County Councilwoman Jessica Fitzwater and state Sen. Michael Hough outlined their visions for Frederick County growth during a county executive candidate forum on Wednesday.
Fitzwater and Hough were granted two minutes to respond to questions on topics that included their first 100 days in office, housing, and property and recordation taxes.
“The biggest barrier in Frederick County is access to safe and affordable housing,” Fitzwater said. “It is a crisis.”
Fitzwater, an elementary school music teacher finishing her second four-year term on the County Council, said the county must increase the number of affordable housing options for residents.
Fitzwater has sponsored a trio of bills, working their way through the County Council’s legislative process, that she said will increase the number of moderately priced housing units in the county.
The bills, she said, will incentivize developers to build more housing options that “people can actually afford.” One bill would exempt developers from having to pay one of the county’s development fees for moderately priced dwelling units they build.
Hough, who since 2015 has represented Frederick and Carroll counties in the state Senate and was a one-term delegate prior to that, said Fitzwater’s bill would simply increase costs for potential home buyers and make neighborhoods more densely populated.
Hough, the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R–W.V., said the county government is at fault for shortages in affordable housing.
“The property tax burden is greatly affecting residents here,” Hough said. “You can’t talk about affordable housing and then turn a blind eye that you’ve been raising people’s property taxes.”
The county’s property tax rate has remained $1.06 per $100 of assessed value for the last eight years. Hough has said he would lower the county’s rate to the constant-yield rate of $1.02 per $100 of assessed value.
The constant-yield rate is the real property tax rate necessary to generate the same revenue from year to year. If tax revenue is expected to rise because of higher property assessments, the tax rate would drop to reach the constant yield.
Lowering to the constant-yield rate for this fiscal year’s budget would have decreased revenue by $13 million, according to the county’s staff. Fitzwater said during the forum that Hough has not made clear where he would cut funding to make up for lost revenue.
The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, the Frederick County Building Industry Association and the Frederick County Association of Realtors hosted the forum at The Arc of Frederick County at Market Street.
The general election will be on Nov. 8.
Hough said the county must concentrate development in the municipalities and areas outside Frederick, which he said would lessen the burden on roads and schools.
He said the county should no longer direct a portion of the recordation tax toward an initiative for affordable housing.
Fitzwater pointed to services that the recordation tax has helped the county pay for.
Most of the county’s recordation tax revenue is used in the next fiscal year’s general operating budget, but a portion goes toward building schools, preserving farmland, buying open space and park land, and housing initiatives to construct more affordable units, Fitzwater said.
The two candidates also differed on changes they would make to the county’s adequate public facilities ordinance, which ensures that development doesn’t overburden resources like roads, schools, and water and sewer infrastructure.
Hough said that he wants to add funding for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office to the ordinance.
Fitzwater said she supports a review of the ordinance, but she did not outline any specific change she would seek.
If elected to the county’s top public office, Fitzwater said her first 100 days in office would include budget listening sessions in each of the five County Council districts to get input before drafting the county’s budget for the next fiscal year, which is among the first tasks the next county executive will undertake.
Fitzwater said she would also create an online dashboard to monitor progress the county has made implementing the Livable Frederick Master Plan, which the county adopted in 2019 to guide growth and development.
She said she plans to add a small business navigator to the county’s Office of Economic Development to guide small business owners looking to expand or locate in the county.
Hough said that, in his first 100 days, he would implement an immediate hiring freeze for county government employees as part of a larger effort to slow the rate of growth of the county’s budget.
The county’s budget for the fiscal year that began in July is 10% larger than last year’s. The budget grew 8% in 2021 and 4% in 2020.
He also said he would look at the county’s $20 million purchase of a 26-acre property along Himes Avenue, which includes a 209,000-square-foot facility currently used for COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
Frederick County officials have said the acquisition will help accelerate large projects, like relocating the county’s 911 call center and adding a library to the west side of the city.
It remains unclear whether a library will be constructed at the property. Frederick city officials have proposed three different sites for the library that they say will better serve residents.
Hough said that reevaluating how the county should use the space at Himes Avenue would be among his first moves as executive.
(56) comments
Jessica Fitzwater is my choice. She has always responded quickly to my questions and suggestions. I like her.
You’re reading my mind this today. You should be scared. I like her too. I think she’ll try to keep Jan’s successes going.
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Me too, Gary!
'Affordable housing' is an interesting subject, with a lot of factors to consider.
In particular, affordable homes/mortgages. The buyer(s) purchase a home for an amount well below its market value. At some point the house will be sold. Can the owners sell for market value and pocket the difference, or does it continue to be sold at a discount?
Who subsidizes the lower initial cost? The developer is usually given some sort of break -- they do not have to pay some impact fees or the county lets them off the hook for some other costs. In the end, the taxpayers foot the bill (at least that's my impression). I suppose if a development is large enough the reduction in the cost of the 'affordable' units could be spread over the remainder of the houses.
For rentals, we obviously cannot expect landlords to cover the reduction in rent. That will have to be paid by the citizens of FredCo.
I'm not 'against' affordable housing -- that would be similar to wanting to close food banks or something -- but I do wonder how practical it is to attempt to provide truly affordable housing for everyone who wants to live here and cannot afford the going housing costs. In many cases that amounts to residents compensating for wages that are lower than they should be.
Wouldn't it be better to institute a living wage that (by definition) would be high enough that people can at least afford a basic 1BR apartment? We'd all still pay to one extent or another, but it seems better than raising taxes and/or cutting gov't services
To support our friends crossing the southern border entitlements like SS and Medicare should be means tested and reduced to help those in greater need.
Why do you hate illegal immigrants who enter the US from places other than the southern border so much?
AOC, you don’t think if you pay into the system for at least 10 years, you shouldn’t receive the benefit?
Of course you know that they aren't eligible for these programs. Which makes you incendiary offering what it it is - a lie.
I disagree. Our friends from south of the border should get good wages and comfortable retirement benefits when we have a reasonable immigration and guest worker law. And we need that law NOW.
Absolutely!! Republibans like the Immigration System the way it is. They like the cheap labor for their constituents and have fought to keep it this way since the 1960’s. Every President since Clinton have tried to bring Comprehensive Immigration Reform to the Congress, even Trump, and the Radical Right has stopped it from happening.
Wonder why no one brought up the issue of Fitz being a self admitted racist and who really wants a racist running the County
There is no such thing as a self-admitted Racist in Frederick County. There are no Racists in Frederick County. Sheesh, is that all you non-Racists want to talk about. Like should the mail-in votes should be counted as they come in or wait to count them two days after the Election? That is a very complex subject.
Because they know it's nonsense and have the ability to process that.
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Gjthuro, maybe because it was a self-reflection🤔? Recognition of a bias. It seems, only racist are fixated with her comment. Are you one? Hiding something?
Check out the morning WFMD 93.0 AM radio. They run her admitting to her past bias every morning… as though she commuted the ultimate sin, by sharing the ‘great white secret’, admitting it. Guess what? It’s ain’t no secret 🤫.
Because it was taken out of context - most of us know that, except that the MAGA Republicans are up to their usual dirty tricks.
Perhaps because most ignore such comments.
She was being facetious jethro. I know that that’s a little too sophisticated for your little brain to comprehend. Look up the word. As far as a Racist running the Country, very poorly as we know, your guy fits the bill. Go back to your room, recess is over.
This reminds me of when Ba’Lane wanted to be mayor of frederick and how he was sending letters to the paper trying to tell us that he is a changed person LOL LOL LOL LOL
Both Fitzwater and Hough are right. We do need more affordable housing and it can be accomplished. Cutting taxes for builders is one way, but that does not guarantee lower prices. How do you make sure builders pass on this saving to customers? I really don't know because it amounts to price setting and that has never been successful. Hough just wants to cut taxes, which can help in the short run, but how do you build new schools, how do you raise teacher's salaries, how do you pay for normal inflation? Hough is just a crack pot Trump Republican trying to pretend he is not. I will never vote for him!
Cutting taxes doesn't help lower prices or much of anything else. We've all learned what tax giveaways do, they enrich the already wealthy....TRICKLE UP EFFECT....opposite of what they call Trickle Down baloney.
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Where's Hough's MAGA hat?
Good question, Richard. Maybe he sat on it or perhaps he is too embarrased to wear it and let everyone know that he works for Mooney and supports Trump.
Tax cuts to create more Jobs? What a B.S. statement that is. We already have more jobs than we can fill. At the same time if Fitzwater really wants housing to be affordable she would do away with that idiot idea of making landloards pay a fee to register their rental units. That will only be passed on to the renters, making certain she instead raises all rents. How affordable is that Jessica?
How would the county executive "do away" with a city policy?
Yes and if you were looking that is just what we got in the Trump years until the china coved came to America
More affordable housing is not needed, we need folks to get back to work and stop thinking the government via the tax payers are always going to provide a handout - we had too much of that over the last two years with Covid relief and now we have high inflation with a recession hitting our economy and we have someone who wants us to spend for affordable housing... and yes cut the taxes because every time there has been a tax cut - tax revenues have increased due to folks investing money into business which means more jobs.
People ARE working. Unemployment is at record lows. Pay is slowly increasing but still too low to afford housing for many. I agree that we should not send hurricane relief funding for red states since they should stop thinking that the government via the tax payers are always going to provide a handout.
...and of course it's a radical right state now being inundated where insurance regulations are weak and multiple companies literally canceled policies on people as the storm was approaching. Legal in FL of course, because RRR runs the place and protects companies over people...always.
Greg -- Florida insurance companies don't need no stinkin' regulations. Regulations are for snowflakes and losers: [cool]
"Flaws in laws and regulations allowed insurers to be overrun by claims or operate with little financial responsibility and oversight. These issues have created problems in the market that have shepherded many insurers toward closure or left them on precarious financial footing."
"A dozen insurance companies operating in Florida have gone out of business since January 2020. Six were deemed insolvent this year. Most recently, a court found that FedNat Insurance Co. would need to be liquidated because of ongoing financial troubles, leaving 56,000 policies canceled."
"Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter said her office remains inundated by calls from policyholders who were dropped by their insurance companies or individuals who face significant rate increases or limited capacity in the market."
"Carter said she is particularly concerned about those who have recently lost coverage because finding a new policy ahead of a hurricane could prove to be nearly impossible."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hurricane-ian-reignites-panic-floridas-strapped-insurance-market-rcna49687
You might add while those southern Republican states refuse to pay their fair share of taxes. And look at W. Virginia, where there taxes are low and costs compared to income is high. That is where Hough is campaign chairman for Mooney!
wages cannot keep up with the rate of inflation nor the recession costs that are now here because of Biden Administration... yes people are working but we are still way short on bus drivers, and other school support staff... it is time for folks to look at their monthly budget and adjust them and be realistic too... do away with their cable packages, eating out a lot, buying new cars and phones and taking vacations - tired of hearing how they are entitled... live within your means like most of us had to do and you can afford housing... and yes it is not easy but it is doable!
Wages are rising because they finally are catching up with reality that has been a stifled minimum wage for decade after decade. Get real.
"wages cannot keep up with the rate of inflation nor the recession costs that are now here because of Biden Administration... "
How so? Do you mean because of the $1 trillion in expenses to prop up the economy, meanwhile the previous administration spent $3,16 trillion for the same? Since inflation is a lagging characteristic, wouldn't ALL of the previous spending do the same thing? Therefore, isn't it correct to say "because of this and the previous administration"?
Further, since inflation is now a worldwide crisis, does the US have an outsized influence on the economies of countries around the world? Seems like we are all in the same boat.
https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/consumer-prices-oecd-updated-5-july-2022.htm
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/15/in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world-inflation-is-high-and-getting-higher/
Boomer still seems unaware of life and economics outside of US. Maybe not even outside of Maryland. Hint, there is inflation worldwide; it has nothing to do with Biden.
BoomBoom!
Great comments, Gramps
Tuition, housing, phones, food, all cheaper when you were young.
Getting a job without a degree, easy.
Not needing a car to commute for a job, easy.
Able to save and earn large amounts of interest, easier.
Less expenditures were needed for daily living, easy.
Foreign investors weren’t manipulating the real estate markets, easy.
On and on.
You forgot to mention Lattes and Avocado Toast, the oldster’s
favorite myth why young people are struggling to get ahead.
I have a lot of empathy for the 20 somethings who are struggling with college debt, skyrocketing real estate prices, stagnant salaries and lack of opportunities.
It’s tough, far tougher than when I was their age.
Boomer, there are a whole bunch of people down at the Border who would love to be trained as school bus drivers….and long haul truck drivers….and farm workers….and factory workers….and the 6 million jobs going begging right now. We had our fence power washed and stained a while back and when he finished I went out to compliment the guy on the meticulous job he did. He said “well you got the ‘A’ team, I own the Company”. Can’t get workers. He hires them, they work for a couple days and quit. Too hard of work. He won’t hire illegal aliens, he said he could but his values won’t let him. So his business is struggling.
Really Boomer - take a look at the housing prices out there. Working a 50-60 grand job won't cut it. You are truly a Boomer and think house prices are at the 1950's level.
As usual Hough is blathering about things he is uniformed about. For example he suggesting cutting the recordation tax to make housing more affordable is complete nonsense. The recordation tax is 1.4%. Well, houses have increased 30% in last 5 years. Assuming he would cut recordation by 0.4%, that would make a change of 29.5% in house prices. 30% vs 29.5% is essentially no change. Hough is an ignorant blatherer.
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Hough is just like Blaine Young. He will let developers run the county paving over more and more farmland, he will not fund education or build schools or roads, he will treat county employees terribly, he will mismanage the county and lose the AAA bond rating, take money from AG preservation and make a big mess. Didn't we learn our lesson the last time.
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Hough, doing anything for affordable housing is a joke. Of course he will also state that anything a dem does will make denser population as that benefits his ideals to keep the mass development and house farming paving over every blade of grass. Using the land we have more effectively, thus, denser housing, is actually a good thing. Derrr...build up, not out. What do you do when you want to preserve land and not drive new roads through pristine areas? You build up vs out. Cost per square foot goes down at the same time. Hough just lies his rear off like his favorite orange dictator wannabe.
The county is largely fiscally solvent due to good management and lucky. A lot of federal money has helped that. Cutting taxes without factoring that scenario is a predictable campaign promise without doing the math. Nice dog whistle on affordable housing, as well. If we don't want to set up employment barracks for our large service industry folks, they will leave. Or our seniors. This isn't a hard choice, if Fitzwater overreaches, she has the Counsel and the voters to answer to. No one needs a retread who won't speak clearly about very important issues of the day, such as Jan. 6th or his current inability to speak cogently on state politics. Disingenous to the extreme. I wish Steve McKay ran, that would be a real choice. Right now, it's not, unless you fall on extreme partisan political lines.
You mean extreme political lines like you keep harping on? You bring up speaking on state politics, but I don't see Fitzwater saying anything about state politics, but you don't call her out on it. Finally you go to the catch all (dog whistle, to use your own words) of Jan 6. Yeah, definitely extremely partisan politics.
That dog whistle is a loud one on affordable housing. It just screams out that he's like his other favorite liar that will say anything to find a vote. Hough is in the pocket of developers and doesn't give a rat's patoot about anything being affordable to anyone.
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Aslan; do try to keep in mind that Hough is still currently a State Senator. Therefore he SHOULD be able to speak cogently about state politics.
Who cares, let Asian participate with the rest of us in creating how’s demise
Asian, I'd love to vote for a thoughtful, fiscally conservative Republican who eschews the modern brand of Republicanism that Trump owns. Sorry you just can't own what you bought.
[scared] In the background of the wickedest hurricane ever experienced in Florida, neither candidate spoke to climate change? This is frightening! While I don't see the need for housing development, or hiring freeze, I do see a great need to prepare for further climate preparation, lowering pollution, and public transit and making sure all buildings are up to code. Maryland is a sponge of rivers and streams and could easily experience a disaster way over our preparation level.
Fitzwater "...knows how government works..." Thats all she gives a qualifications. She looks bored with the whole debate thing. Thinks it should be a coronation, not an election. Sorry Ms. Fitzwater, you're not the next Jan Gardener like you are desperately trying to sell the voters
And you would vote for someone that supports a known crook, Trump?
And Mike knows how to cheat and abuse the system- he learned from Moody how to cheat as his chief of staff. Oh wait, he had no idea - hope your next don’t believe that.
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