Republican candidates for Baltimore County Executive share plans to address community issues
Maryland's Primary Election is Tuesday, June 23, and Baltimore County voters will decide which county executive candidates will secure their spot on the ballot for the general election in November.
Two Republicans, five Democrats, and one Independent candidate are battling for the position.
The two Republican candidates are Kimberley Stansbury and Patrick Dyer; both are raising their children in Baltimore County.
"I am there working with people on a day-to-day basis," said Stansbury. "My kids went to public schools. I was in the community associations. I was the PTA mom, the carnival mom, the mom that sewed the band uniforms. I've been out there doing this."
Patrick Dyer runs Capital Portfolio Management in Timonium.
"I believe I'm the one qualified, since I'm a business owner, I've created jobs, to develop Baltimore County, to make it the best it can be because it truly is one of the best places to live on the East Coast," said Dyer.
Safety concerns
Safety is a concern for neighbors across Baltimore County, including worries about teen link-ups that have led to other crimes across the county.
Both Stansbury and Dyer say they will support the Baltimore County Police Department.
Stansbury wants vacant officer positions filled, police take home cars and more patrolling communities on foot — to establish a more visible presence in the county — along with tackling juvenile crime.
"I would really like to sit down with the state's attorney and see what we can do to make it easier for us to prosecute juvenile offenders," said Stansbury. "I know Annapolis has not been cooperating with that, but we have some major crimes going on, and I want to know what can be done, what can't be done, and how we can hold parents responsible for the actions of their children."
Dyer says there is a lack of resources, personnel, training and equipment for officers and says his number one priority is the safety and well-being of the citizens.
"I will support Baltimore County Police Department," said Dyer. "That is the number one item in my budget. We need to be more proactive with what's going on with our children. We can't be reactive. There's a lot happening in our communities, and the problem is if people don't feel safe, they don't shop, and business don't, they will not invest. We need to get a handle on this situation, and from day one, I'm going to be, I'm going to be working on this situation cause it's very important to our community."
Addressing affordability
Both agree affordability is a concern for county residents, one of the biggest being energy costs. Stansbury says we need to go to the Public Service Commission and see if we can get some relief.
"We also need to do things like open, keep Brandon Shores open, open up Wagner [H.A. Wagner], make sure that we have the amount of energy that we need," said Stansbury.
Dyer said, "Energy costs are through the roof; in our county, it's sometimes double, so we need to get a handle on all these situations."
Improving transparency
Stansbury said her office will be open, transparent and responsive to phone calls. She also says the county needs a strong inspector general.
"We need a watchdog that is not beholden to the ones that are elected but to the people of Baltimore County," said Stansbury. "This person needs to know that they, no matter what the issue, that they have full authority to go in and investigate."
Dyer wants to change the narrative of a lack of transparency in Baltimore County government and says he will work for the citizens.
"There's a lot of duplication of services and excess spending that goes on within the government," said Dyer. "Baltimore County has a bad reputation. If you research the history of Baltimore County, that's going to stop. That's going to change with me."
