Prince George’s County Council At-Large

A: As an at-large council member, I want us to return to operating as a community, not just a county. To do that, we have to first focus on restoring transparency and accountability to our county government, from agency functions and operations to the development and allocation of our county budget. An informed community is a strong community. While information may be available, it is not always easily accessible for our residents. Processes aren’t always clear or the most efficient, and residents aren’t always provided clear and timely communication.

A: I support fully funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. That said, I want to institute mandatory agency oversight hearings to support transparent and comprehensive understanding of where and how our county budget is being spent. Residents trust our government to be responsible fiscal agents, and currently, we do not require our agencies to fully disclose how their funding was used during a fiscal year. This will help us more appropriately allocate funding and resources as well as identify gaps and areas of improvement, allowing us to better allocate funding in support of our county’s needs.

A: The Prince George’s County public schools superintendent would also be required to participate in an agency oversight hearing before the full council. As they too are funded by the county government, we need more transparency on where our education dollars are being spent in order to ensure resources and funding are being appropriately allocated.

A: Education should be viewed as a lifelong endeavor. That means we need to ensure that we are expanding education and training opportunities across all generations. Our federal workers have developed valuable skills throughout their careers and that knowledge and experienced should be leveraged as much as possible to help those who need to transition into a new career. Our relationship as a county with the federal government has changed significantly. As we work to bring new businesses and industries to the county, we should also consider how we can help our residents develop their skillsets to qualify for those new jobs.

A: Yes, I support the legislation that was passed by the council. However, the council’s powers are limited. We need to strengthen our relationships with our state and federal delegations so that when the council does work to protect its residents, we have support at all levels.

A: I am 100% against a data center being developed at the Landover Mall site. I fully support the county executive’s moratorium on data centers in the county. Before we can even consider proceeding with approving a data center in the county, we need to establish zoning, resources, and environmental regulations. Those regulations must also receive significant evaluation and community input before being passed as legislation by the council so that residents truly understand the impact data centers would have in our community.

A: The voices of our residents play the most important role in our county’s economic development plans. Once we have developed regulations around zoning, resources, and the environment, then we need to take it back to the residents to determine if data centers have a role to play in Prince George’s County.

A: I do support rent stabilization and the development of workforce housing in order to encourage county employees to live where they work. This will also keep more of our tax dollars in the county. We also have to look at opportunities to provide relief for residents in areas beyond the cost of the house/residence. Utility bills have continuously increased for residents across the county. Taxes, maintenance, and HOA fees have also contributed to the burden on our residents and cost of living, contributing to housing becoming more and more unaffordable.

A: I hope to improve transparency and accountability and repair trust in the council and increase community participation in the council. Community-driven policy and transparent and accessible meetings and hearings, with advanced notice and outreach, and public processes. Appointment reform that requires public input. Resources and programs to make homes and neighborhoods places where we can age in place, that are more accessible to disabled and elderly residents, safer and more kid- and youth-friendly — sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian bridges, and funds for home improvement, rehabilitation, and modernizations. Climate-centered smart growth and community development. Land use and planning and corporate tax fairness that improves affordability for residents.

A: Public goods are those things that are not optional for a thriving community. Our substantial proposed $7 billion budget (up from just over $5 billion last year) should cover our public goods — education, healthcare and related services, childcare, fair and affordable quality housing, fire & EMS, infrastructure (parks, energy, transit, existing roads, weather preparedness), etc. Education is a critical necessity. The evidence is clear that investment in teacher support and direct student services does far more for the short- and long-term learning of our students and has multiple benefits, than testing, surveillance, overinvestment in technology that has been shown in several studies to hamper overall brain development and critical educational skills-building. Supporting the pillars of the blueprint makes economic and educational sense. A countywide audit would allow us to accurately assess where we spend our funds and where funds have had the least benefit or impact. I also have a progressive tax plan for large corporations to pay their fair share and be good neighbors as well as land value taxes that would diversify the county tax base and boost the budget and allow us to meet our blueprint obligations on time, every time.

A: To hold the school system accountable, we need to know how we’re measuring outcomes. As a researcher and educator, I know that the answers we get depend on the questions we ask. Do we want students to learn how to problem-solve, do math, comprehend, think critically and independently, to develop reading fluency above the national average of a sixth-grade reading level? If so, then we must use the science of learning and we must measure accordingly. When our system was redesigned (badly) 35 years ago, it deployed the wrong tools and asked the wrong questions. It also attempted to rebrand education as a business model. Education is a public good. Profit is only relevant if measured as our students’ learning. The science of learning consistently shows that testing and rote learning don’t support age-appropriate development, cognitive growth, or the skills involved in the process of learning. Whether students are healthy, safe, and have all of their basic physical, emotional, and mental well-being needs met impacts their ability to learn. We must develop better accountability measures and invest in proven skills assessments, addressing learning gaps, additional classroom support, more teachers to reduce class size and improve conditions for closer instruction.

A: [No response provided]

A: I have worked with immigrants my entire life and know the challenges and extreme financial burdens of securing visas, work permits, residency, and citizenship, much less asylum as a refugee in the United States. I’ve been called as an expert witness in various asylum cases. I am also a professor of Human Rights and Ethics. I support limiting ICE activity in Prince George’s County as a moral and ethical imperative and a matter of constitutional law and human rights standards. ICE and DHS are currently rogue agencies and threaten the safety of our communities and the rule of law in our county and country. I have personally witnessed the traumatic and reckless results of their actions and the harm caused to families and individuals who are vital to our communities. We can increase the authority of county police to intervene and protect our residents, enact policy to support families harmed by the loss of wage earners detained by ICE, and increase pressure on our state and federal counterparts to restrict and defund ICE activity. We must defend human rights and address those practices and institutions that seek to profit from limiting those rights in any form.

A: I closely followed the data center task force hearings, and attended most. The data center task force report failed to demonstrate economic benefit to our community, or to recognize the considerable environmental and health impacts that hyperscale data centers would entail. I also read the entire task force report, which lacked substance and critical analysis. The task force failed to adequately inform the public in advance of their meetings or include meaningful opportunities to hear from communities as a formal part of the task force hearing process. They also failed to include critical facts such as how we have more than enough data centers for our current and near-future internet and general needs — more data centers and hyperscale data centers would be diminishing returns and only benefit the owners of AI and AGI technologies, which does not include the vast majority of Prince Georgians or indeed Marylanders. The task force report should be enough evidence to invoke a permanent moratorium on additional data centers. I also know that the vast majority of Prince Georgians oppose data center construction or expansion in our county. The will of the people must be reflected in the policy decisions of their elected representatives.

A: No. First, the majority of Prince Georgians don’t want data centers. The duty of elected officials is to serve and represent the people, not ignore them. Second, they are a failed economic plan for multiple reasons. Just this week (April 25), Oracle, a leading AI and AGI company, announced layoffs of 30,000 employees who built AI and AGI, despite Oracle making over $16 billion in net profits. AI and AGI will not create jobs for the vast majority of industries, they will eliminate those jobs without any safeguards for the tens of millions of workers it will displace. Low-wage workers are 14 times more likely to be impacted. By 2030, 40% of companies globally expect to lay off and replace employees with AI. Some, like Oracle, Disney and Apple, have already gotten a head start. Are short-term construction jobs worth the permanent loss of millions of other jobs? No. The net losses to economic activity would be devastating, since unemployed people can’t pay taxes or bills or participate in consumer activities. Until we have long-term structural solutions, regulatory safeguards, and appropriate infrastructure to justify data centers, they simply cannot be part of Prince George’s County’s economic development.

A: New family and multi-generation apartments and condominiums must include a percentage of units for housing vouchers, rent control for elderly and disabled renters living on limited income. Any new housing for sale must follow the principles of smart growth and include access to public transit, school systems, green space, and employment, and be built with multiple generations in mind. Rent prices should be tied to the cost of living and inflation indexes. I would enact programs to help residents stay in their homes, including renters. Community and safe neighborhoods thrive with consistency and the stability that comes with lower housing turnover. Incentives to rehabilitate, update/modernize, and make existing homes more accessible for multiple generations and for our elders to age in place would increase housing security for vulnerable populations, improve intergenerational wealth and economic equity in the short and long-term, while improving home equity and property values for those who choose to sell or buy in our community. Housing is a human right, and our policies should reflect a desire to build stable, accessible, thriving communities.

A: As an at-large council member, primary focus will be on helping to reduce the real estate tax burden for private homeowners while increasing the availability of healthy food options through updating the outdated zoning master plans. I will also focus on attracting quality dining options, healthy grocers, vibrant retail, and business expansion throughout the county. I plan to use my eight years of council experience to focus on building government capacity, increasing new business investment, improving senior services, diversifying the tax base by growing commercial revenue, expanding job creation, and strengthening the education system.

A: In fiscal 2026, the county committed 61% of its overall budget to the school system. Due to the importance of education and providing support for our youth, it is important the county maintain the commitment to supporting public education. The county must continue to develop new funding sources by attracting and expanding commercial business tax base to help lessen the tax burden on residential property owners while expanding government resources and services.

A: As a council member, I will work with the elected school board and the superintendent to benchmark the best practices of successful education programs. The council will then establish periodic progress and status reports, to ensure that funding is being properly spent and student achievement is being supported. Performance metrics must be established to help identify and monitor how the system is meeting its educational goals.

A: In order to expand job creation, support increased employment opportunities and diversify the economy, the county must continue focusing on attracting relocating federal agencies (FBI), recruiting tech industry companies, expanding technical and trade specialty training programs, engage Fortune 500 companies, and encouraging entrepreneurship/small-business growth. To help create these job growth opportunities, focus on rewriting outdated master plans will provide the appropriate zoning to attract the desired commercial business sectors, as well as government agencies. The county must also begin planning for the replacement of Plan 2035, with the updated Plan 2050. Plan 2050 will provide the county with the economic blueprint to guide future economic growth, while creating new economy job expansion.

A: I fully support limiting ICE activity. It is important that the county take the necessary steps to protect its immigrant community. The county can further protect immigrants by providing education and training on how to deal with an ICE agent encounter, establishing more ICE-free areas, provide immigrants with legal assistance, and ensuring local law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE agent operations.

A: The county should take an extensive look at the task force’s findings to help consider the potential pros and cons of data center development. The county should use information to make the most informed decision on, first, if data centers are feasible, and if so, where should data centers be constructed, what are the potential environmental impacts, what are the impacts on the electrical grid, and what would be the economic benefit for the county. It is important that the surrounding community are fully heard, as well as provided sufficient benefits from the project. The potential impact on our water and energy supply must be fully considered and understood.

A: I do not believe data centers necessarily have a role to play in the county’s economic development. Generally speaking, data centers have the ability to offer impacted communities tax revenue benefits. It is possible for the county to attract other commercial revenue-generating business entities. With the pending loss of the Commanders and the closure of Six Flags, it is important that the county continue its efforts to locate multiple tax-generating commercial businesses.

A: Over the last nearly eight years, I have observed a noticeable uptick in the need for affordable housing. To better understand the county’s housing needs, I took an in-depth look at our current housing stock, with an eye towards creating housing opportunities for all. The county’s housing stock consists of 361,000+ units, including 51% single-family detached homes, 16% townhomes, and 33% multifamily and apartments. It is critical that the county creates opportunities to address the missing middle and pathways to homeownership, by addressing housing affordability and accessibility. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments released a report that stated that by 2030, the Washington, D.C., region will face a housing shortage of 329,000 units. The housing shortage’s impact on Prince George’s County will likely be approximately 29,000 units by 2030.

During my term, I have supported multiple affordable housing applications and projects across the county. In District 9, I supported the newly constructed affordable housing apartments and age-restricted community in Clinton. I also supported two senior/age restricted independent-living projects and a missing middle townhouse project, in Brandywine and Clinton. These projects are already occupied and providing affordable residential accommodations for families.

A: My primary focus has always been and continues to be families, at every stage. Whether we are looking at young families or aging in place, it is important that residents in the county can utilize resources and services in the county. It is important to improve education, bring in quality economic development and ensure public safety, all while making sure we keep costs affordable. It is also important that county services and resources are provided with quality and care, so that each resident feels seen and is heard. This is why I have spent the last year working on bringing the Prince George’s County Vision Rehabilitation Center to Largo, so those who have low/no vision do not have to continue to leave the county for these services. I have also pulled together the Prince George’s County Autism Coalition. This is a network of service providers and advocates that will work together to ensure that residents will know how to navigate the autism landscape with more ease than is currently provided.

A: I believe the county’s current revenue structure is too narrow and vulnerable to economic swings to reliably sustain public education funding. The county relies too heavily on property and income taxes and must expand its commercial tax base, while long-term commitments under the blueprint demand stable, growing revenue. I will work to support more economic development. I do not support balancing budgets on the backs of educators or students. We must strengthen recurring revenues, scrutinize tax abatements that erode the base, improve enforcement and collections, and align economic development incentives to generate sustainable funding for the Prince George’s County public schools.

A: In Prince George’s County, the county council does not control day-to-day school operations; that is up to the elected school board. But the council does control the budget and has a responsibility to ensure results for taxpayers and families. I will continue to work for maintaining strong, stable funding for Prince George’s County public schools, building on recent investments in new school construction, teacher pay and student supports.

At the same time, accountability has to be clearer and more transparent. The school board should have regular public reporting tied to specific, measurable goals by individual schools. I will continue to urge the school system to link new funding to evidence-based strategies, such as expanded tutoring, early literacy programs and workforce pathways that connect students to local jobs. If outcomes are not improving, the school board should press for adjustments in how funds are used, not simply continue the same approach. The goal is straightforward: fully fund our schools while insisting on transparency, measurable progress, and a clear return on that public investment.

A: In Prince George’s, a significant number of residents work for the federal government, so the county has to take a practical, local approach to diversification and stability. The council controls land use, incentives and workforce investments, and those tools should be used to grow sectors that are less dependent on federal spending. That includes accelerating mixed-use development around Metro stations, supporting healthcare and life sciences anchored by regional institutions, expanding clean energy and building retrofits, and strengthening small-business growth in targeted corridors. These are industries that generate steady, local jobs and broaden the commercial tax base.

At the same time, the county should respond directly to residents affected by layoffs by funding rapid reemployment and skills programs through local workforce partnerships, with a focus on placing experienced workers into private-sector roles already growing in the region. The council can also prioritize procurement and contracting policies that support local businesses and hiring, keeping more economic activity within the county. Finally, fiscal discipline matters. By maintaining a stable, balanced budget and focusing incentives only where they produce clear job creation and long-term revenue, the county can reduce its exposure to federal volatility while creating more resilient, locally rooted employment opportunities.

A: Yes. I co-sponsored a package of bills to protect our neighbors from ICE.

These bills will limit ICE access to county property for staging purposes; urge the M-MCPPC, the Board of Education, the library system and the community college to prohibit the use of public property under their control for civil immigration enforcement; enable residents to call county police to verify the identity and authority of people grabbing people off the street to make sure people aren’t just being kidnapped; prohibit facial coverings; clarify the definition of detention centers in the county zoning code to ensure that only county-owned and county-run detention centers are allowed; enable the county to partner with a local nonprofit to keep track of people believed to be in ICE custody; and make it easier for family members or friends to retrieve a towed and impounded vehicle if the vehicle was towed because the driver was seized by ICE and the car remained behind. I feel strongly that we should do whatever is possible to put constraints on the unreasonable immigration actions of the Trump administration.

A: The county’s task force studied the issue last year, and both the county council with my support and the county executive have taken actions to pause any approvals of data centers in the county while the recommendations made by the task force are considered.

It is important that the county government carefully consider the recommendations made by the task force, and make well-considered and wise decisions concerning any possible benefits compared to the long-term costs of data centers in the county, and learn from and not repeat the mistakes made in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. I have written legislation this year to repeal the 2020 county tax incentive legislation for data centers because the county should not offer tax incentives to data centers. I also believe the council should establish an overlay zone to limit where data centers could be located.

A: In 2021, the council amended the zoning ordinance to formally define and allow data centers in certain commercial and industrial zones. At the time, it was widely seen as forward-looking and necessary for economic growth.

Our understanding of data centers has changed; then, hyperscale data centers didn’t exist, and artificial intelligence wasn’t part of the picture. The environmental, infrastructure, and land-use challenges were not known then. The belief then was that data centers were relatively low-impact, high-revenue. The costs and complications of large data centers are different now than the early assumptions. These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, can strain local infrastructure, and offer fewer local jobs than expected. It is clear that what appeared to make sense in 2021 no longer fits today’s realities. With my strong support, the county council is going to revisit and revise the earlier legislation to ensure that any possible future data center project aligns with community priorities, balancing any possible economic benefit with environmental protection, controlled residential electric bills, infrastructure capacity, and neighborhood quality of life. The county must decide which kinds of data centers, if any, make sense for our future.

A: Build more, faster: The biggest driver of high prices is simple: not enough homes. I am encouraged by Governor Moore’s Starter and Silver Homes Act, which lets builders put up smaller homes on smaller lots. Those homes could cost up to 30% less.

Cut the red tape: The Housing Certainty Act defers fees for builders until after construction is complete, keeping capital flowing so projects actually get finished. Right now, regulatory delays drive up costs before construction can begin.

Help buyers at closing: The county already offers down payment and closing cost assistance. I’d like to expand that program. It’s not always the monthly mortgage that stops buyers; it’s coming up with the down payment and closing costs.

Preserve what we have: Preservation can be faster, cheaper, and less disruptive than replacement, so keeping aging affordable homes livable matters in addition to building new ones.

We should prioritize increasing opportunities for homeownership. Encouraging residents to invest in owning a home builds financial stability and fosters deeper ties to our community. Increasing the supply is the cure. More homes means more choices, which means prices people can actually afford.

A: My focus is simple: economic stability, safe communities, and real opportunity. I will prioritize job creation, small-business growth, public safety, and ensuring residents can afford to live here.

A: On schools, the county must fully meet — and where possible exceed — its required funding commitment. Education is the foundation of long-term growth. But we must balance spending by cutting waste and prioritizing core services over nonessential projects.

A: Accountability matters. I support tying funding increases to measurable outcomes — reading levels, graduation rates and workforce readiness — while ensuring teachers and students have the tools they need.

A: To address federal layoffs, we must diversify into tech, healthcare, logistics and green energy, while investing in workforce retraining and supporting displaced workers quickly.

A: Support protecting immigrant communities and ensuring local resources are focused on public safety, not federal enforcement.

A: Data centers can play a role, but not at the expense of residents. Energy use, environmental impact, and community input must carry equal weight in decisions.

A: Data centers can play a role, but not at the expense of residents. Energy use, environmental impact, and community input must carry equal weight in decisions

A: Finally, housing: We need aggressive affordable housing development, inclusionary zoning, faster permitting, and smart density near transit, so working families aren’t pushed out of the county.

A: My primary focus to help improve the lives of Prince George’s County residents will be to bring needed jobs and revenue to Prince George’s County. Other needed improvements like expanded childcare, senior services, road improvements, school infrastructure, youth programs and better medical facilities rely on sources of revenue. I have a plan to bring jobs and revenue to Prince George’s County.

A: The county’s competing fiscal pressures can be met through monetizing revenue and job opportunities Prince George’s County already has at its disposal and the county’s funding commitment to the school system should stay on track with mandated school budgeting that is already in place. Balancing the county’s funding commitment to the school against other county needs is achievable by tapping into revenue creation Prince George’s County already has.

A: As a former school resource officer (SRO) who served in the public school system, I know firsthand how important learning environment is in relation to academic success. Money, of course, is needed to fund a school system well, but other less-well funded school systems have academically outperformed Prince George’s County schools. However, those schools typically have safer and more conducive learning environments.

A: The county needs more businesses to drive economic growth and job creation. I would promote the county’s legislation CR-038-2025 which designated all of Prince George’s County a heritage area. Along with the future SPHERE coming to National Harbor, I would leverage D.C.’s attraction to tourists while unveiling Prince George’s County’s over 460 historic sites and heritage designation and combine all of that with the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area (which includes Charles County, Calvert County, St. Mary’s County, and Southern Prince George’s County). Prince George’s County can create jobs and revenue as a part of the region’s potentially largest economic tourism industry.

A: I support recently passed legislation to limit ICE activity in county spaces.

A: NO one in Prince George’s County wants to live near a data center. The county should preserve its environment, water, and natural resources and say NO to data centers in Prince George’s County.

A: Data centers take away jobs and are antithetical to economic development.

A: I support rent stabilization, a robust Housing Investment Trust Fund, and homeowner assistance programs. However, key to addressing many of these issues, like others, is rooted in having talent on the county council who can generate revenue and jobs for Prince Georgians, while preserving our environment, health, and safety.