Three incumbents, two challengers running for Havre de Grace City Council; Mayor Martin will be unopposed in May 4 election
Apr. 22—Five candidates are functioning for 3 seats on the Havre de Grace City Council this year, which includes incumbent council members David Martin, Jason Robertson and Carolyn Zinner, and challengers and Tammy Lynn Schneegas and Abundant Wehner.
Incumbent Mayor William T. Martin, who has led the town since 2015, is jogging unopposed. He also ran unopposed for his recent term in 2019.
All 6 candidates had the opportunity Tuesday evening to talk about their backgrounds, why they should be elected or continue in office and their positions on multiple problems impacting the town during the Ontario-Otsego Optimistic Motion Committee’s once-a-year prospect discussion board.
Dr. David Jaffe, president of OPAC, moderated the digital forum via Zoom, which was reside on the city’s YouTube channel Tuesday, and his spouse, Brenda, served as time keeper. A video clip recording of the forum, which lasted about two-and-a-fifty percent hrs, is offered on YouTube, or folks can see it on television at 8 p.m. upcoming Wednesday, April 28, by using Harford Cable Community.
Jaffe famous he had gained numerous submissions from inhabitants relating to topics for the discussion board, and he consolidated them into “at least 17 great queries that people today have sent in” for the candidates.
The topics have been about challenges these types of as Harford County General public Schools’ ongoing balancing enrollment course of action, which has lifted considerations among citizens and elected officers in Havre de Grace — as well as the candidates — that elementary students could be transferred to less than-capacity universities outdoors town boundaries, thus putting them on a pathway to center and high faculties outside the house Havre de Grace following the local community has expended yrs doing the job to get a new center and large university in city — the $80 million Havre de Grace Center/High Faculty opened for the recent university year and is serving college students four times a 7 days after they have put in most of the yr mastering just about in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other matters involved how the city has handled the pandemic and its effects on the regional financial system, how the city should spend an estimated $11.7 million it is slated to obtain from the federal govt by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Prepare, likely means to reuse College of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital right after it closes in the coming years following Higher Chesapeake Wellness opens its no cost-standing healthcare center in Aberdeen, their views on how the Havre de Grace Law enforcement Office interacts with the group — in mild of the conviction Tuesday of former Minneapolis law enforcement officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
The candidates also gave their sights on difficulties these kinds of as detailed arranging, possible limits on pesticide use in municipal parks and other open up room locations, water and sewer infrastructure and how ideal to command dashing drivers on town streets.
The city election will be Tuesday, Might 4 the polls will be in Havre de Grace Town Hall, at 711 Pennington Ave., and they will be open up from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Much more details is on the metropolis web-site, or men and women can contact 410-939-1800 with queries.
David Martin
David Martin has lived in Havre de Grace since 2012 and was to start with elected to the City Council in 2015.
He served in the Maryland Point out Law enforcement from 1974 right until his retirement in the early 1990s. Given that then, he has worked in the non-public sector in the places of arranging and administration for organizations this sort of as Procter & Gamble, Floor Technologies, Dwelling Depot and Oldcastle in White Marsh.
“Because becoming on the City Council, I have been a powerful advocate for the Havre de Grace Police Department, the Ambulance Corps and the Susquehanna Hose Company,” he mentioned.
Martin is energetic in the Maryland Municipal League, serving on the MML’s legislative fee and its board of administrators as vice president for District 10, symbolizing Cecil and Harford counties. He also serves on several Metropolis Council committees and town commissions this kind of as the water and sewer fee, ethics fee and the tourism advisory board.
“My vision for Havre de Grace is to keep the historic allure of the metropolis whilst relocating into the 21st century,” he said.
Jason Robertson
Jason Robertson is running for his 3rd two-year expression, owning served on the City Council because 2017. He is an Army veteran who served in Iraq and is currently a noncommissioned officer in the military services reserves. Robertson also is next vice commander for American Legion Write-up 47 in Havre de Grace.
He functions as a budget analyst for the U.S. Section of Veterans Affairs, has been an analyst for Baltimore City and the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Solutions, plus he labored in the White Household on source using the services of initiatives for veterans and their households.
“I just adore becoming associated in the group, really like serving the community, like serving my region,” he explained.
Robertson is married and has a son who attends Havre de Grace Elementary Faculty, so balancing enrollment is “at the leading of my mind,” he said. He also serves as a council liaison to the h2o and sewer fee, financial progress advisory board and the youth fee.
“I’m just happy to be right here,” Robertson reported. “[I] appreciate this town, adore all of you, and with any luck , you are going to appear out and aid me yet again on May well 4.”
Tammy Lynn Schneegas
Tammy Lynn Schneegas has been an educator for 30 years and functions with high faculty college students with particular demands. She serves on the city’s arts commission and is a member of the Havre de Grace Inexperienced Team environmental firm, in addition she has volunteered with various businesses this sort of as Female Scouts, the Kiwanis Club, the Susquehanna River Managing Pageant and Soroptimist Global of Havre de Grace.
“It is with gratitude that I have located these kinds of a thriving, vibrant and welcoming group to embrace as my property,” she explained.
Schneegas has lived in numerous pieces of the country, which she thinks helps her bring “a multi-faceted perspective towards serving the community” and pledged to be “a voice for our citizens.” If elected to council, she will go after initiatives such as general public safety, education and learning, out of doors recreation, cultural arts and “sustainability for the current whilst operating towards our foreseeable future.”
“My choice to run for metropolis council stems from interacting with lots of civic minded and environmentally conscious persons,” she stated.
Rich Wehner
Rich Wehner has lived in the town since 2018 and designed an unsuccessful operate for Town Council in 2020. He said his short time dwelling in Havre de Grace offers him “a fresh standpoint” on city troubles.
His occupation arrives with a “monitor report of practical experience in both fiscal and managerial” fields in the personal sector and point out companies this kind of as the Condition Freeway Administration and the Section of Public Safety and Correctional Services. He now works for the Office of the Military in the service’s Worldwide Veterinary Medical Apply, which operates veterinary clinics on navy bases around the environment.
“I will not get complacent, I really don’t get cozy,” he reported of his profession route. “I’m often wanting for the next improvement, the next obstacle and the following paradigm to break.”
Wehner serves on the board of his neighborhood’s householders affiliation, as properly as the city’s economic enhancement advisory board. He pointed out his time on the HOA has needed generating “challenging decisions” and preserving fiduciary obligations.
“You could not always like me, or you could dilemma my imagined procedures,” he stated.
“I can assure you now that your greatest pursuits are what will drive me,” Wehner ongoing. “I will generally do the job towards the foreseeable future of Havre de Grace I will never ever sacrifice the ideal point to do for a tiny little bit of short-term recognition.”
Carolyn Zinner
Carolyn Zinner and her loved ones have lived in the Havre de Grace and Perryville area considering that 1993, and Havre de Grace has been their key home since 2008. She was appointed to the council by the mayor in 2018 and elected to her 1st whole time period in 2019.
“Serving as your consultant on council is a distinct honor and privilege, which I regard and cherish for several causes,” she said.
Zinner grew to become included in town govt right after she retired from a 30-yr occupation in health care in 2018. She begun as a health-related technologist, specializing in microbiology, and then moved into “clinical informatics.” She later “flew all in excess of the place,” viewing hospitals to assist them employ information and facts techniques technologies, retiring from Delaware-dependent ChristianaCare.
Zinner serves as council liaison to commissions these kinds of as the arts fee, historic preservation commission and independence day commission. She also is a member of Soroptimist Worldwide of Havre de Grace, which places on the once-a-year Art Demonstrate and raises revenue to assist regional young ladies as a result of scholarships and other initiatives.
“I want to proceed to get in touch with on these collective ordeals, to keep on setting up on our numerous achievements these earlier many decades,” she said. “I feel the very best is yet to come, and I glimpse forward to continuing my purpose and voting for good laws and much more improvements to continue on to provide our city forward.”
William Martin
William T. Martin served on the Town Council from 2008 till he was elected mayor in 2015. He is ending up his sixth calendar year as the city’s main govt.
“From the time I get up in the early morning right until the time I set my head on the pillow, I cannot end but feel how amazing my city is — I’m inspired by the adult males and women who make up my city,” he stated.
While Martin is jogging unopposed, he inspired voters to check out the box upcoming to his identify on the ballot when they go into the polling area Could 4, noting that “it signifies a great deal to me.”
“With me you’re heading to get my honesty, you’re going to get my judgement and you are going to get my integrity,” he said.
Martin stressed the have to have to “continue to keep going this town ahead,” noting that “if you’re not main, then you happen to be pursuing.”
“Havre de Grace is the spot, I experience in my heart, is what every single American wishes their neighborhood to be like,” he explained. “We want to be a aspect of the group, we want to be element of some thing terrific, and that’s what evokes me as your mayor.”