WHY I’M RUNNING

BECAUSE FREDERICK’S FUTURE IS TOO IMPORTANT TO LEAVE TO POLITICS AS USUAL.

There are moments when you can see change coming. You can either stand on the sidelines and watch it happen or you can step forward and help decide what comes next.

I'm stepping forward.

I'm running for Frederick County Council because I believe we have an opportunity to build a county that grows stronger without losing the things that make it home.

But getting there is going to require more than business as usual …

BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY …

A growing economy doesn't mean much if the People who make that economy work can't afford to live here.

People shouldn't have to leave Frederick County simply because they can no longer afford to live in the communities where they work.

That's why housing is one of my priorities.

We need housing People can actually afford.

We need housing near jobs and transportation.

We need to protect existing affordable housing.

We need to support working families.

And we need to make sure development contributes to the communities they’re asking to join.

BECAUSE OUR SCHOOLS DESERVE BETTER …

Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and that starts with a strong public school system.

But a growing county can't continue asking teachers, staff, students, and families to absorb the consequences of growth without investing in the schools that serve them.

That’s why We need …

Adequate classroom capacity.

Competitive compensation for teachers and staff.

Modern facilities.

Student support.

Career and technical education.

Long-term capital planning.

And when new development brings new students into a community, school capacity needs to be part of the conversation before the development is approved.

OUR CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

Because farmland isn’t empty space …

My grandfather’s nursery was his family farm first. It’s how they survived. Growing up there, he made sure to teach me what the land means.

A farm is a business.

It's a family.

It's a livelihood.

It's a piece of history.

And once it becomes another subdivision, we don't get it back.

Protecting farmland doesn't mean freezing Frederick in time. It means being intentional about where we grow. It means strengthening agricultural preservation. It means protecting rural communities and it means directing growth toward appropriate areas.

WE CAN BUILD FOR THE FUTURE WITHOUT PAVING OVER OUR PAST.

BECAUSE OUR WATER MATTERS …

Our rivers and streams aren't just beautiful, they're infrastructure and ecosystems.

They're sources of drinking water and they're a part of the agricultural economy.

Most importantly, they're something we're responsible for passing on.

That's why development decisions need to take water, stormwater, forests, and watershed health seriously.

WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A STRONG ECONOMY AND CLEAN WATER.

Because we need to ask the tough questions about data centers …

Large-scale data centers raise legitimate questions about …

Land. Water. Electricity. Infrastructure. Environmental impacts. Taxpayer costs. Long-term economic benefits.

I don't believe Frederick should be reflexively anti-development.

But I also don't believe we should write a blank check simply because a project makes grand economic promises.

We need independent analysis.

We need transparency.

We need meaningful community input.

And we need to know who benefits and who pays.

If the benefits are real, they should survive scrutiny.

And if the costs outweigh the benefits to Frederick residents, we should have the courage to say no.

Because government should listen before it acts.

While campaigning, too often I hear too many People say they feel like decisions are being made somewhere else, by politicians they hardly know, and then presented to them as a done deal.

That is not how democracy is supposed to work.

Public meetings shouldn't be a box government checks after decisions have effectively already been made behind closed doors.

Residents should have a meaningful opportunity to shape those decisions.

Transparency. Accessible information. Real public engagement. Clear explanations. Accountability.

That’s what the People want!

YOUR VOICE SHOULDN'T REQUIRE BUYING ACCESS TO A POLITICIAN.

GROWTH SHOULD HAPPEN WITH US. NOT TO US.

I don't believe growth is the enemy, I believe unplanned growth is.

We need new housing and good jobs. We need economic development and new investments.

But every development decision has consequences.

Who pays for the roads? Can the schools handle the additional students? Can our water infrastructure handle the demand?

What happens to stormwater? What happens to nearby farms? What does it mean for traffic?

What does it mean twenty years from now?

These aren't anti-growth questions.

They're responsible growth questions.

I want Frederick to be a place where we can say yes to growth without saying no to the people who already call this county home.

I WANT TO BUILD

A COUNTY WHERE …

  • Development comes with infrastructure.

  • Working People can afford to stay.

  • Our kids and educators have what they need.

  • Agricultural land is protected for generations.

  • Economic growth never comes at the expense of our drinking water.

  • Economic development creates opportunity for the People who live here.

  • The People know what decisions are being made and why.

  • The People should never be an afterthought.