Anne Arundel County Council District 7

A: We have to make District 7 affordable again. Whether it’s the price of housing, food, childcare, or energy, it’s all stretching the budgets of District 7 families.

Childcare shouldn’t be another mortgage payment. We should make it easier for affordable home childcare businesses to get off the ground. We also need to hold the line on property taxes, whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, property taxes drive up your housing costs. I’ll focus on spending our existing tax dollars responsibly. No matter the issue, affordability is my number one priority.

A: The top issue for the county is affordability too. We have to focus on the core economic issues that are affecting Anne Arundel County families. Two other issues I want to address are small-business red tape and public safety.

I’m proud to own and operate several small businesses. Many of my worst days on the job are days I have to deal with government agencies. It doesn’t have to be that way. I’m all for safety and environmental rules, but how many approvals should you need to put up a banner? We must cut unnecessary red tape. Our firefighters run into burning buildings to keep us safe! Their jobs are more dangerous because they’re understaffed and overworked. This puts our firefighters and the whole county at risk. I’ll work to increase staffing levels to help keep our firefighters and community safe. It’s the job of law enforcement to keep our communities safe and to get violent offenders off our streets. It’s the job of the county council to give the police what they need to do that work safely and effectively. We need to be tough on crime AND smart on crime.

A: I view the council’s role as balancing the need for economic growth in the county with concerns about quality-of-life issues. Our infrastructure isn’t keeping up. We’re seeing effects on traffic, school capacity, and the environment. We also need to protect the rural way of life in South County. That being said, we do need to do more to promote housing affordability. Our job isn’t to say yes to everything or no to everything, it’s to develop smart policies that allow us to gain the upsides of job and wage growth while minimizing impact on quality of life, infrastructure, and green space.

A: It’s both. The council is an independent branch of government elected by the people to represent a particular community. To do that effectively we’ll need to work with the county executive to advance our shared priorities for the community and ensure any needs of the district are reflected in the budget. I know all the county executive candidates and believe I can work well with any of them. I’m also unafraid to be an independent voice for our district. If the next county executive proposes a budget or policies that I believe will hurt the district, I’ll use my voice and my vote to push back and defend our interests.

A: I wouldn’t have voted for reduced funding for the public campaign finance system last year. I’m glad funding was eventually restored.

A: My top priority for District 7 is affordability — keeping South County livable for working families, farmers, and small-business owners. Energy costs are crushing residents who should not be subsidizing BGE infrastructure upgrades that are built to serve data centers. I will fight for fair utility rates at every turn. I also believe in protecting our community from the kind of divisive boundary decisions we’ve seen with the Crofton school redistricting — a process that tore apart a community that had spent decades advocating for its own school cluster, ultimately routing nearly 300 Nantucket Elementary children away from their classmates in the Crofton cluster. District 7 families deserve a representative who will fight to keep communities whole, not split them apart.

A: My top county-wide priority again is affordability. Residents are strained by housing costs, and a tax burden that doesn’t reflect the services they receive. I will push hard for relief on tax and BGE rates. In addition, push for affordable housing through smarter zoning, not by handing unchecked development authority to any one individual, but through a transparent, community-driven process that ensures infrastructure, utilities, and stormwater management keep pace with growth. I will also fight to protect our communities from the kind of divisive boundary decisions — like the Crofton school redistricting — that pit neighbors against neighbors instead of bringing them together.

A: The council’s role is to be a disciplined steward for our community’s future and desires — not a rubber stamp for developers. Before supporting any development proposal, I will ask three simple questions: Does it protect our farmland, environment, and schools? Does it provide adequate affordable housing, infrastructure, utilities, and stormwater management? Does it simplify zoning and permitting so local farmers and small businesses can thrive? Every development decision must serve the people already living here. Therefore, I support streamlining codes that burden local entrepreneurs while holding firm against overdevelopment that would destroy South County’s rural character. Growth should strengthen our communities, not strain them.

A: The council’s first obligation is to the people of their district. Every member is elected to represent their constituents, not to serve as a governing partner to the executive branch. When the county executive’s agenda aligns with the public interest, cooperation makes sense. But when it doesn’t, the council must be a firm and independent check. A perfect example is right in District 7 — the Deale–Shady Side Peninsula has been identified as a low-lying coastal region facing increasing flood risks from sea level rise, storm surge, and intense rainfall, where many neighborhoods already experience regular flooding projected to worsen without intervention. The county’s vulnerability assessment wasn’t published until September 2025 — after years of residents living with the problem. The council should have been demanding action and answers long before a report confirmed what neighbors already knew. As your councilman for District 7, I am here to listen and represent you, not wait for a study to tell us there’s a problem.

A: As a first-time candidate, I have not cast any council votes — but I’ve watched closely, and there are decisions I would have made differently. I would have demanded far greater public transparency in the school redistricting process that divided the Crofton community. A Crofton High student said plainly: “The board keeps saying this redistricting is about community, but you can’t preach community while you’re the one tearing it apart.” (The Banner). That same principle applies to the council. Government at every level should be in the business of building communities — not dividing them.

A: The number one crisis facing Anne Arundel County families today is the soaring cost of living. State government is making it worse — raising fees on everything from electricity to vehicle registrations that have doubled.

But many of the bills that hit your household every month are decided right here: property taxes, water, sewer, trash fees, and roads. No level of government affects your daily life and your wallet more than the county council. As your next county council member, I will continue to be your advocate — I will champion fiscally disciplined budgets that control spending while delivering efficient services. I will continue to build off my relationships in our state and federal government, as I have on the board of education, to advocate for you!

A: Same as above.

A: I’m pro-smart development. Infrastructure must match growth, not chase it.

Right here in District 7, we are already living this problem. Route 3 is congested, overcrowded, and pushed well beyond what it was designed to handle. That’s the direct result of approving growth faster than our infrastructure can absorb it. When elected, I will fight to manage growth along the Route 3 corridor. And I will work to keep South County rural — protecting green space and preserving the character that makes it worth living in. I will fight for smart, infrastructure-first development — not reactive overdevelopment. On commercial development, let’s cut the red tape, speed up permitting, and attract employers who pay living wages. On residential development, let’s be honest about the full cost — every new neighborhood means more kids in schools, more cars on roads, and more strain on water and sewer systems.

A: According to the county charter, the county council is the legislative body that works alongside the county executive, who serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the county.

On the budget, the council holds significant power: They can increase, decrease, or outright reject spending proposed by the executive. The executive proposes the budget, but it does not become law until the council approves it. If the two sides disagree, the executive can veto, but the council can override that veto. Neither side can simply steamroll the other with county taxpayer dollars. The charter defines and limits the powers of both offices to ensure that balance holds.

A: Yes — the bag tax is a good example. The county council passed the plastic bag ban 6-1 in June 2023, and it took effect in January 2024. Since then, retailers must charge customers at least 10 cents per bag — and they keep that fee to cover their costs. I understand the environmental goal, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay is something I care deeply about. But the way this was implemented puts the burden on the wrong people. That 10-cent charge adds up for working families who are already stretched thin — especially seniors and low-income residents who may not always remember to bring a reusable bag. Some attendees at the council meeting challenged the fee precisely because it disproportionately affects economically vulnerable community members. I would have pushed for a retailer-funded model — where the environmental goal is preserved, but everyday shoppers aren’t the ones footing the bill. Good policy should protect our environment and our neighbors. This one didn’t strike the right balance. If elected, I’ll always ask: Who bears the cost of this decision?