Davis boasts of experience, Emmitsburg roots in town's mayoral race

Sep. 22—Emmitsburg Commissioner Frank Davis said he can be a good listener for Emmitsburg residents if he is chosen as the new mayor.

Davis is running against his colleague, Commissioner Tim O'Donnell, for mayor in the town's election on Tuesday.

Current Mayor Don Briggs is not running in this year's election.

Voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Old Town Office at 22 E. Main St.

Emmitsburg's election also includes three candidates for one commissioner seat. The candidates are Glenn Blanchard, Dale Sharrer and Valerie Turnquist.

Davis said the combination of being a good listener and having four years of experience as a commissioner makes him an ideal candidate.

"I had the opportunity to work with the current mayor and attend some [other] meetings with him, to just see how everything works ... and it was a good learning experience for me," Davis said.

Davis, a retired federal fire chief, said he has given a lot of time and service to the local fire department as both chief and president. He's ready to do the same as mayor.

"I'll be a 24-hour-a-day mayor, being retired, and I can be a hands-on mayor," he said.

Since Davis has lived in Emmitsburg his whole life, he's seen the good, the bad and the ugly, he said. As mayor, he wants to make sure the town doesn't repeat any bad history.

For example, the rising water rates in Emmitsburg mirror a rise in sewer rates in the past, he said.

He said the town needs to keep an eye on utility finances to make sure it doesn't have to hike the rates again.

There also are bigger issues of infrastructure in the town, he said, like electricity, sewer, water and other day-to-day necessary services.

Davis said he wants to hear from the community on how to solve these issues, especially since a lot of residents have expertise in those fields.

"We need to reach out to them, and have them help us with research and ideas," he said. "And the more that's involved, the better off we'll be, because we're not experts on everything."

He also wants to meet with other municipalities to talk about what worked for them.

With open lines of communication, Emmitsburg can learn from others and municipalities can share ideas and resources, he said.

Davis said he's already contacted state and federal lawmakers to see how they can help Emmitsburg. Even if there isn't anything they can do, learning from them and using them as a network for others is valuable, he said.

One goal Davis has is to have Emmitsburg join Maryland Main Street, a state program that helps cities and towns revitalize their downtowns, to breathe more life into downtown Emmitsburg.

Growth has stalled in Emmitsburg, he said, and he wants to spark controlled growth.

He's hoping that being a part of Maryland Main Street can help attract new businesses to fill vacant storefronts and help existing businesses with upgrades or expansion.

"The businesses are one of the most important parts of the community and we got to see what we can do," he said.

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel