O'Connor enters alderman race
Originally published April 07, 2009
By Adam Behsudi
News-Post Staff
Former cable TV moderator Michael O'Connor announced Monday he will seek a spot on Frederick 's Board of Aldermen. In front of City Hall, the Democrat announced he will enter this year's race. "Quite simply, I love this city, and if I think I can help Frederick , and I believe that I can, how could I not try?" he said. O'Connor was a moderator on "Pressing Issues," a talk show about local politics and policy on Comcast Cable channel 10. The show was discontinued in December 2008. He works full time as business manager for Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Frederick . O'Connor highlighted financial stability as a key issue for the city's next administration and questioned the soundness of recent city decisions. He pointed to the city employee early retirement incentive plan as a mistake, an ill-timed $121 million bond issue and questionable benefits of developing the 148-acre Hargett Farm as a regional park. "On the buyout, perhaps we need an alderman who will ask more and better questions," he said. Regarding the proposed park, O'Connor said partnerships should have been explored further. "We need recreation facilities, multi-purpose fields, perhaps an aquatics center," he said. "But let's bring the stakeholders together and plan it before the city assumes the bill." He also called for a new headquarters for the Frederick Police Department and a closer look at the process of revising the city's land management code. O'Connor, a Frederick native, is married and has two daughters. The field for aldermanic seats has now grown to four people. Democrat Kelly Russell, a retired Frederick police lieutenant and now the city's special vehicles supervisor, was first to enter the race. Senitta Conyers, a Republican, was the first to announce her candidacy in front of City Hall. The 26-year-old works for a Fort Detrick consulting firm and owns her own event management company. Democrat Andrew Kotkin entered the race last month. Kotkin, 35, is the owner of his own business, Kotkin Management Group, a residential project and construction company. O'Connor ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002. He lost in the primary. The city's primary elections will take place Sept. 15. General elections are set for Nov. 3.
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