Growth and Development
The state delegation has no role in the determination of the rate and pace of growth which is in the hands of the County Executive through the creation of the once in a decade General Plan for Howard County. However, there is a role at the state level in granting the county permission to raise fees on new development. As a state delegate, I will vote to give the county authority to increase fees on new development. As a previous council member, and one who took more votes against new development proposals than any other member at the time, I understand the challenges of managing growth and development in a highly successful county.
As a PTA mom, I served on the second Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Committee in 2001 and was responsible for getting a much tougher schools test as well as an expanded roads test passed into law.
Many years later, it is clear that the building excise tax is not providing enough revenue for the county to keep up, and the county council should have the ability to increase fees on development to pay for schools and roads as they see fit. It's past time for the state delegation to vote to give the county this authority.
While I was a school board and county council member, I was involved in the planning, opening, or construction of 9 new schools. Since then, new school construction has stalled somewhat and my hope is that the new school board and superintendent will focus more on long term planning for our schools. My job as state delegate will be to fight for state funding for schools as well as improvements to the many state roads that cross our county.
With only one delegate representing Ellicott City, we need that person to be strong, determined, and unrelenting in fighting for our share of state funding to support roads and schools, and I relish the opportunity to do that for my hometown.