Davis wins Emmitsburg mayor race, Turnquist wins commissioner seat, unofficial results show
Sep. 26—Frank Davis has been elected mayor of Emmitsburg and Valerie Turnquist won a seat on the town's Board of Commissioners, according to unofficial results on Tuesday.
In the mayor race, Davis had 301 votes and Tim O'Donnell had 62 votes. Both are currently on the Board of Commissioners.
Mayor Don Briggs did not run for re-election. He is completing his fourth term.
Turnquist received 212 votes for the commissioner seat on the ballot. Glenn Blanchard was second with 112 votes. Dale Sharrer was third with 27 votes.
According to the town, 367 votes were cast in the election.
Davis' term on the Board of Commissioners was scheduled to end in October 2025.
A retired federal fire chief, Davis is a lifelong resident of Emmitsburg and has served as the local fire department's chief and president.
Davis previously told The Frederick News-Post he'll be a "24-hour-a-day mayor." He said he wants to spark controlled growth for the town and communicate with other municipalities — as well as state and federal lawmakers — so the town can learn from them.
Turnquist was appointed to Emmitsburg's Planning Commission in December 2022 as an alternate. She decided to run for the Board of Commissioners to bring "fiscal responsibility to our town," she previously told the News-Post.
As Emmitsburg residents filed in to vote at at 22 E. Main St., several had key issues in mind.
Dennis Ebaugh wanted people in office who would address the town's increasing water rates. Emmitsburg's water rates are scheduled to go up by 36% annually for five years as a result of a deficit in the town's water fund.
Ebaugh called the increase "ludicrous" and has attended several public meetings on the issue.
He voted for Davis for mayor and Turnquist for commissioner because he felt they were the most willing to address the rates and come up with another remedy to the water fund deficit.
Shannon Brown also was focused on the projected hike in water rates as she voted. This year was Brown's first time voting in an election for town officials.
She said she wanted to vote for public officials who truly care about Emmitsburg.
"We'd like to keep those small-town traditional values, but ... I'm open to changes as well," Brown said. "Someone who cares about the townspeople — that's basically what it boils down to for me."
Kiona and Christopher Black came to the polls together, and both voted for Davis and Turnquist. Kiona Black said she wanted a mayor who's knows the town's history, but can also look to the future.
"It's always going to be Frank Davis for me," she said. "He's one of the best leaders in Frederick County."
