Here’s the prime issue in primary
With four out of five County Council seats open as early voting begins for primaries, development is seen as a likely key issue
More than a dozen candidates are hoping to gain their party’s blessing in this month’s primary election as they vie for seats on a Howard County Council where only one incumbent is seeking re-election.
Analysts say that in a county that generally has a strong quality of life and good schools, one issue — development — could play a major role in determining the makeup of the next council.
Lisa Markovitz, president of the political organization The People’s Voice, said development was already on people’s minds after a contentious school redistricting process last fall and the recent passage of an update to the county’s infrastructure and development regulations.
Development concerns took center stage in an even greater way last month after the second deadly flood in less than two years struck Ellicott City. Some have blamed runoff caused by commercial and residential growth for contributing to Ellicott City’s problems.
The issue is more likely to affect the council race than other races, Markovitz said, because the council serves as the zoning board, responsible for approving development projects.
Voters are “going to lean toward people they think are going to address these issues in the most objective, fair way,” Markovitz said. “And if they think people are overly influenced by developers that’s going to make a difference.
“Everybody who has their finger on making any decision that’s going to help with development going slower or faster or can approve it not happening in the [Ellicott City] watershed for a while, people are going to resonate with that,” she said.
Democrats Mary Kay Sigaty, Jen Terrasa and Calvin Ball and Republican Greg Fox are all leaving the council in December because they have served the maximum number of terms allowed, setting the stage for new faces on the council.
Democrat Jon Weinstein, who represents District 1 encompassing Ellicott City, Elkridge and parts of Hanover, is the lone person on the five-member council seeking re-election.
Four of the five districts have primary races. In District 1, Weinstein faces one Democratic challenger, Liz Walsh.
District 2, an east-central area of the county that includes parts of Columbia, has two candidates, Republican John Liao and Democrat Opel Jones, who are unopposed in the primary.
Four Democrats — Christiana Rigby, Greg Jennings, Hiruy Hadgu and Steve Hunt — are vying for the nomination in south county’s District 3, which covers North Laurel, Savage, Guilford and parts of Jessup. There are no Republicans running.
In District 4, which includes parts of Columbia and Clarksville, Democrats Janet Siddiqui, Deb Jung and Ian Bradley Moller- Knudsen are seeking the nomination.
See COUNCIL, page 6
Analysts say that in a county that generally has a strong quality of life and good schools, one issue — development — could play a major role in determining the makeup of the next council.
Lisa Markovitz, president of the political organization The People’s Voice, said development was already on people’s minds after a contentious school redistricting process last fall and the recent passage of an update to the county’s infrastructure and development regulations.
Development concerns took center stage in an even greater way last month after the second deadly flood in less than two years struck Ellicott City. Some have blamed runoff caused by commercial and residential growth for contributing to Ellicott City’s problems.
The issue is more likely to affect the council race than other races, Markovitz said, because the council serves as the zoning board, responsible for approving development projects.
Voters are “going to lean toward people they think are going to address these issues in the most objective, fair way,” Markovitz said. “And if they think people are overly influenced by developers that’s going to make a difference.
“Everybody who has their finger on making any decision that’s going to help with development going slower or faster or can approve it not happening in the [Ellicott City] watershed for a while, people are going to resonate with that,” she said.
Democrats Mary Kay Sigaty, Jen Terrasa and Calvin Ball and Republican Greg Fox are all leaving the council in December because they have served the maximum number of terms allowed, setting the stage for new faces on the council.
Democrat Jon Weinstein, who represents District 1 encompassing Ellicott City, Elkridge and parts of Hanover, is the lone person on the five-member council seeking re-election.
Four of the five districts have primary races. In District 1, Weinstein faces one Democratic challenger, Liz Walsh.
District 2, an east-central area of the county that includes parts of Columbia, has two candidates, Republican John Liao and Democrat Opel Jones, who are unopposed in the primary.
Four Democrats — Christiana Rigby, Greg Jennings, Hiruy Hadgu and Steve Hunt — are vying for the nomination in south county’s District 3, which covers North Laurel, Savage, Guilford and parts of Jessup. There are no Republicans running.
In District 4, which includes parts of Columbia and Clarksville, Democrats Janet Siddiqui, Deb Jung and Ian Bradley Moller- Knudsen are seeking the nomination.
See COUNCIL, page 6
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