About 100 people were on hand last week when the League of Women Voters conducted the democratic equivalent of speed-dating with the eight candidates for Kent County commissioner. The league offered each a two-minute opening statement, then posed four questions that each candidate was given a minute to answer, which was followed by questions from the audience.
Despite the fact that there were three Democrats Steve Atkinson and incumbents Ron Fithian and Bill Pickrum and five Republicans Walter Coryell, William Gale, Tim Lloyd, Alex Rasin and Billy Short vying for three commissioners seats, there was much agreement on issues and approaches. The economy and jobs were continually identified when candidates were asked to name the biggest problems facing the county, though Coryell, a former Baltimore county police chief and former Kent County police chief, had a slightly different take. He said we need to change how we view what is necessary, what is important and what is desirable. We cannot continue spending as we have, and we need to find new solutions to problems.
As expected, there was much budget talk including one questioner who demanded that each name the specific thing they would cut (none would) and some criticism both from Short and an audience member of the money given to the arts and non-profits in the county. Pickrum, while acknowledging the budget crunch, said he believed in publicly supporting these things since it is part of what makes up the character of the county.
The word communication was bandied about: communicating with constituents; communicating with other commissioners from counties to gain a louder voice in Annapolis; and, communicating directly with state officials to get what some characterized as a better shake for Kent County.
Coryell suggested increasing the number of commissioners from three to five and like most of the others was in favor of staggered terms, citing continuity in the change of watch. Rasin, a former Kent County commissioner, was against staggered terms. Most were against dividing the county into districts so that each commissioner would be elected from a different district, though Lloyd from Kennedyville is for them.
No one relished raising taxes, especially in these times, and most felt that the 47% of the county budget that is mandated to be handed over to the Board of Education was sufficient. Several touched on the county’s infrastructure and communications in particular as being a barrier to attracting more business. Most did not mention what kinds of businesses Kent County should be attracting.
All three Democrats will be on the November ballot. The September 14 primary will effectively cull two Republicans from the five currently seeking the office, leaving three to go on to the next round.