Bel Air, Aberdeen municipal elections were Monday
Nov. 7—Municipal elections took place Monday in two of Harford County's three municipalities — Bel Air and Aberdeen.
Election results are not expected to be immediately available from either race, according to a spokesperson from the Harford County Board of Elections.
Four candidates are vying for three open seats on the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners. Only one incumbent, Erin Hughes, is running to retain her seat. Wrapping up her first term as a town commissioner, Hughes would like to continue her work and address issues such as increasing the town's revenue.
Other candidates include:
— Steve Chizmar, a Bel Air native who worked over 40 years at Aberdeen Proving Ground before retiring, and has served on the town's historic preservation commission and ethics board. He said he is concerned about Bel Air's adequate public facilities plan and overdevelopment in the town.
— Jim Rutledge, a Harford County native whose law firm is in downtown Bel Air. He is a member of the Harford County Historical Society and is also concerned about the town's adequate public facilities plan. He previously ran for a U.S. Senate seat.
— Jake Taylor, who, at age 20, is the youngest candidate in this year's race. A political science student at Loyola University who works as a legislative aide for Republican state Sen. Jason Gallion, he said he decided to run after the town denied a citizens' petition for referendum regarding the development of five downtown properties.
Commissioner Kevin Bianca, who also serves as the town's mayor, is not running for reelection.
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Voters arrive to participate in Aberdeen's municipal election at Aberdeen Activity Center on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. (Brian Krista/The Aegis)
In Aberdeen, voters will elect a mayor and all four seats to the City Council. Nine candidates are running for City Council, including incumbents Adam Hiob, Tim Lindecamp and Tandra Ridgley.
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Hiob, 29, currently serves as president of the City Council and is the youngest candidate in Aberdeen's race. He works for the Harford Community Action Agency and has worked as a legislative director in the Maryland General Assembly.
Lindecamp, athletic director at Aberdeen High School, is seeking his third term on the council. He said he's not taking donations from anybody and is a proponent of smart growth for the city.
Ridgley is running for her first full term in office after she was appointed to the City Council last year. She said she'll prioritize boosting opportunities for business owners and revitalizing the east side of the city.
Other candidates include:
— Sarahia Benn, executive director of Policy Foundation of Maryland, who is a first-time council candidate after two unsuccessful bids for a House of Delegates seat. She wants to prioritize economic development, especially for small businesses.
— Beth Boyson, general manager at Wetlands Golf Course, has served on the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and the Aberdeen Economic Development Commission. She also had an unsuccesful run for a House of Delegates seat.
— Paul Clark, a program analyst at Aberdeen Proving Ground, a first-time candidate who said he decided to run for office because he felt that citizens' concerns weren't being properly addressed.
— Sarah Davis, a stay-at-home mom who says she is concerned about crime. She wants to bolster the resources available to families and improve public transportation.
— Bill Montgomery, who ran unsucessfully for a Harford County Council seat last year, is an Army veteran and adjunct professor at Harford Community College who wants to prioritize economic development.
— Darin M. Wassum, who has been serving on the city's ethics commission in 2019. A sales manager for a pest control company, he supports responsible growth for the city.
Mayor Patrick McGrady is running unopposed.
Originally Published: Nov 07, 2023 at 6:00 am
