Current board motivates three-time commissioner David Gray to run again

Today, my sons joined me as I made one more trip to the steps of Winchester Hall before the filing deadline (9:00 this evening). This time it was to hear former three-time county commissioner David Gray announce that he was going to run again this year, after stepping away from the office four years ago.

As David said, he has been considering this for a few months, based largely on the direction and decisions of the current board. It's easy for me to understand that. My own motivation to run for county commissioner was greatly enhanced by watching – over and over again – a bi-partisan majority of the sitting board turn Frederick County in the wrong direction, and then hit the accelerator, all the while ignoring citizen input and serving development interests over responsible long term planning and real problem-solving.

I have a great deal of respect for David – for his commitment and accomplishments, certainly, but no less so for his thoughtful and open-minded approach to the process of policy-making.

I would be pleased to have the opportunity to sit on the same board the next four years – a board that would certainly include a very different sort of bi-partisan majority!

As David said today: "The issues in Frederick County are not Republican and Democrat, they are bipartisan," he said. "You don't have a Republican view on growth and new development, or a Democratic view. It crosses lines."

Indeed it does.

Text of David Gray's announcement speech at Winchester Hall:

July 3, 2006

David Gray announces candidacy for County Commissioner

Today I am announcing that I will be a candidate for county commissioner.

Along with countless citizens and many public officials, I struggled for many years to establish an effective and strong Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. This ordinance was created to ensure future development did not occur before schools, roads and other public infrastructure were in place.

Additionally, many of us coincidently promoted strong bottom up involvement of citizens in the planning process – a process with community input at the start of regional planning – a process that originates with the people. When the input from the community is finished, the plan is then sent to county staff where it is assembled into a form which is then open to broader citizen comment. At that point new development proposals are evaluated against the concepts that were originaly gleaned from the community.

At the end of 2002 both the Adequate Public Facilites Ordinance and bottoms up citizen planning were strong and working well. The Adamstown Region Plan involved an unprecedented number of citizens in its early planning stages (called small area planning) and the update to that plan showed great sensitivity to citizens’ desires.

Now it is 2006 and we are at the end of this board’s term. I have witnessed that significant citizen involvement in neighborhood and regional planning has not been enthusiaticaly supported by a slim majority of the current board. Instead of having citizen input first – the development proposals came first and the citizens came last. And - with this board’s slim majority - those citizen voices were ignored.

On top of this, efforts are now being made, again by the slim majority, to weaken and possibly dismantle the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance;

- this is a landmark tool that took years to enact.

- this is a tool that, when applied equally to all, is probably the best guarantee that schools, roads, emergency services and other necessary infrastructure will be in place before new development is allowed to procede.

New development should not be allowed if it degrades in any way education, roads, the environment and the basic quality of life for our citizens.

I have watched as the bipartisan minority, namely commissioners Gardner and Thompson, have struggled to keep these citizen friendly processes and tools in place.
However they need at least one more, and hopefully three more, votes on the board.

These planning issues along with strong support for education are my primary concerns as we look to the future of Frederick County.

All these issues are bipartisan.

I join this race to support commissioners Gardner and Thompson and other candidates who will put the people back in first place.

Below are two articles about David's announcement (the Gazette article to be added when it is published later this week).

From the FREDERICK NEWS POST:

Gray back to try to save APFO

Monday, July 4, 2006

By Clifford Cumber

FREDERICK — Former county commissioners president David Gray returned to politics Monday, bidding to rejoin the board he left four years ago so he can save a key growth control ordinance.

The 66-year-old Republican said he feared that a slim majority on the next board could dismantle the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, enacted during his tenure on the county commissioners.

The APFO, which requires adequate government services be in place before development is permitted, took years of negotiation to become law, and now Mr. Gray believes incumbents seeking re-election to the five-member county board are poised to weaken if not gut the regulation. Mr. Gray said "you get the feeling that that's the next target" of the commissioners he sees as APFO foes.

He has been deliberating for months whether to run, he said. When the board recently voted 3-2 to exempt a Virginia developer from the growth ordinance in return for a multi-million-dollar offer to pay for school construction, he was spurred to enter the race.

And he said passage of the controversial New Market Region Plan -- also approved 3-2, with Commissioners John Lovell, Mike Cady and Bruce Reeder in favor -- disregarded the public.

"I saw all those earnest people (testifying), and it seemed like it just didn't flat out matter," he said.

Mr. Gray was first elected to the county commissioners in 1990, then again in 1994. He won a third term in 1998 and became president of the board by virtue of being the highest vote-getter.

He stepped aside in 2002 and mounted a failed state Senate bid.

Before becoming a commissioner, he spent 10 years on the Frederick County Planning Commission.

The adequate public facilities law passed during his first term as a county commissioner.

Mr. Gray said Monday that throughout his tenure he and others worked hard to develop a process in which residents' opinions guided planners as they drew the planning maps that govern county growth.

At the end of 2002, when Mr. Gray retired, community input came at the beginning of the planning process. With public comment in mind, the plan was sent to county staff to be molded. Then more public input was sought. After that, development proposals were considered, Mr. Gray said.

The development of the Adamstown Regional Plan was a good example of community involvement that showed "great sensitivity to citizens' desires," Mr. Gray said.

But by 2006 "significant citizen involvement has not been enthusiastically supported by a slim majority of the current board."

Now developers' proposals come first, then the opinions of residents, he said.

Anne Thomas-Palmer, a 36-year school system veteran, welcomed Mr. Gray's candidacy as a chance to return to a more responsive board, especially when it came to the annual parade of teachers before commissioners asking for a raise during annual budgeting, she said.

"Thankfulness that somebody's back that isn't going to have his own interests at heart" brought Ms. Thomas-Palmer out to Mr. Gray's campaign announcement.

Mr. Gray said he would happily run alongside any candidate sharing his views on growth and development. Candidates Ed Lulie, a Republican, and Kai Hagen, a Democrat, were in the audience of about 20 outside Winchester Hall, the seat of county government.

Mr. Gray also mentioned Commissioners Jan Gardner and Commissioners President John L. Thompson Jr., a Democrat and Republican, and Dick Floyd, a Democrat, as worthy colleagues.

Ms. Gardner and Mr. Thompson served on the Gray board. Now in the minority on the present board, both "have struggled to keep these citizen-friendly processes and tools in place," Mr. Gray said.

All are running on platforms favoring greater restriction and regulation of growth, an issue that transcends party politics, Mr. Gray said.

"The issues in Frederick County are not Republican and Democrat, they are bipartisan," he said. "You don't have a Republican view on growth and new development, or a Democratic view. It crosses lines."

From the GAZETTE:

Gray runs again for commissioner
Former county commission president throws support behind fellow candidates Thompson, Gardner

Thursday, July 6, 2006

By Sherry Greenfield
Staff Writer

For the last four years, former Frederick County Commission President David Gray has watched from the sidelines, dissatisfied with the decisions and actions made by the current board.

Gray, a Republican, is so frustrated with Commissioners Michael L. Cady (R) and John R. Lovell Jr. (R), he has decided to run again for county commissioner. Both Cady and Lovell are also seeking re-election.

‘‘...I have witnessed that significant citizen involvement in neighborhood and regional planning has not been enthusiastically supported by a slim majority of the current board,” the 66-year-old Gray said in his announcement speech Monday on the steps of Winchester Hall. ‘‘Instead of having citizen input first, the development proposals came first ...”

Gray is referring to the recent update of the New Market Region Plan, and the favorable votes from Cady and Lovell to adopt the plan despite some residents’ objections.

For one resident, that way of thinking has convinced her to cast a vote for Gray in the Sept. 12 primary election.

‘‘I want somebody who is civil and someone who communicates with the other commissioners in a civil manner,” said Susan Hanson of Jefferson.

Gray is throwing his support to the re-election efforts of Commission President John ‘‘Lennie” Thompson Jr. (R) and Commissioner Jan H. Gardner (D).

‘‘I have watched as the bipartisan minority, namely Commissioners Gardner and Thompson, have struggled to keep these citizen-friendly processes [growth control measures] and tools in place,” Gray said.

Gray has had plenty of government experience. He was first appointed to the Frederick County Planning Commission in 1979 and served as a county commissioner from 1990 to 2002. From 1998 to 2002, he served as board president. In 2002, he ran for state Senate in District 4 and lost.

It was during Gray’s term as president of the county commissioners that he, Gardner and Thompson were successful in tightening restrictions for residential growth.

‘‘New development should not be allowed if it degrades in any way education, roads, the environment and the basic quality of life for our citizens,” he said Monday.

Gray also pointed out his desire to serve with Republican candidate Edward Lulie and two Democratic candidates, Richard M. ‘‘Dick” Floyd and Kai J. Hagen. All are also running on a slow-growth platform.

‘‘The issues in Frederick County are not Republican and Democrat, they are bipartisan,” he said. ‘‘I mean, you don’t have a Republican view on growth or new development or a Democratic view. It crosses the lines. I urge you to think by-partisan in this election.”

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