Rockville Central Candidate Forum Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:30 am

Dear Readers:We are delighted to announce the first-ever >Rockville Central candidate forum. It will be held on Saturday, October 24, at 9:30 am. The location is our very own Thomas Farm Community Center near Fallsgrove.

We have been thinking about this event for some time and we are delighted to be able to announce it.

We want this to be a “different kind of candidate forum.” Many organizations and local associations hold candidate forums each election, and they do a great job of making sure candidates are accountable to their hoped-for constituencies. We always attend as many as possible. We scheduled this event so that it would not interfere with any of the other candidate forums announced so far.

With this candidate forum, we hope to build on the work of other organizations. It won’t look like a typical forum, and we may not run it like a typical forum. We are going to try to create an environment in which candidates interact with each other as much as possible — after all, one of the chief concerns on the minds of citizens right now is how candidates will work together.

We will also make sure that the full video of this forum is available online and we are also exploring the feasibility of live streaming the forum so people throughout Rockville can tune in.

One big complaint we have heard is that forums can go on a long time, especially when there are lots of candidates like this year. So, we are intentionally limiting the forum to two hours. We feel certain we can be fair in that period of time and also respect the desires of the audience who have other things to do in their lives.

Leading up to the forum, we will be reaching out to the Rockville Central readers’ community to solicit good ideas. We want you to weigh in on:

• What kinds of questions should the candidates answer?
• What format would give you the best sense of who the candidates are?
• What kinds of things would you like to avoid in a candidate event like this?
• What kind of event would make you proud of these candidates?
• And more.

Please consider adding a comment if you have some initial responses. We are probably also going to create a survey for more formal input.

We also will need help pulling this off — so if you are willing to pitch in at the forum, please let us know!

Watch Rockville Central for more announcements as we make this thing happen!

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Rockville Candidates' Statements Online, On Demand

We love that the City of Rockville is taking such strides toward making more and more information available online!The latest is that each candidate for Rockville city office in >this November’s election has made a four-minute video statement in The Rockville Channel’s studios. But, you don’t have to stay glued to the tube to find them!

Just go here to open a window that shows all the candidates telling you why they hope you vote for them. (You’ve got to ave Windows Media Player installed, which most PC’s do.) [UPDATE: The City changed the links around. If you go here you will see a page listing each candidate's speech.]

Curious who these people are? Here’s the list of candidates.

Televised Candidate Forums Scheduled

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West End Citizens Association, October 2007

The city of Rockville has let us know the official list of community organization candidate forums that will be televised on the Rockville Channel (channel 11 if you have Comcast).

Here is the information:

• Thursday, Oct. 8 – Hosted by West End Citizens Association at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.
• Tuesday, Oct. 13 – Rockville Chamber of Commerce at Legacy Hotel and Conference Center, 1775 Rockville Pike.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20 – Twinbrook Citizens Association at the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway.

These should be good opportunities to learn about the candidates’ views on the issues facing the City. Hope to see you there!

(Stay tuned for an announcement of our own about a another candidate forum.)

Former Rockville Mayor Named Hoffmann Campaign Chair

According to a statement issued today by her campaign, Rockville mayor >Susan Hoffmann has named former mayor James Coyle (served as mayor 93-95) as chair for her re-election campaign.

Prior to his stint as mayor, Coyle also served four terms as a member of the city council from 1985 to 1993. Since leaving office, he has served in a variety of capacities. According to the release:

Coyle has been Executive Director of the Public Risk Management Association and Executive Director of the Grass Roots Organization for Well-being of Seniors. Coyle also chaired the City’s Senior Services Long Range Plan Task Force.

Coyle replaces former campaign chair Margaret Griffin, who will stay on Hoffmann’s campaign committee.

In a written statement, Hoffmann said: “I am honored to have former Mayor Coyle’s support. My campaign will benefit from his wisdom, experience and perspective and I am looking forward to working closely with him for the next several months. I am also grateful to Margaret for the invaluable service she has given to me over the past nine years she served as my Chair and am pleased she will now have more time to tend to her family’s needs.”

For a list of all Rockville candidates (with Web addresses) for the 2009 election, go here.

Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all. We actively encourage candidates to submit opinion pieces and other news. We don’t include every last bit, but we try to be fair to all and give useful information about what is happening.

Official List Of City Of Rockville Candidates For 2009 [UPDATED]

This is from the City Clerk’s office:Candidates for Mayor>

• Susan Hoffmann
• Phyllis Marcuccio

Candidates for Council

• John Britton [UPDATE: web site will be here, but email works]
• Piotr Gajewski
• Carl Henn
• Trapper Martin
• Tom Moore
• Bridget Donnell Newton (email) [UPDATED w/website 9/14/09]
• Virginia Onley [UPDATED w/website 10/05]
• Waleed Ovase
• Mark Pierzchala
• Max van Balgooy

Note: We will update this page with websites for each candidate as we learn them.

[UPDATE 9/8/09 10:15 am: added Britton contact info]

[UPDATE 9/14/09 4:50 pm: added Newton web info, updated email.]

[UPDATE 10/5/09 1:10 pm: added Onley web info]

Waleed Ovase Announcement for Rockville City Council

On Saturday afternoon, >Waleed Ovase formally announced his candidacy for Rockville city council.

Here is a video of the speech:

Waleed Ovase Announcement for Rockville City Council from Brad Rourke on Vimeo.

And here are a couple of photos from the day:

Bridget Newton City Council Candidacy Announcement

On Friday, Bridget Newton officially announced her candidacy for Rockville city council at an even in Town Square.Here is video of the full speech:>

Bridget Newton City Council Candidacy Announcement from Brad Rourke on Vimeo.

(The speech is slightly overshadowed by other ambient noise but you can hear it if you pay attention.)

And here are a couple of photos from the day:

Certified Candidates So Far

The deadline to file with the City of Rockville to be a candidate in this year’s elections is September 4 (this Friday). We will publish a full list of all candidates the day after Labor Day.In the meantime, here, courtesy of the City Clerk’s office, is the list of candidates who are certified as of Monday mid-afternoon:>

Mayor
Phyllis Marcuccio

Councilmember
Carl Henn
Mark Pierchzala
Waleed Ovase
Trapper Martin
Virginia Onley
Tom Moore
John Britton

According to the Clerk’s office, these people have filed some, but not all, of the paperwork for office:

Mayor
Susan Hoffmann

Councilmember
Bridget Newton
Piotr Gajewski

Stay tuned for more!

Anne Robbins Will Not Seek City Council Re-Election

We just received the following from city councilmember >Anne Robbins:

Robbins will not seek 6th City Council Term

Rockville Councilwoman, Anne M. Robbins, announced today that she will not be running for re-election in November for a sixth term on the City Council. In announcing her decision, Councilwoman Robbins indicated that she had been in consultation with her family, friends and supporters over the past 18 months before finally deciding that this was the right time for her to step aside and pursue other professional interests.

In reflecting back on her time on the Council, Robbins said “I am proud of the role I have played on the Council during the past decade and I want to thank the voters of Rockville for their continuing support and for expressing their confidence in me through five election cycles.” Robbins cited several City projects that she took great pride in helping to create including the new Town Square, the Thomas Farm Community Center and the Mattie Stepanek Park. She also lists as major accomplishments her support for services for senior citizens, her successful efforts to reduce the Rockville property tax rate, and her championing free parking at the Rockville Library. Robbins believes, however, that her most important contribution was her work with citizens at the grass- roots level. Robbins went on to say “I made sure that the voices of our Rockville community were heard at City Hall. A citizens’ driven government is a great tradition in Rockville and I have tried very hard to carry on that tradition during my years of public service to the City.”

Anne Robbins’ final meeting as a member of the Council will be on October 26.

Council Member Robbins, thank you for your long public service to Our Fair City.

Waleed Ovase Campaign Event September 5

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Waleed Ovase, from his Facebook campaign page

According to a recent Facebook status update, former candidate for mayor and city council Brigitta Mullican is serving as treasurer for the campaign of Waleed Ovase, a Richard Montgomery High School student running for city council. She writes that she:

“wants all her voting Rockville friends to know she is serving as the Treasurer for Candidate Waleed Ovase in this years Rockville City Council Election. Candidate Waleed Ovase is an 18-year old senior at Richard Montgomery High wanting to serve on the Rockville City Council. Come meet the youngest candidate on September 5 at 1:00 p.m. in Rockville Town Square.”

So, do note that date and time: Saturday, September 5 at 1:00 pm for the Ovase event.

Waleed’s campaign website is here. He has a Facebook campaign page here. And you can follow him on Twitter here.

Best of luck, Waleed!

[UPDATE: Since this article was posted this morning, we received the following press release at 8:19 am from the Ovase campaign, which is reproduced verbatim below:]

History was made on August 21st as Waleed Ovase turned in his petition to put him on the ballot when Rockville goes to vote this November to elect 4 Councilmen and a Mayor. Waleed Ovase is a senior in Richard Montgomery High School and is on schedule to graduate this summer with Richard Montgomery’s coveted International Baccalaureate Diploma. Ovase, the son of immigrants, had spent the summer travelling across Rockville, talking to small businesses and residents about issues that are of the highest concern to them. Ovase said that the City Council’s lethargic response to the interests of his College Gardens community plunged him into this race but noted that he found residents across Rockville to be disillusioned with the Council and to be looking for a fresh voice.

Campaigning on themes of accountability, civility and transparency, Ovase will have to go against candidates who hire Washington political operatives as their campaign managers. When asked if he felt he was at as a disadvantage Ovase responded “I may not be the most recognizable name in Rockville, but my candidacy is a result of true grass roots activism. The people working on my campaign are concerned Rockville residents who feel it’s about time we have a Council that worked.” Ovase also brushed off claims that his age was an issue in this campaign saying “The people of Rockville are seeking to elect someone with big ideas; someone who will put petty politics aside and seek to represent the people of Rockville. I’m campaigning to return civility in our public discourse”. More information about his candidacy is located on his campaign website – http://www.waleed4council.org

Things have also gotten pretty heated as council member Piotr Gajewski attacked a potential candidate’s teaching abilities during Citizen’s Forum. Ovase opines that a citizen should never be attacked for any reason for delivering constructive criticism or for asking the City to be more proactive. He promised to return to a more civil tone if elected to City Council.

Waleed Ovase will hold a kickoff party Saturday, September 5th 2009 in Rockville Town Center at 1 pm addressing his supporters. Later, Ovase will travel across Rockville introducing himself to residents.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. But we are glad to publish major statements and significant events of all candidates for City office, always trying our best to be fair to all. We don’t publish everything, but we do publish most things! If you are a Rockville city candidate, please share as much information with us as possible so we can make sure your voice is heard.

We try to cover significant campaign events and to be as fair as possible to all who are running. But we are volunteers, do this on our spare time, and can’t be everywhere. Please send us video or photos of events that we miss so we can consider them for inclusion.

Bridget Newton Campaign Kick Off September 4

On Friday (August 28), we received this note from >Bridget Newton:

“I am running for City Council – turned my papers in today and the Kick-off will be September 4th at 5:00pm in Town Center.”

Bridget has long been active in Rockville civic affairs, having served as president of the Town Center Action Team during a time that one the chief issues on the table for the city was the creation of Town Square, and more recently as co-chair of the committee of the West End Citizens Association that focused on the Beall’s Grant II affordable housing project.

As we learn more (campaign web site, platform, photo) we will let you know. For now, mark your calendar for Friday at 5.

Best of luck, Bridget!

[UPDATE: Since this article was first posted at 8:30 am, we received a late press release (3:00 pm, and then an update at 4:50 pm) from the campaign that contains more information. For completeness' sake, it is reproduced verbatim below.]

Bridget Donnell Newton, 51, a city resident since 1981, has become an official candidate for the Rockville City Council. “We received a call Friday afternoon from the City Clerk and my signatures have been validated. I look forward to campaigning and hopefully serving the citizens of Rockville come November 3rd.”

Newton has long been active as a community leader, serving on the West End Traffic and Transportation Commission and as Chair of the Compensation Commission and the Town Center Action Team.. She was appointed to the County Committee tasked with choosing the location for the new Rockville Library and was instrumental in keeping the library in the town center. She is a former President of the West End Citizen’s Association and Beall Elementary PTA .

Known for her willingness to listen and her ability to bring people together to reach a consensus decision, Newton is passionate about allowing the process of good government to work.. “Politics is the art of the possible”, says Newton, “and I firmly believe that when civil people have an open and frank discussion, the final result will be a combination of the best ideas that are on the table.”.

As for the role she sees herself playing if elected, Newton says :“Rockville has always been known for our wonderful neighborhoods, public services and amenities. I see the role of the council as setting policies that reinforce and support these assets. In this economic climate, we must be vigilant about protecting our resources and that includes our citizens. I look forward to continuing my efforts in making Rockville the best it can be – for all her residents.”

The campaign will hold their Kickoff at 5:00pm on Friday September 4th in the Town Square.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. But we are glad to publish major statements and significant events of all candidates for City office, always trying our best to be fair to all. We don’t publish everything, but we do publish most things! If you are a Rockville city candidate, please share as much information with us as possible so we can make sure your voice is heard.

We try to cover significant campaign events and to be as fair as possible to all who are running. But we are volunteers, do this on our spare time, and can’t be everywhere. Please send us video or photos of events that we miss so we can consider them for inclusion.

Apply to Host A Televised Election Forum

As you can tell by the comments here on >Rockville Central, people want to know more about the Mayor and Council candidates. If your group or organization is thinking about applying to host a televised Mayor and Council debate or forum, the deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest Form is Friday, September 4, 2009. The Form and Campaign Policy are available on the City’s website.

The City may televise on Rockville 11 as many as three candidate debates or forums with the Mayoral candidates and Council candidates debating separately. The available dates are September 15, 22, 24, 29, 30, October 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 13, 19. This schedule will allow the forum to be replayed prior to the November 3rd Election.

The Campaign Guidelines specify that the following criteria will be considered when deciding if a forum should be televised:

• Location and the adequacy for television production
• Availability of production schedule, on-air program schedule, adequate advanced notice, availability of personnel, equipment, and other resources
• Ability to televise it live, if possible
• All candidates appearing on the ballot are invited to participate
• It is sponsored/hosted by an independent, non-partisan organization that does not endorse candidates (such as the League of Women Voters) and focuses on citywide issues
• City staff are not involved in any way in the hosting, moderating, facilitating, or asking of questions – only television production and possibly facility space will be provided
• No editing will be done with the exception of adding opening and closing graphics, transitions between multiple tapes, correction of technical problems, etc.
• If the Mayor and Council chambers is used, the set should be altered so it does not appear to be the same set up as a regular Mayor and Council meeting.

They’ll have a drawing to pick if more than three apply and meet the City’s criteria listed above. A group can hold a forum or debate without applying for it to be televised.

As we have mentioned at Rockville Roundtable, we here at Rockville Central plan on hosting a forum and we encourage participation in all the debates.

Phyllis Marcuccio Kickoff Announcement For Mayor

On Saturday in Town Square, present Rockville City Council member >Phyllis Marcuccio kicked off her campaign for mayor of Rockville. Here is her speech in full, including impromptu statements at the end by City Council member Anne Robbins:

Phyllis Marcuccio Kickoff For Mayor Of Rockville 20090801 from Brad Rourke on Vimeo.

Of interest in the speech was Phyllis’ announcement that Joe Jordan, a frequent contributor here at Rockville Central, would be serving as campaign manager.

Phyllis’ speech included a number of pledges to Rockville voters, and she was kind enough to send along an electronic copy of her speech so here is what she said:

“I am confident in making the following pledges to you:

• I will challenge the necessity for all new fees and/or taxes proposed on residents.
• I will foster a climate where business is supportive of the city and vice versa.
• I will set the tone for dialogue and discourse among council members.
• I will improve the dialogue between the Mayor and Council and the City’s Boards and Commissions and make the work they do more apparent to citizens.
• I will continue to support and sustain the high quality of life Rockville residents enjoy and make efforts to strengthen and respect neighborhoods while keeping them safe.
• I will support, strengthen, and introduce programs that make sustaining an environmentally savvy city work, but not just at any cost.
• I will do whatever it takes to protect our remaining open, green spaces and prevent the city from selling or leasing any of our parks, including RedGate Golf Course, without a citizen referendum.
• I will make sure that we do not forget our seniors and those on fixed incomes as we build programs for young families and new residents.”

And here are a few photos of the day:

Phyllis Marcuccio and her “Listening Post”

City Council candidate Waleed Ovase and Council Member Anne Robbins

Peaches for all

Disclaimer: We try to cover significant campaign events and to be as fair as possible to all who are running. But we are volunteers, do this on our spare time, and can’t be everywhere. Please send us video or photos of events that we miss so we can consider them for inclusion.

Joe Jordan Remarks At Citizens Forum: Email Sharing Policy Needed

Potential City Council candidate >Joe Jordan gave the following address at Citizen’s Forum at last night’s Mayor and Council meeting. (It’s taken from prepared text that he shared with us this morning.)

Jumping the shark is a phrase used to denote the point in a tv program history where the plot veers off into absurd story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations. It corresponds to the point where a show with falling ratings becomes more desperate to draw in viewers. Shows that have “jumped the shark” are deemed to have passed their peak and declined in quality. Witnessing the display exhibited by members of this M&C two weeks ago, it could be said this M&C has indeed “jumped the shark”.

As part of a response to a speaker’s citizen forum statement on the budget, CM Robbins took the opportunity to explain why she voted against the FY2010 budget. Her greatest concern was the $1.7M in COLAs and merit increases included in it. She had spoken eloquently as to why she would vote against the budget when it came before M&C for approval in May. That should have been the end of the story.

Some weeks after the vote CM Britton wrote an opinion piece as to why he voted for the budget and why he supported the salary increases. It was posted on the Rockville Central blog and illicited 8 responses, divided equally for and against his position. Rather then being content with expressing his own views, Mr. Britton brought Ms. Robbins and a city resident into the fray. There was no mention of Ms. Marcuccio, who also voted against the budget, nor other residents who had letters published in the Gazette or spoke at CF in opposition to the raises.

Among those Mr. Britton copied was City Manager Scott Ullery, who forwarded the piece to his senior staff, some of whom forwarded the piece to their staffs. I’m sure before long it was all over city hall. Ms Robbins spoke of how this action by the CM was damaging to her personally and as an elected city official. She heard things that were hurtful. She made it clear she took no issue with an elected official writing, and having published, opinion pieces. What she did have a problem with was staff sending them to city employees…and without her knowledge. The story could have ended here, but the mayor didn’t let it. When Ms. Robbins finally agreed to continue discussion later in the meeting, you Madam Mayor…egged her on, asking if she was finished…interrupting CM Marcuccio who was trying to intervene…referring to Ms Robbins in a condescending manner, referring to her as “MAM” and cross-examining her as though she were on trial. All the while this was going on, CM Gajewski was snickering and making fun of Ms Robbins, and Mr. Britton interjected that he “confesses”…he wrote the piece. This was after he challenged us to figure out what he really said when he told Ms Robbins she was full of “it”. I would expect this behaviour from kids in the schoolyard.

Mr. Gajewski then read email comments and praised staff for not saying pejorative things about Ms Robbins, encouraging them to continue sending out these kinds of pieces. What he didn’t do was venture a guess at how many of the 500+ city employees saw the emails…or what was said at lunch or over coffee. Ms Robbins has every right to be upset by what some see as an abuse of power and position.

In closing, the only one who showed any leadership or understanding of the harm done was CM Marcuccio. She spoke of how this episode suggested favor of one councilmember over another…of how it is crucial for hired city staff members and employees to remain neutral and not suggest that something written as an opinion by one carries more weight then that of another.

It was a sad thing to witness and those who took part in bullying Ms Robbins should be ashamed and owe her an apology. I am speaking out on this because I care about our city, how we treat each other and how others see us.

Note: Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. But we are glad to publish major statements and significant events of all candidates for City office, always trying our best to be fair to all. We don’t publish everything, but we do publish most things! If you are a Rockville city candidate, please share as much information with us as possible so we can make sure your voice is heard.

Another Note: I have long been meaning to encourage all who speak before Citizen’s Forum to share their prepared remarks with Rockville Central, as we are eager to print them for all to read. As with candidate activities, we won’t necessarily print every last one, but we’ll run most!

Pierzchala Statement On Why He's Running For City Council

City Council candidate >Mark Pierzchala gave the following remarks to Citizens Forum at the Mayor and Council meeting last night. (These are from prepared text that he shared with us.)

In 2007, I ran for Mayor and came in second of three candidates. In January this year I declared my candidacy for council. This early announcement was intended to clarify my intentions, but while the office is different, two main reasons for running remain much the same.

Budget

In 2008, this body passed its first budget and increased City spending by 9.5% to $102M and increased City staff by 17.9 positions. To be fair, I acknowledge here, and have acknowledged on the campaign trail, that this body’s second budget decreased spending by a half percent. But this is small consolation given its first year’s deed and the voters ought to hold you to account. The manner in which Mayor and Council approach the budget process also concerns me. This body just does not bring a great deal of budget expertise to this most important expression of the City’s values.

Though Rockville has seen prodigious increases in revenues for many years, by FY 2012 we could see serious revenue problems. The federal, state, and county budgets are all in crisis because these governments did not take their impending and potential problems seriously enough, soon enough.

As a council member, I will work for a long overdue and very thorough review of the budget, and a revamping of the budget process. Hopefully this would be with full concurrence of Mayor and Council, but if not, when it comes my turn to ask the questions, I just won’t shut up until I get answers. Mayor and Council should undertake a series of substantive work sessions, one department at a time, and one program at a time. This year, I could only shake my head as Department Chiefs, some representing over $20M in spending, appeared before this body for only a few minutes each.

There is much work that Mayor and Council can do now to prepare for rough budget years. This is the best way to ensure that Rockville can continue to do many good things even in lean times.

Governance

A second reason I’m running is the way that this body conducts its business. We still see explosive and corrosive relationships between members of this body. The extended performance at the last meeting has been mentioned to me many times the past few weeks as I have knocked on doors. This is but the latest of several incidents and this behavior gets in the way of business.

In my opinion City Staff have assumed a greater role in formulating policy and setting the agenda over the past 2 years. This year there have been fewer meetings and more agenda items in each meeting. Some of these meetings run very late. For example, tonight’s agenda has 14 substantive items with 40 documents to download from the City’s website, representing several hundred pages of text, pictures, charts, maps, tables, and graphs. One document has 238 pages, and one picture took me 20⁵ minutes to download on broadband access. Three items are on complex transportation issues, and you just can’t give this full consideration in one night! The 2- and 3-week gap between meetings also means it is harder for Mayor and Council to put off consideration of an item. I’ll work to reverse this practice should be voters put me on the council.

Note: Rockville Central does not edorse candidates. But we are glad to publish major statements and significant events of all candidates for City office, always trying our best to be fair to all. We don’t publish everything, but we do publish most things! If you are a Rockville city candidate, please share as much information with us as possible so we can make sure your voice is heard.