Emmitsburg elects town Commissioners

Danielle Ryan

(10/25) During the October 3 Town Council meeting, re-elected Commissioner Glenn Blanchard and newcomer Commissioner Elizabeth Buckman were sworn in to their elected positions.

181 votes were cast this year, which is an improvement from last year’s election, which only brought 38 voters to the polls. Blanchard was re-elected to his third term with 127 votes and Buckman was elected to her first term with 116 votes.

Blanchard has been a Commissioner for close to a decade, and was glad to be re-elected to the position. He strongly believes in the importance of helping the community through volunteerism, and has dedicated much of his time to various organizations within the community. Blanchard has been involved in several volunteer projects including church activities at his parish, he has held the role of treasurer of the Emmitsburg Food Bank and has volunteered at the shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton.

During his next term, Blanchard hopes to see a revitalized downtown square, upgraded parks and a pool that will serve the community. He also hopes to see an increased sense of community that connects each and every citizen together.

Buckman, a new-comer to the Council, was also thrilled to begin her term as a Commissioner and hopes to make a difference in the town. As one of the main figureheads of the "Emmitsburg Cares" group, Buckman hopes to make a difference in the community by raising awareness of the heroin epidemic in town and raising the overall quality of life within the community.

As O’Donnell stated, the vision painted by both candidates must have struck a chord with town residents, and resonated with them enough to send more people to the polls. Her fellow Commissioners welcomed Buckman to the Council as all stated how they look forward to working with a new member. Blanchard was also welcomed as fellow Commissioners agreed they would enjoy continuing to work with him.

Furthermore, Blanchard was elected for another year as the treasurer for the Council, Tim O’Donnell was once again reinstated as President and Clifford Sweeney as Vice President. Buckman will be the liaison of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee.