Baltimore County Council District 7

What’s the job: The legislative branch of Maryland’s county governments. Responsible for introducing and voting on legislation, approving county spending and providing oversight of county operations. Elected to a four-year term.

Democratic

Name: Caridad “Cari” Santiago

Age: 44

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park; master’s degree candidate, project management, University of Maryland, Global Campus.

Experience: Since 2016, I have served in multiple capacities on three different School and/or PTA boards and have been a dedicated volunteer and school-lead for the Student Support Network for the past five years. I owned and operated a small business in Baltimore County for six years.

Questionnaire

Q: What is the number one issue in your district, and how do you plan to address it?

Q: What policies would you pursue to address rising costs of living and affordability concerns in Baltimore County?

Q: Baltimore County is facing a 19,000-unit deficit in housing. How do you plan to address this?

Q: Baltimore County has long faced accusations about backdoor dealing and limited transparency. How do you plan to earn people’s trust in local government?

Q: As the council expands and becomes more diverse, how will you work to build consensus and collaborate with colleagues who hold different perspectives?

Republican

Name: David Marks

Age: 53

Personal: Married, has children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, political science, University of Maryland, College Park; master’s degree, policy studies, Johns Hopkins University; master’s degree, teaching, Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Experience: Member, Baltimore County Council; adjunct instructor, Loyola University of Maryland; served in senior positions in the state and federal departments of transportation; special education teacher.

Questionnaire

Q: What is the number one issue in your district, and how do you plan to address it?

Q: What policies would you pursue to address rising costs of living and affordability concerns in Baltimore County?

Q: Baltimore County is facing a 19,000-unit deficit in housing. How do you plan to address this?

Q: Baltimore County has long faced accusations about backdoor dealing and limited transparency. How do you plan to earn people’s trust in local government?

Q: As the council expands and becomes more diverse, how will you work to build consensus and collaborate with colleagues who hold different perspectives?