Letters to the Editor

October 30, 1998|By Linda Irvin-Craig

(Page 3 of 3)

Local citizens have also learned about the education, experience and community involvement that each candidate brings to the table. This information is certainly an important factor in electing qualified and reasoned individuals to serve on the next Board of County Commissioners.

With regard to my candidacy, I offer the following additional factors for consideration. In my 12 years on the Washington County Planning Commission, I have insisted on conducting meetings in open session in order to keep the public informed and involved in the process. Our commission listens to both sides of an issue, freely discusses the issue, and then makes a decision based on the facts presented. As County Commissioner, I will be committed to conducting the business of the people in the same kind of fair and open manner.

In keeping with my pledge to keep the public informed and involved in the decision-making process, I will call for public meetings to discuss two of the most talked-about issues of this campaign - the sewer debt and education.

The community recognizes the need to place increased emphasis on education. The County Commissioners, school board, state delegation, together with the public. must come to a consensus with regards to the needs of the school system and ways to fund those needs. We must start the process now.

The sewer debt is an issue that has been festering for too long, in part because of a lack of information and also because of an unwillingness on the part of elected officials to accurately communicate the status of the system to the citizens of Washington County.

This is an issue that begs to be discussed openly and clearly in a public forum.

The City of Hagerstown, the state delegation, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Sewer Advisory Board and the County Commissioners need to meet in public to discuss this issue and explore possible solutions.

I hope that the voters will afford me the opportunity to participate in the above-mentioned meetings and the many others that will be required in order to conduct the business of the public as an elected County Commissioner.

Bert Iseminger is a candidate for Washington County Commissioner.

Prev | 1 | 2 | 3

|

|

|