Montgomery County Candidate's Questionnaire Results

5/26/2022

Early Voting has begun in Moco and will last until 7/14 (find your early voting site here) - the primary is 7/19

It is a big election year in Maryland and Montgomery County. With a shake-up in districts for state and local representation it's more important than ever to look over your candidate choices. MCA has once again posed the tough questions to the 100+ candidates seeking to lead MoCo and Maryland in the coming years. As a 501c3 nonprofit - MCA can not endorse but we seek to provide information on where the candidates stand.
Below are the unedited questionnaires received from each candidate who returned them by the deadline, we are grateful to those who took the time in the busy election season. We realize we are one of many outlets asking for the candidate's views. Scroll to the bottom to get even more info on candidate positions from state and local groups.
Find your sample ballot with all candidates here.
Which District is yours? Take a look at the new district maps for County Council and State level offices.

More on the Candidate's Views

The County Executive Green Forum Recording ( note: This forum was held before the filing deadline and as such does not include all candidates)
The MoCo Food Council Food Questionnaire - lots of great questions about food security and the role of the Ag Reserve.
Don't forget the Board of Education election. Our friends at League of Women Voters held a non-partisan virtual forum you can watch here.

Important resources:

Voter registration information - Voter registration will close on June 28, 2022 for the 2022 Primary Election and on October 18, 2022 for the 2022 General Election.
Early Voting Centers
League of Women Voter Information

Key
Red - response submitted by the deadline
Black- No response received by the deadline
* - incumbent

County Executive

David Blair (D)
Marc Elrich* (D)
Peter James (D)
Hans Riemer* (D)
Shelly Skolnick (R)
Reardon Sullivan (R)

Montgomery County Council

At-Large (Voters Will Choose up to 4 - represents entire county)

District 1 (Bethesda, most of Chevy Chase, Potomac, Travilah)

Andrew Friedson* (D)

County Council District 2 (North Potomac, Darnestown, Poolesville, Germantown, Clarksburg)

County Council District 3 (Rockville, Gaithersburg)

Tiquia J. Bennett (D)
Sidney Katz* (D)
Robert Wu (D)
George Hernandez (R)

County Council District 4 (North Bethesda, Kensington, Silver Spring, Takoma Park)

County Council District 5 (Four Corners, White Oak, Colesville, Burtonsville)

Brian Anleu (D)
Fatmata Barrie (D)
Chris Bolton (D)
Daniel Koroma (D)
Cary Lamari (D)
Kristin Mink (D)
William “Chip” Montier (D)
Jeremiah Pope (D)
Kate Woody (R)

County Council District 6 (Wheaton, Forest Glen, Glenmont, Aspen Hill)

County Council District 7 (Derwood, Olney, Ashton, Brookeville, Laytonsville, Montgomery Village, Damascus)

State Senate and House of Delegates

State Senate, District 9 (much of Howard County, part of northeastern Montgomery County)

State Senate, District 14 (Laytonsville, Brookeville, Ashton, Fairland, Burtonsville)

State Senate, District 15 (Barnesville, Darnestown, North Potomac, Travilah, parts of Clarksburg and Germantown)

Brian Feldman* (D)
David Wilson (R)

State Senate, District 16 (Bethesda, Cabin John, Potomac, North Bethesda)

Susan Lee* (D)

State Senate, District 17 (Rockville, Gaithersburg)

Cheryl Kagan* (D)
Scott Gershman (R)

State Senate, District 18 (Chevy Chase, Kensington, parts of Wheaton)

Max Socol (D)
Jeff Waldstreicher* (D)
Missy Carr (R)

State Senate, District 19 (Derwood, Leisure World, Aspen Hill, Glenmont, parts of Wheaton)

Ben Kramer* (D)
David George Jeang (Green Party, general election only)
Raul R. Ayala (R)
Anita Mpambara Cox (R)

State Senate, District 20 (Silver Spring, Takoma Park, White Oak)

Enoch Bevel (D)
Will Smith* (D)

State Senate, District 39 (Montgomery Village, parts of Germantown)

Adam Alphaeus Cunningham (D)
Nancy King* (D)

State delegate, District 9A

State delegate, District 14

Joshua Dowling (D)
Anne Kaiser* (D)
Eric Luedtke* (D)
Pamela Queen* (D)
Tom Smith (D)
Kathy Gugulis (R)
Kate Walshe (R)

State delegate, District 15

State delegate, District 16

Ariana Kelly* (D)
Marc Korman*(D)
Sara Love* (D)

State delegate, District 17

Kumar Barve* (D)
Julie Palakovich Carr* (D)
Joe De Maria (D)
Joe Vogel (D)
Donald “DP” Patti (R)

State delegate, District 18

Emily Shetty* (D)
Jared Solomon* (D)
Aaron Kaufman (D)
George M. Cecala (R)

State delegate, District 19

Charlotte Crutchfield* (D)
Bonnie Cullison* (D)
Augustin Esquivar Saah (D)
Vaughn Stewart* (D)
Frank Nice (R)

State delegate, District 20

Lorig Charkoudian* (D)
David Moon* (D)
John Walsh (D)
Jheanelle Wilkins* (D)

State delegate, District 39

Gabriel Acevero* (D)
Lesley Lopez* (D)
Kirill Reznik* (D)
Clint Sobratti (D)

Sugarloaf Mt. Preservation - Your Engagement Needed!

5/12/2022

Martin Radigan

Update: Press coverage of the 8/11 County Council hearing on the Treasured Sugarloaf Management plan. Another council workshop is August. 15 and there is a community meeting in Urbana on August 18. Much more info here.
This plan remains strong protection for the farms of the Sugarloaf region - here at MCA we remain concerned about a provision to allow adjustments in the Urbana area - making a loophole that could undercut the protections of the plan.

An action alert from our partners at Sugarloaf Citizens Association - you've seen the signs in FredCo - the plan to give Sugarloaf Country the protection it needs is coming to a vote and your voice is needed!

Protect & Preserve THE SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN AREA

The Frederick County Planning Commission is debating this master plan.
Show up and Speak up at the Public Hearing

On the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan
Wednesday, May 18
Winchester Hall, 6 pm

Over the last 2 years the master plan, that will determine the future of our beautiful mountain, the small communities and the surrounding farmland, has been redesigned and under heated debate. The 176-page management and zoning plan for the almost 18,000 acres includes Sugarloaf mountain and surrounding communities, adjacent to Montgomery County’s 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve.

The Planning Commission will listen to testimony, debate and make a decision before sending it to the state for a 60 day review period. It is important for all of us that care about this treasured landscape, to attend the hearing in person at Winchester Hall, 12 East Church Street in downtown Frederick. The Public Hearing will also live streamed as well, at FrederickCountyMD.gov/FCGTV. You can call comments in at 1-855-925-2801 (Meeting Code 9006).

We know that the developers who don’t want the natural resource protections contained in the “Rural Heritage Overlay Zone” will show up. The plan’s overall aim is to preserve and protect the rural and agriculture-focused landscape in question—without exemptions for developers or Stronghold, Inc. the Board that owns and operates Sugarloaf Mountain.

Questions in the community:
What are the benefits of the Sugarloaf Plan and Overlay Zoning District?
The Plan’s intent is to protect the area’s beautiful woodlands and waterways, farms and historic sites, preserving the rural nature of southern Frederick County on the west side of I-270.
What about my property rights? Will the Plan and Overlay limit what I am able to do with my property?

The Plan largely maintains the rural environment as we enjoy it today and ensures that any changes to the area’s land uses reflect a higher standard of environmental protection through the Overlay Zoning District.

The Overlay does not change most current zoning for residential, agricultural or conservation property within the Plan area.
The Plan includes an updated list of restricted or prohibited uses, including - for example - “shooting range” and “industrial waste landfill.”
The Plan’s timber harvest section mirrors the State’s requirements.
The Overlay adds environmental protection requirements for subdivision and site development plans, including proposals and building sizes for large, non-agricultural developments.

You can testify for 3 minutes, to explain why this treasured landscape should be preserved. Written comments are being received at: planningcommission@frederickcountymd.gov

See more details at SCA’s website or download the attached PDF. Frederick County’s website for the plan is here.
https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/8046/Sugarloaf-Area-Plan

Background on this plan:

Take Action: Urge the Council to Pass a Strong Forest Conservation Plan

5/4/2022

Update (11/23): In line with the stronger forest conservation law, the Council has been supportive of a much needed increase in the fees developers pay for disturbing street trees and forest canopies. MCA signed onto a supportive letter with local civic partners here.

Montgomery County is in the midst of updating their Forest Conservation Plan. The revision in front of the Council is an opportunity to enshrine protections for trees throughout the County. MCA and our partners at the MoCo Forest Coalition support provisions that will make the law even stronger - specifically on protections for existing forests. Take a moment to write to the Council in support of this refined legislation.

Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club has weighed in to support strong forest protections:

Read on for stories of what forests mean to MoCo residents. If you have a forest story to share please get in touch - info@mocoalliance.org

A few minutes of you time… a short video, photos and your words to urge the County Council to act now to protect our invaluable forests!

Montgomery County Lost More than 1,000 acres of forest in the past decade. What do forests (and their loss) mean to MoCo Residents?

The Montgomery County Planning Board and Council are updating the Forest Conservation Plan. The MoCo Forest Coalition of which we are proud to be a part has been pushing for much stronger policies - including a no-net-loss provision. Here we feature the stories from residents about the forests they hold dear.
Urban trees work particularly hard, check out this cool interactive urban tree canopy presentation.
Care to share your forest story? - info@mocoalliance.org

"This past weekend, neighbors invited folks over to their remarkable 25 acre property - mostly in mature native forest. The variety of trees and understory plants, many in bloom, is truly remarkable. So too is the great variety of insects, birds, and other forest life that make this place home. Our family could not enter it unmoved. The effect of our time spent in the forest is both restorative and lasting. " - C.T

Off the back corner of the meadow there's something numinous in the woods. Over an impenetrable thicket of briar and bramble I can make out a clearing in the trees, an area of light in the shade. Local folks call it "the swamp." I've hiked around its periphery, but there doesn't seem to be a way in, for humans, through the thick shroud of winterberry holly that encircles it. The bow hunters tell of deer vanshining into the green mist of leaves, untrackable. Heron, Hawk, and Woodpecker emanate from this space like it's a portal to a bird universe. Frog calls ring out from its center and echo through the woods at dusk. "The swamp is ah-liiive!" exclaims my neighbor in a buttery Virginia drawl. I have to agree with him. It's good to know these places still exist, wellsprings of life and regeneration.

Wib Middleton

"We live in Poolesville. A newly sold property in a conversation easement 1 is being altered. Today 15 trucks/cars and approximately 25 people showed up. They have cleared out trees, bushes etc in the easement. The owner of the property is aware of the easement but is disregarding it. " - P

"I’ve written the Council many times about the destruction of our forests, particularly the one on my own street, that is across from the Canal National park. New people are moving in and not respecting the forest we live in. Every time I hear the saws and the chippers my heart sinks. One family chopped off the tops of 10 trees to get more sun on their pool. These stripped, silent sentinels call out for regulation. I painted the tree. I am honoring its spirit. " - AB

"Three large healthy trees were cut down on my street in Kensington to add a new portion of sidewalk. Sad." - T.C

W. Willard Rd Pepco Tree Cutting

Newly released data from the Chesapeake Conservancy and Chesapeake Bay Program show that Carroll County has gained about as much forest as it has lost to development in recent years. But over the same time span, Montgomery County lost 660 acres of forest to newly constructed roads, rooftops and lawns, while adding only 100 acres - a major net loss. Another 1,800 acres of forest in Montgomery were fragmented or otherwise impacted by development, making them more vulnerable to invasive vines, deer, and other threats.

Over the decade aggressive tree pruning and removal practices on the part of utility companies have angered residents both up and down county. A bill to bring more control back to the County government in demanding best vegetation practices did not pass last year as sponsors cited insurmountable pushback from utility companies. A brief history of resident complaints and a bill fact sheet.

You can speak for the trees of MoCo - the Council will be working on the Forest Conservation Law in the coming weeks. We need no-net-loss and also a net gain of forests. To make this provision as strong as oak the Council needs to hear from you. The MoCo Forest Coalition released an Op-Ed in Bethesda Beat "Montgomery Must Update and Strengthen Outdated Forest Protections"

More on Trees:

News

Montgomery County Candidate's Questionnaire Results

Sugarloaf Mt. Preservation - Your Engagement Needed!

Take Action: Urge the Council to Pass a Strong Forest Conservation Plan

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