Charlie Baker
Age: 60
Party: Republican
Address: Kensington Drive
Occupation: Retired, landscaping and restaurant business
Platform:
- Use city money to increase children's access to educational programming, including computer-based educational programs at Washington County Free Library.
- Find ways to divert traffic flow away from downtown Hagerstown, including closing some downtown streets, to make the city more pedestrian-friendly.
- Place Washington County Hospital in the city's North End.
- Assign a city staffer to find ways to decrease the amount of time spent by inmates in the county jail who are awaiting trial.
Bob Bruchey
Age: 46
Party: Republican
Address: Woodland Way
Occupation: Auto sales
Platform:
- Keep property taxes stable and decrease taxes if at all possible while maintaining city services.
- Increase number of police officers to 2001 levels.
- Increase communication between the Hagerstown City Council, Washington County Commissioners and the County's delegation to the Maryland General Assembly by holding regular meetings with those groups.
- Invite more public comment by holding personal office hours and reorganizing the city's voting sessions.
Tony Campello
Age: 35
Party: Republican
Address: East North Avenue
Occupation: Full-time student, part-time computer technician
Platform:
- Favors Washington County Hospital's move to a site near Robinwood Medical Center.
- Wants to improve downtown Hagerstown and promote it more.
- Supports the creation of a business incubator.
- Believes the city should better plan for population growth.
Dick Trump
Age: 59
Party: Republican
Address: Lindsay Lane
Occupation: Publisher
Platform:
- Build relationships with the county government, the Washington County Delegation to the General Assembly, the business community and residents.
- No increases on taxes or fees and hold government costs down.
- Better plan for the needs for roads, and water and sewer expansion.
- Establish a plan that creates a better environment in government to promote residential and commercial development.
Kristin B. Aleshire
Incumbent councilman
Age: 29
Party: Democrat
Address: Virginia Avenue
Occupation: Planner, towns of Myersville and Middletown
Platform:
- Create a guiding document that will help plan the ultimate expansion of the city's water and sewer system.
- Reinforce the marketability of downtown Hagerstown by promoting home ownership within the city.
- Return the city's property tax rate to fiscal 2003-04 levels, and possibly lower over time.
- Make a personal effort to provide more information to the public about large issues for city government.
"Nick" Carter
Age: 66
Party: Democrat
Address: Salem Avenue
Platform:
- Continue upgrading the city's sewer system as the city grows while keeping costs down and informing the public.
- Increase the communication among city, county and state officials to discuss and address problems.
- Look at ways to make health care less expensive for city employees while keeping benefit levels stable.
- Find ways to bring more people downtown to spend money, including promoting job growth.
Kelly S. Cromer
Age: 39
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Criminal defense lawyer
Platform:
- Develop a plan to upgrade the city's water and sewer system and avoid future problems such as sanctions from environmental authorities.
- Ensure citizen health care is improved by Washington County Hospital's proposed move. Develop a document between city and hospital officials to improve public understanding of the project.
- Develop a common agenda between the City Council and the Washington County Commissioners through meetings between the groups.
- Continue downtown development and broaden the focus of redevelopment efforts to other areas of the city.
N. Linn Hendershot
Incumbent councilman
Age: 60
Party: Democrat
Address: West Irvin Avenue
Occupation: Communications director
Platform:
- Ensure the continued improvement of the city's water, sewer, roads and parks systems.
- Promote business, safety and vibrancy in downtown Hagerstown.
- Pursue a cost-effective replacement for Washington County Hospital that will best serve the community.
- Determine a new funding source to improve the city's fire and rescue services.
Ira P. Kauffman Jr.
Age: 72
Party: Democrat
Address: Lindsay Lane
Occupation: Retired, Central Intelligence Agency
Platform:
- Expand the city limits through annexation, but not at the expense of the citizens.
- Keep taxes and fees as low as possible while maintaining city services.
- Study the possibility of again generating electricity within the city.
- Improve city and county relations.
Lewis C. Metzner
Incumbent councilman
Age: 52
Party: Democrat
Address: East Irvin Avenue
Occupation: Criminal defense lawyer
Platform:
- Control growth more, including putting in place development impact fees and managing the city's aging sewer system.
- Improve cooperation between city and county government by developing mutually beneficial agreements.
