(8/28) Two seats on the Emmitsburg Town Council are up for election September 28 with four candidates vying for the seats. The two seats, currently being held by council incumbent Town Council President Tim O’Donnell, and Cliff Sweeny, are three-year terms.
The four candidates registered to run include O’Donnell and Sweeney as well as, Liz Buckman, and Rosario Benvenji.
Buckman previously served as council commissioner from 2017-2020. Even while not serving on the council, Buckman says she has never stopped advocating and building relationships throughout the community. "I love communication. Everyone knows my phone number," she said. Buckman said she is running to create new opportunities for Emmitsburg as well as strengthen a bridge between the town and the council.
"We have a sustainable, loving community that takes care of people. The government that is supposed to be doing that is actually doing that, and I want to be a part of that," she said. Buckman hopes to bring accessibility, transparency, and representation to the council.
"It’s not about power or prestige, it’s about helping another sister out," she said. Buckman also proposes a focus on creating local jobs by incentivizing land for warehouses and industrial business. "Small towns have to be self-sufficient," she said.
Benvenji previously served on the council from 1994-1997. Benvenji said now more than ever there needs to be changes made to the town. "It is important to always be looking ahead for the future of Emmitsburg and be proactive, I don’t want to react," he said.
If elected, Benvenji aims to keep small businesses not large businesses flowing as the backbone of the county, he said since most businesses fail in the first two years; he aims to propose a fifty percent tax credit for first year businesses. "To really help get their feet on the ground in Emmitsburg," he said. Supporting businesses goes hand in hand with stimulating the town economy and improving it even farther, according to Benvenji. He also wants to see new housing developments established in the community to give residents living options.
Sweeney is not only the longest serving commissioner on the current Town Council, but the longest serving council member in the town’s history, having been on the Town Council for 23 years now. (Sweeney was briefly unseated in the 2004 election.)
"Every year I learn something new that I haven’t tried. I enjoy being on the council and making Emmitsburg a better place," Sweeney said.
When asked what he hopes to accomplish if re-elected, Sweeney said he didn’t want Emmitsburg to continue to be a "bedroom community, one that residents only sleep in while they live and work in the cities. A focus should be placed on bringing in new businesses and developments and upgrading the sewer system to expand the town."
Sweeney also aimed to bring back community involvement activities such as Little League, noting many families must travel out of town to participate in sports and activities. "You have to get involved in the community, or the community won’t exist," Sweeney said.
Current Vice President O’Donnell has served on the Town Council since 2009. O’Donnell said he was running to: "continue serving our community." O’Donnell aims to prioritize the safely opening of businesses following COVID-19 guidelines.
O’Donnell also wanted to see "measurable growth" throughout the town by continuing to improve parks and preserving local trails. "I don’t want to lose the quality of life that makes Emmitsburg known for as a small town," he said. A focus on systematic ways to improve the town sewer and wastewater treatment are also high on O’Donnell’s priorities. "My judgment is in accord with what the community wants," he said.
The town election will be held at the former town hall, now serving as the community deputy office, at 22 East Main Street. Voters can cast their ballots between 7 a.m. and 8 pm. Anyone in line at the time of closing shall be permitted to vote. Absentee ballot requests must be turned to the town office by Sept. 14.
Commission members are compensated $4,000 annually. The mayoral position, which is not up for reelection, is compensated at $8,000 annually. Candidates elected to either of the two seats will be sworn-in and assume their position on the town council on October 7.
