Mark Long – County Council District 5 Candidate

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GladeValley.net asked each of the candidates vying to represent our district on the new Frederick County Council to answer a few questions to help voters in Glade Valley decide who their votes.
Frederick County will move to a Charter Government providing great local control of laws in the county.  The new Frederick County Charter was adopted by voters two years ago during the 2012 elections. Voters will elect a County Executive, two At-Large County Council representatives, and five County Council representatives who each represent a district of the county.

Democrat Mark Long, Candidate for County Council District 5
Democrat Mark Long, Candidate for County Council District 5

Mark Long is the Democratic Candidate for Frederick County Council District 5. Mark operates his own small business, Peace of Mind Home Inspections.

Mark grew up in the building business in Frederick County. He worked in the family business with his father and brother for over twenty years. Mark has also spent many years working with developmentally disabled adults through teaching, support, and managing programs.

Mark lives in Thurmont with his wife Jill. They have two adult children; Seth lives in Washington, D.C., and Meghan lives in Oakland, CA with her husband, Peter. Mark has served in numerous leadership roles with the Moravian Church at the local, state, regional and national levels.

GladeValley.net: What are the most important issues you hope to tackle on the newly formed County Council?

My priority issues are:

  1. Restoring trust and professionalism to local government by respectfully listening to residents and developing positive working relationships with other elected officials.
  2. Managing residential growth responsibly. It’s essential that we manage growth in a responsible and thoughtful way so that new development doesn’t negatively impact current residents. The rollout of developments should be timed with our ability to pay for schools, roads and other services, and developers should pay their fair share for these services. We should end taxpayer giveaways to developers.
  3. Supporting a strong public education system that provides students with adequate preparation for our changing economy and keeps our communities strong. Schools aren’t just a place where our children go to learn. For many families they’re a center of community life through, sports, clubs and other extra-curricular activities that bring our towns and together. Short-changing schools like the current BOCC has done undermines the quality of life in Frederick County.

GladeValley.net: How will your election to the District 5 seat help residents of Glade Valley, the district, and the county as a whole?

My election to the District 5 seat will help residents of Glade Valley, the district and the county as a whole, first because they will have someone representing them who will listen to their concerns and ideas.

I believe the new charter form of government provides an opportunity for county residents and towns to have a better relationship with the county government by having a member of the council who represents their part of the county specifically. However, this can only happen if County Council members listen to residents and are able work with other elected officials with mutual trust and respect.

As County Councilman for District 5, I will make it my first priority to build strong relationships with other elected officials and make myself available to residents. Without a relationship of trust and respect between elected officials, it’s harder to work together to address the issues faced by Frederick County. During my campaign, I have worked to build those relationships and earned the endorsements of three out of four town Republican municipal leaders in District 5, including the Burgess of Walkersville, Ralph Whitmore.

GladeValley.net: What issue facing Glade Valley residents would you like to address and how would you address that issue?

People living in Glade Valley face some of the same issues that everyone in the county faces, but I would like to hear from the residents of Glade Valley to learn what specific concerns they have. One of the first things I’ll do after being elected is host a series of town hall meetings around Northern Frederick County to give residents the opportunity to share their views and concerns, and at least one or more of those meetings will be held in Glade Valley. I believe that elected leaders can be most effective at serving their community when they hear ideas and concerns directly from residents. I think that the best solutions to issues or problems can be developed when many minds come together to discuss them and work on them in a collaborative manner.

To learn more about Mark Long, visit his campaign web site at http://www.marklong.us.

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