First of all, I hope that everyone reading this will be voting in the Primary Election on Tuesday September 14th and that you will encourage your family and friends to do as well. Low voter turnout is not what the County needs during this crucial election.

Brief Biography: Retired manager from AT&T and presently adjunct faculty at Frederick Community College. Serve on County’s Workforce Development Board, Maryland Military Installation Council and Washington Area Council of Government’s, Greater Washington 2050 Committee. A graduate and Fellow of the University of Maryland Institute for Government Service & Research, hold an MBA from Hood College and 2 undergraduate degrees from Loyola University. Have lived in the county and actively involved for 25 years. For more information contact me at: aeimhoff@verizon.net.

This election is crucial, we will continue as we have in the past or we will recognize the need to change the way government has grown over the past eight years. Did you know since 2001 the County had a 44% increase in Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs for its workforce, while population only grew at an estimated 14.5%? Did you know since 1990 County road mileage has dropped from 7.5 miles per thousand residents to an estimated 5.4 miles?

The recent economic downturn has only heightened the impact of a number of decisions over the past decade; to recover economically the County must change how it is perceived by those wanting to invest here and most importantly, how existing businesses will want to stay here. Increase revenue through job expansion, not higher taxes.

I want to bring economic balance back to the County. The first thing the new Board of County Commissioners needs to do is help our existing businesses, as much as is possible, to stay in business. Next the Board needs to provide a long-term strategy for new opportunities to attract business throughout the County. Along with those two goals, a four-year budget process needs to be adopted to look at containing and hopefully reducing government expenses. The biggest item to reduce operating expense is to look closer at the 758 FTE’s created since 2001. With our roads, the Board will need to place a higher priority on road construction in the capital budget to achieve where the County was in 1990. If the Board could forward fund school construction, why couldn’t the same be done for roads?

I assisted in a study of County businesses years ago; there were two main concerns of the CEO’s interviewed, "What is the County doing about the roads?" and "Where are my employees going to live?" The first was addressed above, for the second the new Board must address how best to bring the housing in the County back to a reasonable balance with the existing and new jobs that is our economic engine.

Frederick County must look ahead to take advantage of the Washington Region’s projected job growth. By providing an acceptable balance between jobs and housing along with a positive atmosphere that job growth is good; the County is poised to be a beneficiary of these new jobs.

To do this, the County needs to review and adjust the Comprehensive Plan, to review and revise its rules and regulations so it does not hinder job growth, and it needs to provide for the opportunity to see if our commissioner form of government is still appropriate in today’s environment. The County should change to a Charter form of government to be on level playing field with other jurisdictions in our region.

Finally, if the County is maintain and improve its workforce the BOCC must work on an overall strategy with our educational institutions to prepare the workforce of the future. Our public school system may need to make some changes to achieve this goal, our community college will need to expand and our four year institutions should assist in the development of a life-long learning process.

I have the background, the education and experience at municipal, county, State and regional levels to help address these goals. I ask you for vote if you believe as I do; together we must bring balance back to Winchester Hall. Thank You.