City Election Extras
First 2017 Frederick city election campaign finance reports out Aug. 11
Not long ago, an aldermanic candidate handily won a seat on Frederick’s Board of Aldermen. Alan Imhoff’s total financial investment in his winning campaign was $50 of his own money.
That was in 2009, and even though it was his first victory, it wasn’t Imhoff’s first race. But it was the last time a local candidate won a race by spending so few dollars.
That same year, a Democratic candidate, Beverly Shelton, raised over $10,000 in the primary race, more than any other aldermanic candidate. Shelton, however, came in 7th of eight Democratic candidates for alderman.
And what about Ron Young in 2005? He raised the most in any city mayoral race, over $100,000, but lost to Jeff Holtzinger, who raised and spent a whole lot less – just over $25,000 - than some of the aldermanic winners.
Big money doesn’t equal big wins, or any win at all, at least in Frederick city.
That’s probably good news for two-term incumbent Randy McClement (R), who raised the second least amount of cash of the four mayoral candidates, with $5,756. McClement carried over a prior balance of $2,127.98. “There’s no need to go out and raise a ton of money,” said Dave Schmidt, McClement’s campaign chair. “The mayor has always run his campaign on an as-needed basis. There is a ton of support among the citizens for any needs we may have.”
McClement’s most generous check, $1,000, came from former mayor James Grimes, who served two terms, 1994 to 2002. Republican senate candidate for District #3, Craig Giangrande, donated $100 to McClement.
Republican challenger Shelley Aloi reports $3,361.01 in cash contributions, including $200 from former Congressman Roscoe Bartlett and his wife, Ellen. The former alderman also reports a whopping $9,285 in in-kind contributions, mostly for marketing, planning and video production work from volunteers.
Democratic candidate and two-term alderman, Michael O’Connor, who filed his candidacy in January, is at the top of the heap with $21,100.37. O’Connor raised half of that before filing to run as mayor, transferring over $10,000 from his alderman campaign finance account to his mayoral account on Jan. 5. He’s spent nearly half of this money so far. Fellow Democrat and former mayor Jennifer Dougherty trails at $13,859.42, and has over $10,000 banked going into the last month of the primary race.
Dougherty said the primary race is more targeted, and therefore less expensive than the general. She estimates a total of $40,000 - $50,000 for the mayoral race.
Alderman Donna Kuzemchak leads the pack of aldermanic candidates with $10,010. She credits her team of volunteers, and a lesson learned from an unsuccessful bid for reelection in 2009 for her renewed fundraising vigor. Now seeking a fifth term as alderman, Kuzemchak said, “I took it [reelection] for granted, and I won’t ever do that again.”
The city’s website has the details of who gave, what candidates spent money on – one, Jeanette Bartelt, likes to feed her donors, with $225 of her $1,030 going to reimbursements to the candidate for groceries. Alderman, and top vote-getter in 2013, Kelly Russell, looking for a third win, gave $500 to the Frederick County Democratic Central Committee.
Most candidates have at least bought signs, or repurposed them from past elections. Candidate T-shirts are also a popular campaign purchase. Candidate filings reveal that they pay entry to Democratic events, and for voter statistics and addresses. Most spend judiciously initially, trying to find the spending balance that moves them forward and reserves resources for the general election.
The first campaign finance report for the 2017 Frederick city election, covers the campaign’s finances from the time the candidate opens an account through Aug. 7. This is the first of five, including a final report, due to election officials. The next report, covering Aug. 8 - Oct. 5 is due Oct. 9.
Open Letter to Candidates, shared with The Frederick Extra
Frederick resident Karlys Kline sent a letter to city candidates, including pictures, about problems at Carroll. Creek Linear Park, and included The Frederick Extra. Printed with permission. Photos by Kline.
Since you are running for an office in the city I thought I'd share with you what we see as we're walking almost EVERY morning along one of downtown's best locations....The Carroll Creek Linear Park. When they eventually wake up and leave there is typically trash left behind
Last year flower boxes were placed on the stone walls at the creek entrance on S. Market St. This solved the problem of having to walk through the scary, intimidating gauntlet. Most people were afraid to walk through the crowd that had made it their 'hang out' for many hours of the day. BUT...it was only done on the right side. The theory was that the left side was wider. Yes...that's true but many days there may be as many as 20 sitting on the walls for hours. They have also taken over the benches by the pergola. It has grown in numbers and is even scarier than what had been happening on the right side prior to the flower boxes.
You can actually watch what appear to be drug deals taking place. I stop and stare but they are so blatant, bold and 'in-your-face' that they simply don't care. They have no fear of reprisal. They yell obscenities and ask passer byers for money.
Almost daily a woman washes her garments in the drinking fountain under the suspension bridge and hangs them across the railings to dry for hours. Men urinating whenever & wherever the need arises has become commonplace.
Everyone running for an office should spend a few hours at the downtown library to observe what has become an all day (depending on the weather) depository for many of the people that consider the Carroll Creek Park their home.
What is the solution? As a candidate for a city office please have suggestions for a solution. We are fooling ourselves if we continue to ignore it. Talking about their "rights" is getting old. What about the taxpayers' rights? The citizens' rights? The tourists' rights? The merchants' rights? I'm not asking you to reply to this, but I do want you to have this on your mind as you run for office. IT NEEDS A SOLUTION!
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Releases Candidate Responses
The Chamber of Commerce sent out a detailed questionnaire to city candidates, and posted the answers here. Four Democratic candidates, Jeannette Bartlet, Antonio Bowens, Ben MacShane and Kim Williams, did not respond in time. The Frederick Extra sent candidate questions and will be posting responses on Aug. 21.
