them learn the ways of Brunswick and Frederick County. My worst concern is that people come here and want to change everything. When I moved here in 1978, my wife and I set about to join in with Brunswick, not try to change things. We joined different organizations volunteered our time and gave back to the community, rather than try to change it to our way. I ...
White: Infrastructure is the most significant challenge we face as a community – traffic, in particular, is a serious concern. We don't yet know what the commuting patterns of new residents to Brunswick will be. We are very fortunate to have the MARC rail here; my husband rides it to work and it was a factor in our decision to move here. If we could attract new businesses – recognizing that "business" is not necessarily a retail establishment – we could have more citizens that work where they live, improving our quality of life and strengthening our families as we reduce commute times.
