Hagen to run for board of county commissioners
Frederick News PostThursday, January 26, 2006
By JAMES RADA
jrada@fredericknewspost.com
FREDERICK — From the time he was 20-years-old, 47-year-old Kai Hagen knew he wanted to live in Frederick County. That wish came true in 1995 when he and his family moved to the county.
Now living in the Thurmont area, he wants to help run the county and plan for its future.
“I’ve become increasingly concerned about the composition of the next board (of commissioners),” Mr. Hagen said. “That’s when my conversations (about running) took a more-serious turn.”
Mr. Hagen is the third person to announce he is running for county commissioner this year. He is also the first Democrat. He joins incumbents Mike Cady and John Lovell Jr., who announced their intentions to run for re-election last year.
“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I could win,” Mr. Hagen said.
Mr. Hagen is a familiar face to many county residents. He speaks at many public hearings, is a columnist for The Frederick Gazette and recently debuted on TV’s “Pressing Issues.”
Mr. Hagen said he has written his last column, and his first appearance on television was also his last. Now he will become a familiar face in other ways as he attends meetings and forums to meet voters.
He said the major issue in the commissioners race will be growth, and although he knows he will be labeled anti-growth, he said that is not the case.
“Frederick County is going to grow,” Mr. Hagen said. “People are going to move here. We can’t do anything about that. While the rate of growth is an issue, the bigger issue is how we go about it.”
He said he has nothing against development, but developers’ goals are narrower than the goals a county commissioner should have.
According to Mr. Hagen, the county is at a crossroads in its development. If the growth is planned well, the county will prosper. If too many mistakes are made, residents will continue paying more in taxes and getting less for their money.
“We don’t have an individual policy that says we shall pay more for less as we grow, but that is the effect of all our policies together,” Mr. Hagen said.
On taxes, Mr. Hagen said he supports the constant yield rate as long as the county eliminates inefficiencies in programs, departments and spending. Constant yield states that as property assessments rise, the tax rate should drop so the revenue from property tax remains the same.
“We can look around at communities like ours all around the country,” Mr. Hagen said. “Look at what they have done that’s been successful. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
Mr. Hagen said education is one of the commissioners’ most important responsibilities and should be one of the county’s priorities.
He is a proponent of smaller, community schools because they provide for a better education and create savings in gas for buses.
On affordable housing, Mr. Hagen said moderately priced dwelling units are fine, but people shouldn’t expect that they will solve all the problems.
He also noted that the affordable housing problem won’t be solved by doubling the number of “big, suburban homes” built.
Mr. Hagen grew up in Washington but spent a lot of time with his grandparents in Frederick County. He would wander on his grandparents’ farm and fell in love with the county.
Before moving to the county, Mr. Hagen worked with grassroots and environmental organizations in Minnesota, California and Maryland.
He serves on the county Parks and Recreation Commission and has served on the Citizens Zoning Review Committee.
He lives on his grandparents’ old farm with his wife, Kirsten, and sons, Tor and Leif.
More information about his campaign will soon be available on the Internet at www.KaiHagen.com.
WHY I'M VOTING FOR KAI!
Frank Johnson
Mt. Airy
I am pleased to support Kai Hagen because he understands that the future of Frederick County depends on how well our planning reflects the what communities want. Kai understands that we have to deliberately involve the community from the beginning, and ensure that development serve the community's interests first.
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