Mount Airy voter guide 2023: Here’s where candidates for Town Council stand on the issues
Editor’s note: Baltimore Sun Media’s voter guides allow candidates to provide their background, policy and platforms on issues, in their own words. Any questions or feedback can be sent to cctnews@carrollcountytimes.com.
Five candidates are running in the May 2 Mount Airy election for three open seats on the nonpartisan Town Council.
The three open seats are held by Karl Munder, Jason Poirier, and Pamela Reed. Poirier and Reed are not seeking reelection. The terms of council members Lynne Galletti and Stephen Domotor expire in May 2025.
The town election is from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., May 2, at the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company’s Reception Hall, 1008 Twin Arch Road, Mount Airy.
For more information, go to https://mountairymd.gov/169/Board-of-Elections or contact Town Clerk Holly McCleary at 301-829-1424 or hmccleary@mountairymd.gov.
Candidates for Town Council
Jason Evans
Age: 49
Occupation: General Manager at Simple Cell Na e-commerce company.
Election experience: This is my first attempt at politics.
Why are you running?
I am interested in running for Town Council in order to be a voice for the people, I also want to prevent developers from over developing our beautiful small town.
What is the most important issue in Mount Airy?
Overdevelopment.
What should become of the Flat Iron building?
I believe we should preserve and restore the Flat Iron building.
Would you change anything about Mount Airy’s growth and development?
I would work extensively to rewrite some of our zoning to prevent developers from coming in and overdeveloping our small town and then leave us with the aftermath.
Clayton Gilbert
Age: 36
Occupation: I am a Business Owner/Contractor that primarily does residential remodeling. I am also a registered home builder.
Election experience: I am not nor have ever been a politician. I also have no interest in being a politician. My interest lies in being a public servant and bettering the lives of those living within the community I may be entrusted to make decisions for.
Why are you interested in running?
I am running for a few different reasons.
- I can do it better and it’s either put up or shut up. Some of the decisions being made by the current council and those under their purview are being made by individuals that are clueless and truly lack common sense. I am sick of people making decisions that never spend any time in the trenches.
- I am a leader and I have the utmost confidence that, If put in the position to lead the way, I will be successful. With that said this is not a venture I or anyone else can, nor should, do alone. I want round table discussions and I want maximum involvement from everyone. That brings me to my next reason.
- I am tired of being in the dark. Now that I have given attention to what’s going on it is overwhelmingly evident that the community as a whole is not informed. Additionally decisions are being made and the wrong people are in place feeding bad information.
What is the most important issue in Mount Airy?
I refuse to say that Mount Airy has only one main important issue. The issues it does have are all interconnected. No one is going to come in after the election and wave a magic wand and suddenly all of our problems are solved. Here is my list of issues off of the top of my head
- Money. I want to know how much the town costs to run as a whole. How much money we bring in, and how much is left over to tackle needs and or wants. I want answers to know how they burned through so much money in the past years.
- Police Department. It’s a mess and it needs some clear direction. It also needs a permanent home that DOES NOT cost a fortune. I have been made aware of some forthcoming changes to the fire department as well. I think that some discussions need to be had to possibly help everyone as a whole.
- Committee Assignments. When you have multiple realtors, so I am told, on the planning commission that CLEARLY have a bias and forgot what their actual job is, that is an issue.
- The Charter and the Town Ordinances need a once over. I am not saying re-write the book but some things are clearly dated, not enforced, create issues, and since that guides everything else, that may be a good starting point.
- The town staff needs restructuring. This is NOT a call to fire everyone. As it stands we are only just getting by and important things are being left to lay waste or pushed to the side. Some changes of job titles, responsibilities, etc and that should be resolved. As a small town with a limited budget we need to maximize efficiency.
-Development needs to be curbed. The town needs better protections to prevent the town from turning into something it’s not and no one wants it to be.
-Water is a hot topic right now and needs to be addressed.
-Serious lack of greenspace.
-Several Rental properties are unsafe.
-Lack of information dissemination
Like any household most issues and solutions are money driven. We need to be mindful of what we do and the order we do it in.
What should become of the Flat Iron building?
Well we are going to keep it, so that has been resolved. What should become of it depends on who is paying for it. If the town is paying for it as a whole it should stay in its current place and most likely turned into town office space. If grants are paying for it, well that changes the outcome of what it can be used for. Renovating the exterior and keeping the original look of the building is one aspect, what happens on the interior is another. Like any remodeling project, how much money do we have to spend...? That will dictate what comes of the building.
Would you change anything about Mount Airy’s growth and development?
Absolutely! I absolutely, positively, without any doubt DO NOT want Mount Airy to turn into a commuter town full of townhomes. That is the value developers see in Mount Airy. Just one more opportunity to cash in on the need for more homes within commuting distance to DC. Gentrification comes in many forms and in our case it’s not taking a poor neighborhood and making it a rich neighborhood. For us it is taking a small town and turning it into a barracks for DC and surrounding areas.
As it stands there are several properties within the town that could be put to better use. We should be focusing on getting those owners to do something actually useful with them other than sitting on them hoping to cash in on a major development later down the road. We need to improve what we have and doing that does not involve adding to the problem.
Stephen Ross Kraft
Age: 61
Occupation. Government-focused communications manager.
Election experience: I’m on the ballot as Stephen “Pops” Kraft. My family calls me Pops; Mt. Airy baseball knows me as Pops; my extended family and friends call me Pops. Mt. Airy is part of that extended family.
Why are you running?
I am running for Mt. Airy Town Council to:
· ensure Mt. Airy’s public health and safety
· preserve Mt. Airy’s established landscape from reckless development
· protect and enhance Mt. Airy’s established institutions (e.g., educational, historical, first responder, commercial, and recreational)
· promote peace and not poison between the town council and our awesome Mayor
What is the most important issue in Mount Airy?
I would be amiss, as the son of Dr. Peggy Kraft, to not emphasize that I truly believe that the primary issue facing Mount Airy—even when confronted with the reckless development that has been foisted upon us by the five members of the 2022 Town Council and will be corrected after the election—is the health and safety of our population. I am especially concerned about the post-pandemic isolation that touches communities – from our youngest to our adolescents to our seniors. No one should feel left alone in Mt. Airy; not a belly should go empty. We need to be vigilant as to the mental, physical, and spiritual health of our entire Mt. Airy population and proactively reenforce our Mt. Airy health and safety net.
What should become of the Flat Iron building?
I am a volunteer grant writer on the Flat Iron building committee so it should come as no surprise that I, along with most Mt. Airy’ans, was joyful when the current iteration of the Town Council finally got behind the preservation of the Flat Iron building. Guaranteed: the Flat Iron building will be the shining core of our downtown in a very near future. We are halfway there.
Would you change anything about Mount Airy’s growth and development?
If elected, I would immediately work with our County Commissioners, our new Town Council, and our Mayor, to establish a moratorium on all major development in Mount Airy until we fully understand the infrastructure requirements that development would have on our entire community. This understanding is not just “shovel in the ground” understanding. Our Aquafer is already suffering. The state of Maryland’s Blueprint for Education already is destined to put immense pressure on our current educational infrastructure. The “funding” for the introduction of a significant increase population into our school system will no longer be “equal” as in the past but, as the current draft Blueprint language stipulates, “equitable”. The Tsunami of new population and development that the 2022 Town Council has closed their eyes to makes no allowances for this Blueprint nor its ramifications on our Mt. Airy children, families, and teachers.
Karl Munder
Age: 54
Occupation: Natural Resources Planner with the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Election experience: Currently serving my 1st term as a councilmember in the Town of Mt. Airy.
Why are you running?
To continue working to protect the town’s natural resources, ensuring any development taking place fits with surrounding land uses and does not negatively impact our infrastructure, continue the revitalization of historic downtown, and to make sure that what makes the town a desirable place to live, and visit is not lost. I also believe the experience that I have gained over my past term related to development in town and budgetary issues the town has and will continue to face gives me insight into how to formulate balance solutions that benefit the citizens and the Town. Balance approaches to problems produce the best outcomes.
What is the most important issue in Mount Airy?
With all the various issues currently facing the town, the issue of development/growth is a little more important. No matter what type of development/growth being discussed, be it a new proposal or redevelopment of an existing parcel, it needs to be done correctly. If done incorrectly, it will negatively impact the town for years to come. That is why it is important for the town to take as much time as it needs to understand the implications of what is being proposed upon its residents and the surrounding communities, have meetings where we can listen to both the citizens of the town and the developer in the hopes a solution can be found that is beneficial to all parties involved.
What should become of the Flat Iron Building?
Recently I voted in favor of preserving this iconic piece of town history. With this yes vote by the council, it allows the group of dedicated volunteers, known as the Flat Iron Task Force, to start applying for grants for the next phase of examining the best options for the building and to start restoration activities. I will continue to support the efforts of these volunteers. In the end I would like to see this building restored and used to help with the revitalization of the southern portion of downtown.
Would you change anything about Mount Airy’s growth and development?
I would take a closer look at how and when certain aspects of the town code, like the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO), are applied during the plan review process. If it is found there could be improvements to this process, I would work with the Mayor and Town Staff to make it better. Another thing that I would examine is the process of applying old studies related to development and its impacts when a site plan is being reviewed for a location. These existing studies are over a decade old at times and have not considered the changes that have occurred in town and the surrounding areas. If an updated study is warranted, I believe the town should require it as part of the approval process for a project.
Tim Washabaugh
Age: 38
Occupation: I have owned and operated a food distributorship company in Montgomery County for 15 years. While I am seeking my first elected political position.
Election experience: In 2018, I was elected and continue to hold multiple leadership positions within a prominent non-profit youth sports organization in Mount Airy. In 2021, I was appointed by our mayor to the town’s parks and recreation commission where I continue to serve today. These leadership positions provided invaluable experiences that I believe will set me apart from the other candidates.
Why are you running?
I believe that I can be a positive change for Mount Airy by making it a priority to bring civility back to our small town government and always putting what is best for our town, and its citizens at the forefront of every discussion. I want to focus on providing full transparency and encouraging honest, open communication from the Mount Airy Town Council and the residents it serves. In the 15 years that I have called Mount Airy home, I have invested my time being a successful advocate for our youth sports community. I believe it is now time for me to step up and be an enthusiastic and devoted elected official for the entire town of Mount Airy.
What is the most important issue in Mount Airy?
Currently, the most important issue in Mount Airy is the threat of reckless development which is a catalyst to multiple imminent issues that would negatively impact the quality of life for all of Mount Airy’s residents. When speaking about development, we cannot just think about the construction of new homes, we must consider the overall impact on our current residents’ way of life. Our already limited water supply, the overcrowding of our schools, the heavy traffic around Mount Airy and the increasing deficit of green space are issues that we cannot disregard.
What should become of the Flat Iron building?
The fate of the Flat Iron Building has been a topic of discussion for many years. Our current town council recently voted in favor of preserving the building, and I fully agree with that decision. I will continue to support the Flat Iron Taskforce as long as the project does not put an unnecessary financial burden on our citizens or the town’s budget. I would like to see the building become a usable space that would benefit Mount Airy, providing a return on the investment made during the preservation process.
Would you change anything about Mount Airy’s growth and development?
I would like to change our growth and development process by adhering to, and respecting our APFO. The Adequate Public Facility Ordinance was put in place to protect our town and its residents. I will not agree to or support any waiver that negatively impacts our APFO, including a waiver due to lack of open space. This would help to ensure that all future developments fit in the current framework of our town. Furthermore, developing responsibly and correctly involves following a certain process. I will not deviate from that process by agreeing to rezone a property outside of the master planning period unless it adequately meets the criteria for doing so.
Lastly, I want to change the growth mindset. We should focus on slow, sustainable growth that compliments our town. Mount Airy can become self-reliant by making fiscally conservative financial decisions that provide a positive return on investment without sacrificing our desire to live in a small town.
