Mount Airy MD prepares for town elections

Mount Airy prepares for town elections

League of Women Voters of Carroll County to hold candidates’ forum.

March 31, 2010

Special to be crossposted on The Grogg Report

By Kevin Dayhoff http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/mount-airy-prepares-for-town-elections.html http://tinyurl.com/ydkhrj6

The mayor’s office and two council seats are up for grabs this coming May 3 when Mount Airy citizens go to the polls to select new leadership for the town.

At the Mount Airy board of supervisors of elections citizens’ meeting on March 8 in the town hall council chambers, the chair of the elections board, Bruce Walz, banged the gavel and brought the short, 20-minute meeting to order at precisely 7 p.m.

Citizens, from the town of almost 10,000, which straddles the Frederick and Carroll County border, crowded into the room to nominate candidates to vie for the mayor’s office, currently held by Peter Helt; and two council seats, currently held by Gary Nelson and Chris Everich.

Each town council member is paid $4,000 per year and the mayor is paid $8,500 a year.

Citizens nominated Wendi Peters, currently a town councilmember, and Patrick Rockinberg, who currently serves as the vice-chair of the Mount Airy planning and zoning commission to vie for mayor.

For the two council seats, citizens choose three to stand for election: David M. Blais, Scott Strong, and incumbent councilmember Chris Everich.

Councilmember Gary Nelson is to date, not a candidate for re-election.

A distinguished member of the community, B.J. Dixon, the former town clerk who retired after 30-years of service to the community, rose to the podium first.

“I’m here this evening not only as a resident of the Town; not only as a past employee of the Town; but as a concerned citizen that feels we need to get the town back on track with someone that has leadership abilities. I’m here to nominate Councilwoman Wendi Peters for the Office of Mayor.

Tony Falletta then rose to nominate Pat Rockinberg for mayor. He explained that “Pat moved to Mount Airy in 1997 and since that time has been very active in the community.” Mr. Falletta said “it was during the 2006 election cycle that I first met Pat and have come to admire his leadership abilities.”

Current Mayor Helt nominated Mr. Everich by citing a Bible verse from Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitude of counselors they are established… In short it is better to get the opinion of many counselors than to have a bunch of yes men. I have found Chris Everich to be a good counselor and not a yes man. Chris can be talked to, reasoned with and learned from.”

Former Mayor Pyatt nominated Mr. Blais, by noting that “he earned his Eagle Scout badge from Mount Airy’s Troop 460, graduated from Linganore High School and has served honorably in the U.S. Air Force for 24 years since 1986.”

To wrap-up the meeting, Tim Askeland nominated Mr. Strong. Mr. Askeland reiterated after the meeting that Mr. Strong could make a positive contribution to the community because he is a volunteer sports coach for Mount Airy’s children and he vigorously opposed a recent annexation initiative for the Rigler property, (part of which was to be used for sports fields.)

I attended the meeting for a number of reasons. As a student of governance, political science, and history; the town is a great study of a municipality with enormous potential that is being held back by what many consider to be a crisis in government.

Although I make my home in Westminster, my Quaker ancestors, the Wright family, along with the Warfield, Grimes, Haines, Farver and Gilliss family, began living in the area since the early 1700s, long before it was an incorporated municipality.

Over the years my family has seen it all. We witnessed the “first wave” of “newcomers” that came to what is now known as Mount Airy, when the railroad arrived.

The delightful quintessential small town maintained a reputation through the 1950s and 60s for a high quality of life.

However the last decade has been unpleasant. Still others will say that in the last quarter-of-century Mount Airy has developed quite a reputation for its contentious elections; and the mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation have since been the standard by which the town deliberates and grapples with many growing pains.

Then it began to be “discovered” by folks in the throes of urban flight in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Being located near Interstate 70 made the commute to the Baltimore of Washington, D.C. employment centers easy. This exacerbated growth pressures in the days of inexpensive gasoline, low taxes, and quality housing stock that was reasonably priced.

With the growth brought tension and the wheels began to get wobbly as early as June 1973 when Mayor Lewis C. Dixon and Frederick W. Stevens got in a scuffle after a “meeting when Stephens presented problems with a sewer station on land he used to own,” according to the June 29, 1974 edition of “The Community Reporter.”

Mr. Stevens filed a $90,000 damage suit in Circuit Court a year after the incident claiming that he suffered “painful injuries about his face and head and was caused great mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation.”

In the last several years, Mount Airy has stayed in the news for political turmoil and intrigue, allegations of ethics violations, quarrels over growth and annexation, recreation, and water. On September 3, 2007, the town was awakened to a devastating three-alarm fire in the 200 block of South Main Street.

In 2009, a total of three citizens took turns in the mayor’s office in a year of public bickering and disagreement.

Helt, who was voted in as mayor by the council members on Dec. 7, 2009 after the council voted out former Mayor David Pyatt, chose not to stand for election for mayor. Helt had taken the place of former Mayor Frank Johnson Jr., who was elected in 2006 and resigned in February 2009.

There was also turnover in 2009 among the councilmembers as Everich was chosen to take the place former councilmember John Woodhull who moved out of town and did not finish his term.

On the evening of the citizens’ nominations the League of Women Voters of Carroll County announced that the non-partisan organization will hold a candidates’ forum on March 31 at 7 p.m. for those running for office.

The forum will be held at the Mount Airy town hall and will be broadcast live by the Community Media Center. The forum will feature questions developed by the League and questions from the audience. For more information about the forum, contact the League at info@carroll.lwvmd.org.

The last day for write-in candidates to get on the ballot is 5 p.m. April 12. The deadline to register to vote is April 5 and absentee ballots are available at the town offices up until April 15.

Elections are held in the town every two years. Citizens will have an opportunity to vote for one mayor and two councilmembers on Monday, May 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Firemen's Activities Building on Twin Arch Road.

For more information call the town office at 410-795-6012 or 301-829-1424 or visit the town web site at http://www.mountairymd.org/.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff @ gmail.com.
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For coverage of the May 3, 2010 Mount Airy municipal elections click on: Elections 20100503 Mount Airy

Labels: Carroll Co Dist Mt Airy, Dayhoff photos, Dayhoff photos Carroll Co, Elections 20100503 Mount Airy, History Mount Airy MD, People Peters-Wendi Mt Airy Council

Related coverage: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Elections%2020100503%20Mount%20Airy

Wendi Peters for Mount Airy mayor campaign profile http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/wendi-peters-for-mount-airy-mayor.html Posted March 31, 2010

Mount Airy prepares for town elections League of Women Voters of Carroll County to hold candidates’ forum. March 31, 2010 Special to be crossposted on The Grogg Report by Kevin Dayhoff http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/mount-airy-prepares-for-town-elections.html

Mount Airy town elections a little over a month away League of Women Voters to hold candidates' forum March 31 Posted http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/4173/mount-airy-town-elections-little-over-month-away/ 3/29/10 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Scott Strong for Mount Airy town council campaign profile March 29, 2010 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/scott-strong-for-mount-airy-town.html

BJ Dixon nominates Councilwoman Wendi Peters for the Office of Mount Airy Mayor By Kevin Dayhoff for Soundtrack March 29, 2010 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/bj-dixon-nominates-councilwoman-wendi.html

Mount Airy town elections a little over a month away http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/mount-airy-town-elections-little-over.html League of Women Voters of Carroll County to hold candidates’ forum.
March 19, 2010 by Kevin Dayhoff

Current Mount Airy Mayor Helt nominates Mr. Everich http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/current-mount-airy-mayor-helt-nominates.html

The Mount Airy Lottery in The Tentacle: http://www.thetentacle.com/ by Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday, March 24, 2010: “The “awful aughts” were not kind to Mount Airy. The last decade seemed to have been on the minds of citizens who crowded into the Mount Airy town hall on March 8 to nominate candidates to vie for elected offices in the upcoming election….”

“Mount Airy electoral nominees named” By Jennifer Jiggetts, Times Staff Writer Jiggetts http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/article_27f19880-2d92-11df-9131-001cc4c002e0.html Friday, March 12, 2010

“Mount Airy announces nominations for mayor and Town Council” Originally published March 10, 2010 By Nicholas C. Stern News-Post Staff http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=102271

“Peters, Rockinberg to face off for mayor - Two nominated for mayor, three for two open council seats in Mount Airy's May 3 election” by Angie Cochrun Staff Writer Thursday, March 11, 2010 http://www.gazette.net/stories/03112010/mounnew162451_32547.php

David Blais Candidate for Mount Airy Town Council web site
http://www.davidblais.com/contact.html

http://www.thegroggreport.com/merrygoround.htm

http://www.gazette.net/stories/03112010/mounnew162451_32547.php

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=102271
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Mount Airy prepares for town elections League of Women Voters of Carroll County to hold candidates’ forum. March 31, 2010 Special to be crossposted on The Grogg Report by Kevin Dayhoff http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/mount-airy-prepares-for-town-elections.html
Mount Airy MD prepares for town elections League Women Voters Carroll Co hold candidates’ forum 31Mar2010 http://tinyurl.com/ydkhrj6

Mount Airy MD preps 4 town elections League Women Voters hold forum 31Mar2010 http://tinyurl.com/ydkhrj6

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com