Schildt wants to bring fresh perspective, ideas to Thurmont board
Oct. 5—Ed Schildt first considered running for Thurmont's Board of Commissioners during the town's last municipal election in 2021.
Since moving to Thurmont over 30 years ago, Schildt has become involved throughout the community, participating in local organizations and working on town commissions.
He said he spent the last year and a half understanding the responsibilities of being a commissioner and assessing if he could fulfill them.
"I think first and foremost, [I can bring] a fresh view, a fresh set of eyes and ears for the community," he said. "I have pledged and always have been very accessible to the citizens, and I want to continue that."
Schildt is one of six candidates running for two seats on Thurmont's Board of Commissioners this month. The seats are currently held by Bill Buehrer and Wes Hamrick.
Buerher is running for another term. The other candidates are Schildt, Marty Burns, Bob Lookingbill, Christopher Stouter and Grant Johnson.
Commissioners serve for a term of four years.
The election will be Oct. 31 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Guardian Hose Company activities building at 123 E. Main St.
Schildt said he grew up just outside Thurmont's town limits and moved into the town in 1986.
He raised two sons with his wife in Thurmont. The couple was involved in local sports organizations and church youth groups.
Schildt co-founded the Thurmont Addiction Commission shortly after one of his sons died from an overdose in 2016. He's a member of the town's Board of Appeals.
Prior to retiring, Schildt worked in sales brokerage in foods for about 44 years, a career in which he said he had to be a "people person." If elected, he pledged to listen to constituents.
"I can understand how to be able to listen to those residents that may have a concern or just may be very happy with decisions that are being made," he said. "I like to hear it from all sides. I think those are valuable."
Schildt said he would prioritize "sustainable growth" for Thurmont. If construction is planned, such as new housing development, Schildt wants to make sure surrounding infrastructure like roadways and utilities supports it.
New development will bring tax revenue to Thurmont, Schildt said, which can go toward maintaining the town's infrastructure without raising taxes.
"When I say sustainable growth, we're not talking about urban sprawl or anything like that," he said. "I'm not looking for massive housing increases, just steady increases."
Schildt said he was in favor of the annexation the Board of Commissioners approved in 2022 to zone several acres of farmland along Thurmont's borders for high-density residential development. In a referendum in January,Thurmont residents voted to reject the annexation.
Schildt said Thurmont is known as a walkable community with sidewalks and trails. He said it's important to maintain that.
Schildt said if he's elected, he will familiarize him with the current state of town infrastructure and additional developments before deciding on any actions to take.
"I can't sit here and say, 'Well, I'm going to change this, or I'm going to do that.' ... The most important thing is looking forward as well as the current day," he said. "I'll be engaging myself heavily into bringing myself up to speed with the details of a lot of these topics."
He said residents and businesses owners have told him there's a lack of parking available downtown. He wants to address the issue, so the downtown area is more accessible to residents, business owners and visitors.
"The most important thing is I want to be able to communicate with the residents and be accessible to them every day. so that I can listen to what their thoughts are," Schildt said.
