(3/24) Four residents have thrown their hats into the ring to fill the seat formerly held by Commissioner Michael Bailey who resigned his seat in January following his decision to move his family to North Carolina. The candidates applying to fill the remainder of Bailey’s seat are Betsey Brannen, David Toohey, Chris Ragen, & Bob Yoder.
Brannen, who also ran in the special election to February, garnered 149 of the 572 votes cast. David Toohey took the yellow ribbon with 42 votes. Regan and Yoder did not run in the February election.
During a candidate forum that was held in February for the first special election, Brannen said she was running for town council because, "the past few months have made me question the trajectory of the town. Walkersville is welcoming and open. Our elected officials owe each other and town residents complete honesty and transparency. These values should define Walkersville's governance. These are my standards for myself, and I expect them of our chosen representatives.
"I know it may seem like a lot to ask these days," Brannen said, "that our government bodies—at every level—be open and honest with the people and try to do what is in the people's best interest, but I really do believe that. That's the type of Commissioner I'll be. Maybe I sound too old fashioned or idealistic, but as a Town Commissioner, I promise to put Walkersville first and always keep the best interest of the residents in mind."
Toohey told the audience that as a member of the Parks Committee and a 20-year resident, he was "committed to Walkersville, but wanted to solidify that commitment by becoming a Town Commissioner. I fully support an additional special election which would allow my neighbors to elect me to represent them, but if the town chooses to appoint someone, I want our residents to know I am committed to them and what they feel the town needs. My family and I have enjoyed building our lives and raising our family in Walkersville and believe that others should as well.
"The residents here deserve transparency from their elected officials and I plan to continue that openness. I believe in smart growth that supports a community such as Walkersville, and want to bring Walkersville into the 21st century while embracing its rich history. We need more small businesses that will continue to bring our town together, such as a small coffee shop or bookstore, this would also improve our already walkable community. Our town is on the cusp of greatness, and I want to work with our community to keep that momentum going."
Chris Ragen told the News-Journal that he was running because he was deeply concerned about the future of Walkersville. "I fear that overdevelopment and the encroachment of Frederick will rob Walkersville of its identity and charm. We have the opportunity with the comprehensive plan process to secure Walkersville as a small town for at least ten years, protecting us from the current wave of development and keep Walkersville a livable place.
"Beyond growth, I believe that it is incumbent on the town government to ensure that our citizens have green spaces and community assets that make our town a complete community. In particular, while Walkersville has ample play areas for young children and outdoor areas for walking, bike riding and sports, I believe we can do more for teens and young adults for example. Adding a skate park to an existing park like Walkersville Community Park or sponsoring activities like a battle of the local bands could provide social spaces for young people and offer alternatives to playing sports. We can also do more for our aged community as well.
"I have listened for years as my parents and grandparents lament at the overdevelopment and congestion that turned towns like Germantown and Damascus into acres of asphalt. I do not want to find myself and my community in the same situation in 20 years. Walkersville is an amazing community that I've been a part of for 33 years. I know that we can seize this opportunity and protect our town's identity as a small town. We can fortify our position as a semi-rural community and embrace all facets of our community through age inclusive activities and facilities."
Following the printing for the April edition of the paper, Bob Yoder was kind enough to send us the following:
"I am married to my very loving wife Cindy, and have two adult children. I have lived in the town of Walkersville for over 35 years. During that time I have seen growth and a lot of changes in the town. I also experienced many personal life changes in that time.
I am a retired IT Network Manager who was responsible for a large staff of engineers reporting directly to me. My experience included managing multi-million dollar budgets and negotiating large scale national contracts for a major corporation. I created, built and managed nation-wide network infrastructures. This included designing new network architectures and creating plans for implementation, along with participating in the actual installation. Additionally, I taught and trained engineers in this discipline.
Over my many years in the business, I participated in public speaking engagements, as the main presenter, to train hundreds of other engineers and managers about network infrastructures.
I served as Chairman and Treasurer of a large credit union with assets exceeding 130 million dollars. In addition, I served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for a large nonprofit organization.
I am a fiscal conservative, and believe in being a good steward of tax payers money. While speaking to many residents in our town, I learned the following are some of their concerns:
- Neighborhood traffic safety caused by speeding, congestion, and long delays during rush hour.
- As the town continues to grow, developers must be required to provide the necessary infrastructure to accommodate increased traffic, by widening roads and provide sidewalks.
- Commercial areas and facilities that are abandoned or improperly maintained causing them to become eyesores to the community.
- We need to ensure the collection of appropriate fees to maintain infrastructure services and beautification of our town.
- The lack of a business friendly environment to encourage and increase new small businesses and services.
- The Walkersville Web site should being updated in a timely manner to provide relevant communications and news about current events and issues affecting all residents.
I believe all town residents must feel comfortable in a friendly "small town" environment, and need to know they are secure and safe.
I welcome the opportunity to serve you as Commissioner of Walkersville."
The special election will be held on Tuesday April 18 in the Town Hall Meeting Room. Absentee ballots can be picked up at the town office.
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