Former mayor, businesswoman file for open council seat
Originally published September 26, 2010


By Brian Englar
News-Post Staff


BRUNSWICK -- Angel White, owner of Head-Quarters salon in Brunswick, is used to discussing local politics with former Mayor Dick Goodrich when he comes in for a haircut.

Now she will be facing off with Goodrich for a seat on the City Council.

White and Goodrich have filed as candidates for the Oct. 5 special election to fill a vacant seat created when former Councilman Jeremy Biser resigned in July because of a job-related relocation.

White ran for a spot on the council in the August election, falling just eight votes short of election.

"My vision hasn't changed just because I missed it by a few votes," White said.

White said her experience as a business owner has given her the skills to deal effectively with the city's budget issues. She also thinks her status as a relative newcomer -- she moved to Brunswick about five years ago -- will allow her to bring a fresh perspective to the council.

"I feel I can really get in there and make a difference and bring some new light on issues," she said.

Goodrich has lived in Brunswick his entire life, serving as mayor from 1990 to 1994. He said he isn't too concerned about having to catch up after so many years out of the local political scene.

"I don't think the issues have changed much during that time," Goodrich said.

He said it all boils down to two primary issues.

"One is the financial position of the town, and the second thing is making citizens believe they have a voice in how things are being run," he said.

Goodrich said he is uniquely positioned to deal with both, citing his term as mayor, when he said he helped the city go from virtually bankrupt to having $1 million in reserve funds, as well as his experience in finance and accounting as a manager at IBM.

Spending his whole life in Brunswick and knowing many of its people will help him stay in touch with their concerns, he said. His decision to run is based partly on input from residents, he said.

"I guess they were happy with what I did," Goodrich said. "I think my experience speaks for itself."

White lists transparency and communication between city officials and residents among the most pressing issues facing Brunswick.

"Sometimes hearing different angles from the citizens is something that hasn't been thought of," she said. "And I know the people want to be heard."

Both candidates said they will focus on the integration of the Brunswick Crossing subdivision into the larger Brunswick community.

They both agree that the race and its eventual outcome will not affect their relationship -- or the haircuts.

"He'll continue to be my customer, I hope, when this is all over," White said. "We've become good friends."



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4 comments

September 26, 2010 @ 08:44 AM: marylandmirage

Someone needs to check the history of Brunswick when Goodrich was mayor. He got that election by a successful recall of the then sitting mayor, Susan Fauntleroy. One of the large issues at that time was the cost of the water bills. Goodrich was elected, but the water bills never decreased. Another issue that needs to be checked is the number of police chiefs that the town went through during his reign. There was a period of time in Brunswick when the joke was that they needed to put a revolving door on the police station. As far as Brunswick Crossing, the idea that a town could put four (4) traffic circles in a 2 mile radius as an answer to handle extra traffic is ludicrous. I do not even try to defend the town anymore when my co-workers refer to Brunswick as "just a bunch of West Virginians that knew how to swim". The mayor and council are, in my opinion, the lead swimmers.

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September 26, 2010 @ 10:17 PM: lmamiller613

Fact check on the "revolving door" police chiefs: That started after Goodrich left office. Richard Stone was the Police Chief for the majority of Goodrich's time as Mayor, and had the longest tenure of any Chief there from the late 80's through mid 90's, almost 3 years (May 1991-March 1994). Blame the revolving door on the subsequent administration.

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September 27, 2010 @ 09:34 AM: taslammin

Mr. Goodrich had his chance in Brunswick politics. We gained a huge surplus because infrastructure and other needs were not kept updated, hence the mess we have now in this town with water pipes, streets and sidewalks. I'm not saying that is ALL Mr. Goodrich's issue but he has had his chance and it's time to give someone else the opportunity to lead Brunswick. I think Angel White will give us a new perspective. It's quite obvious that the "same 'ole thing" just isn't working, so why do we want to repeat history!!!! On the issue of the 4 circles...is that even a Brunswick issue? or State? I think once they (4 circles) are complete, we will be happily surprised at how well the whole thing works. Once again, a new idea scares Brunswick. "Change...if you are not changing, you are in need of a casket" Let's live on Brunswick!

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September 27, 2010 @ 10:32 AM: marylandmirage

It isn't change that scares me - it isn't even anything new. We have had 2 circles for years now. It is the inconvenience of having 2 more traffic circles placed directly after the first one, all within 1 mile. It is now a major inconvenience to have to navigate that mess between 7 am and 8 am every morning. Brunswick simply does not have the infrastructure in place to support overdevelopment.

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