Keep Frederick Affordable
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Frederick Extra has invited Frederick city candidates to share their views on city-related issues in up to three op-eds each month through August. The Frederick Extra will not be taking any paid political advertisements.
Standing for affordable living is right. Most of us in the City of Frederick share the same hard-working values. But let's get real. It is an increasing challenge to both work and live within our city limits. This must change. As a working mom, I have fought to keep our city affordable for all working residents and families. And I will continue to fight.
Working and middle class individuals and families deserve an advocate who not only believes, but takes action to ensure our town remains affordable for themselves, their children and their neighbors. I don’t know about you, but I’m not rich. I’d consider myself middle class. I believe most City of Frederick residents would consider themselves the same. Yet, according to data provided to PayScale from the Council for Community and Economic Research, the cost of housing in the City of Frederick is 108% above the national average. That should give all of us pause – regardless of socio-economic status.
The City of Frederick is one of the best places to live in the United States, for many reasons. Our city’s history is unmatched, from its founding by German settlers in 1745, through its varied attributions to both Revolutionary and Civil War, to present day. Our opportunities for education are uncompromising, from our award-winning public school teachers and after-school programs to our storied local colleges. Our support for the arts is unrivaled, from the treasured public art along the exterior of downtown buildings to our city’s countless music and theatre scenes. Indeed, the City of Frederick rocks.
The best part of the City of Frederick, however, may be our families. Our collective wealth of diversity, strength, sensitivity and respect are values we treasure and those that make our town a beacon of light for equality – including socio-economic fairness.
We cannot afford to price these families out to the margins of our city borders – or outside the City of Frederick altogether. Every individual city resident working to make a decent wage should be able to find affordable living in the City of Frederick. Even for those who cannot work (i.e. veterans, the disabled, seniors on a fixed income), or who are struggling to keep their heads afloat (i.e. single moms and dads, recent college grads, small business owners). We must operate from a point of morality to collectively say: you have dignity; you belong; because our city is your city too.
I have fought and will continue to fight for inclusion of reasonably priced homes in the City of Frederick. In recent years, with your support, we fought for and won on several major initiatives (i.e. Sinclair Way, 520 North Market Street, Motter Square) to help keep affordable living a reality in the City of Frederick. We do so by ensuring that moderately priced dwelling units are a part of multiple home construction development projects – including those for senior living.
I voted against allowing developers to simply pay a fee to get out of having to build moderately priced homes when it came to their construction plans. We welcome smart growth for all income brackets, but we must stand on the side of working and middle income people and kids when their interests are at stake.
And we can do more. I ask for your support to stand with me on providing more mixed income living, which saves everyone’s tax dollars. Much of the needed infrastructure is already present – let’s use this opportunity to increase affordable living. Doing so also protects the environment, by creating more walkable living and less reliance on fossil-fuel powered automobiles.
I also ask for your support to stand with me on expanding affordable living options and assistance, throughout all of the City of Frederick, in advocating for added assistance from the county, state and federal government.
Affordable living makes economic and environmental sense for all City of Frederick residents – especially our working and middle income families. It is a win for us all.
This, my friends, is the fight for what’s right.
