General Assembly candidates square off
Half of state delegation candidates miss Waldorf event
The turnout among candidates for state office was light at last Wednesday’s public forum in Waldorf, though well over 120 residents attended to hear them answer questions on a wide range of topics.
Only four of the eight candidates for District 28, which includes most of Charles County, participated in the two-hour forum at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center, which was moderated by retiring delegation chair Del. Sally Jameson (D-Charles).
Republican senate candidate Bill Dotson and delegate candidates Maureen Woodruff and Jim Crawford participated in the forum. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) was the sole representative of the Democratic Party on the panel.
As with previous forums during the primary campaign and the general election, candidates’ plans for alleviating traffic congestion and bringing new businesses into Charles County were the topics that residents were most interested in hearing about.
The candidates also discussed their strategies for increasing funding to the county’s schools and law enforcement agencies throughout the evening.
Bipartisanship was a common theme throughout the evening, with Wilson stressing his willingness to buck party-line votes, Woodruff discuss- ing her relationship building skills, and Crawford and Dotson both emphasizing their experience building coalitions as business owners.
“[Sen.] Mac Middleton has been a tremendous resource for me,” Dotson said. “C.T. Wilson has picked up the phone every time I’ve called.”
The candidates were in broad agreement that while the ability of state representatives to affect county policy was limited, they would be willing to work with the incoming Board of County Commissioners, particularly related to economic development opportunities.
One county level policy the candidates specifically addressed was the property tax rate, which is the highest in the state after Baltimore City.
“I don’t want to tax us any more [than current levels],” Wilson said. “I live here and our property taxes are ridiculous.”
Woodruff noted that the county commissioners had implemented a transfer tax on real estate transactions during the recession as a way to make up for a dip in revenue, but have not withdrawn it now that revenue from other sources has picked up again.
“I want to be your ambassador to Annapolis to help return more of the tax revenue to the county,” Woodruff said.
“We are the highest taxed county, but do we have the best roads or education?” Crawford asked. “I’m looking forward to having new commissioners ... because we’re not getting our money’s worth.”
Dotson said that generating more commercial taxes would ease the county’s reliance on property taxes as a major revenue source.
“You’re going to need people who have answers, not people who are going to fly off the seat of their pants,” Dotson said.
With regard to working to bring a greater share of transportation dollars to Charles County for road improvements and commuter transit systems, Wilson stressed that it wasn’t realistic to propose legislation to equally divide money from the state’s Highway User Revenue fund among each of the counties.
“I will fight, but I’m also going to live in the real world where I can fight not only for long-term dollars ... but [also] for the immediate solutions like improving [U.S.] 301,” Wilson said.
Dotson agreed with Wilson, proposing that the delegation focus on solutions that could be implemented in the near future such as bus rapid transit and “interactive” traffic lights that can adjust their timing based on real-time traffic data.
Dotson also dismissed a proposal by his Democratic opponent for senator, Arthur Ellis, to build on the region’s rail infrastructure in order to extend a MARC commuter rail line into Southern Maryland.
“It’s been looked at,” Dotson said. “It’s not feasible.”
Woodruff echoed the call for a bus rapid transit system, for which Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn has expressed his preference over the construction of a light rail line. She said that Southern Maryland does not have enough ridership to support a multi-billion dollar transit program.
“Bus transit will help today,” she said.
Crawford said that the county’s delegation needed to be more aggressive in securing funding for transportation needs.
“I don’t think we’re fighting the right fight or fighting it the right way,” Crawford said.
One question asked what the candidates would do to find alternative sources of revenue for the state’s Transportation Trust Fund to make up for decreasing gas tax revenue as a result of more fuel efficient cars.
“Here’s a Republican who’s going to tell you the truth,” Dotson said. “We’re probably going to have to raise the gas tax.”
At the same time, the delegation should fight for a more equitable distribution of the existing gas tax revenues, he said.
“Who here thinks it’s fair that we’re getting 4 cents when Montgomery County gets 12 cents?” Dotson asked.
A question that sought to tie school overcrowding to undocumented immigrants was roundly condemned by the candidates.
“That’s the worst question I’ve ever heard,” Wilson said. “I guarantee that problem is made up.
Wilson said that the county has “way bigger fights” to address, such as the opioid crisis.
“I’m with C.T., that question is way off,” Dotson said. “I don’t think anyone here sees runaway immigration as a problem.”
Instead, Dotson said, the question should be how the school board plans to fund English language education for the county’s non-native speakers.
The candidates were also in general agreement that more needed to be done to address the effects of the opioid epidemic in Charles County, including mental health facilities, counselors in schools and Medicaid coverage for addiction treatment.
Crawford also suggested that the county’s faithbased organizations be enlisted to help provide counseling and treatment.
All the candidates advocated allocating more money for drug rehabilitation services, though Wilson stressed the need for oversight of organizations that receive state or county funding.
“You can’t just throw your money to them,” Wilson said.
Asked whether the candidates would support a bill that would provide tax credits for parents who homeschool their children, Crawford called it a “no-brainer” while Woodruff said that her support would depend on how the credit was determined.
Wilson and Dotson both emphasized that any tax credits for homeschooling should not come at the expense of adequate funding for public schools.
Dotson chided his opponent, Ellis, for comments that he characterized as “denigrating” public school teachers.
“We’ve got to put the public school teachers first,” Dotson said. “They’re the backbone of public education.”
All four candidates said they were in favor of a proposal by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to put casino revenues into a “lockbox” to be used to fund education, as had originally been pledged when the legislation enabling casinos was passed in 2012.