Dougherty, O'Connor for Mayor
UPDATED: Galen Clagett is exploring a run. See additions below.
NOTE: The Frederick Extra's publisher, Katherine Heerbrandt, assisted Jennifer Dougherty in her 2013 campaign for mayor. To avoid a conflict of interest, reporter Gina Gallucci-White will cover the City of Frederick's Mayoral Democratic Primary. The Frederick Extra does not endorse candidates.
As area temperatures continue to rise, the City of Frederick's mayoral race is beginning to heat up as well.
On Tuesday, Magoo's Pub and Eatery owner Jennifer Dougherty filed to run for the position she held from 2002 to 2006. Planning a formal announcement party in the spring, the filing was done earlier than she originally anticipated. "I wasn't expecting February to be so perfect weather wise but I wanted to get the ball roll logistically," she said. "...I've never lost my passion for city issues and city hall. I just think we have so much untapped potential and no one is really pushing the issues that are important in terms of managing the city."
Her campaign will focus on three main areas: taxes, economic development and city leadership.
Dougherty wants to reexamine the city-county tax differential issue stating city taxpayers carry a disproportional burden. She wants to make the "city and county relationship finally become what it needs to be and that is more equal," she said. "We are going to be a city of 100,000 in no time. Why are we relying on the county for so many things?"
She also plans on introducing a senior property tax credit to allow older adults to stay in their homes and a property tax cap noting some residents in the Baker Park, downtown areas have been getting high annual tax bills. "If you are getting your property tax bill and it is over $10,000, you really have to scratch your head," she said. "If the local government isn't looking at that, then you should be thrown from office. ...I personally don't have that tax bill but I know people that do. I think we are not doing enough to examine that."
Establishing the City's Department of Economic Development during her first year in office, Dougherty believes the entity is currently underused. Citing the closure of the Frederick Towne Mall and uncertain future of the proposed downtown hotel and conference center, she blames current Mayor Randy McClement (R) and his administration. "They haven't led on the Golden Mile," she said. "They waited. They said four years ago that Wal-Mart was going to be the savior. Wal-Mart hasn't been the savior. It's not coming. They haven't looked at anything in a new way."
The business owner is in favor of the downtown hotel and conference center but is concerned the project might not happen. "This is the signature project for our downtown like Carroll Creek was when I was mayor," she said. "I embraced (the Carroll Creek linear park project). I formed a task force. I worked with them. I empowered them to get the work done and I put the resources behind them to get it done. We got that first phase of Carroll Creek done in four years for a reason because it was my commitment and the people that I asked to help made that happen understood that I was backing them up. It's a collaborative approach. We are not seeing that on the hotel."
Dougherty lost her re-election bid in the 2005 democratic primary to Ron Young and has run in every mayoral election since, including as an unaffiliated candidate in 2013. She was also the democratic nominee for Maryland's Sixth Congressional District in 2008.
Will her campaign be any different this time? "I try to learn from everything that I do and everything that I see today is gearing more toward electronic media and I will sure do some of that but I will still knock on a lot of doors," Dougherty said. "I like that face to face contact. I think people still talk more honestly when you are standing on their doorstep than maybe when you are standing at a forum."
Alderman Michael O'Connor became the first to announce his candidacy for mayor in early January. On the board since 2009, the Democrat was born and raised in Frederick with a 20 year career in local media. He is currently the business manager for the Frederick-based Saint Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Congregation.
"I believe that while Frederick has made great progress in many areas, the lack of a comprehensive vision for the City makes that progress disparate and unfocused," O'Connor said during his announcement. "There is a perceived lack of urgency. A sense that all priorities, all neighborhoods, all residents don't get the same attention. I want to change that. For Frederick to move, we must move forward together."
The two-term alderman is basing his campaign on several core principles: good governance, economic resilience, expanding vibrancy, environmental stewardship and community engagement.
Regarding expanding vibrancy, O'Connor notes the good work of programs and partners addressing poverty and homelessness but said "the impact often appears isolated. We need a coordinated community wide strategy that makes clear what the city role will be. The City can't do everything but we should lead the conversation about how things get done."
When it comes to economic resilience, O'Connor notes successful projects such as Astra Zeneca's recent completion of a $200 million expansion at their Frederick facility and the upcoming Flying Dog relocation near the Frederick Municipal Airport yet more needs to be done to address blight properties and long term vacancies. "We need clear goals to measure success and an improved means to communicate them to the public," he said.
O'Connor is planning to launch a Listening Tour soon to hear from constituents and their priorities for the next administration.
Added 12:51 pm: Former state delegate Galen Clagett, who currently serves as president and CEO of Clagett Enterprise, has put together an exploratory committee to run for mayor, he said. Clagett ran in 2013, and lost the Democratic primary to Del. Karen Lewis Young (D-Dist.3A). He later endorsed Republican Randy McClement. McClement has not said whether he will run again or not.
Clagett needs to win back the Democrats after endorsing a Republican for mayor, but said he can do it. To win, he needs a healthy number of candidates "diluting the pool," he said. The blue-dog Democrat said he is taking his time in making a decision, and will conduct a poll next week to get a better view of his potential success.
Candidates who have filed to run for alderman include Democrats Kris Fair and incumbent Alderman Kelly Russell.
Candidates must file by July 3. The primary election is set for Sept. 12 with the general election scheduled for Nov. 7.
