Prince George's County Election District 1 2018 Voters Guide
November 6, 2018
(In summary)
The Prince George’s County Election District 1 2018 voters guide includes campaign emails, social media, and websites of each Prince George’s County Election District 1 candidate for County Executive, County Council, State’s Attorney, Sheriff, Judges, and Board of Education.
Should voters need additional information about their preferred candidate’s profile. An active social media is a good representation of how connected the candidate would be if elected. Vote in Maryland’s General election with ease with kBoulevard’s candidate guide for the Prince George’s County Election District 1 2018.
The Prince George’s County Election was on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Top issues for this election include accountability, COVID responses, and teacher salaries. Check out kBoulevard’s Prince George’s County Election District 1 2018 voters guide.
Learn more about the Prince George’s County Election District 1 2018 and where to vote, visit Maryland Board of Elections.
What is the Prince George's County Legislative Priorities?
What PG County is doing:
Economy
Focus on transit-oriented development and redevelopment
- Expanding commercial development
- Funding infrastructure improvements for potential FBI headquarters
Education
Securing funding from the state for improving school system and facilities
- Targeting areas of schools that need construction and repair
- Improving student achievement and vocation education
- Increasing the education budget by 5%
- Budget consist of 62% of all General Fund spending
- Reducing class size for K-2 grades
- Significant investment in school construction projects (incl: new Fairmount Heights H.S.)
- 4% funding increase for the Community College
- 3% budget increase for the Memorial Library System
Healthcare
Securing state fund for the new Regional Medical Center
- Funding Dimensions Health System (resources for debt service payments/refunded debt)
- Dept of Social Service received funding for nine additional TNI Schools
- Implement a comprehensive health care network
- Walkable communities and recreational centers
Transportation
Focus on transit-oriented development
- Protect the state funding the county receives for mass transit
- Road and pedestrian safety projects
- Enhancing multi-jurisdictional corridors
Pubic Safety
Providing equitable funding and resources for public safety departments
Safeguard funding such as the ‘Disparity Grant’
Prince George's County Election District 1 2018 Candidates
County Executive
Angela Alsobrooks (D)
- Procurement support
- Boost an advisory council comprised of county business
- Aggressively pursue quality retail and high-quality amenities
- Seek more in state funding
- Investing in pre-k readiness
- Renovate educational facilities
Strengthening the environmental initiatives
Jerry Mathis (R)
(Withdrew 8/24/18)
Prince George's County Election At-Large Candidates for County Council
Felicia Folarin (R)
- Endorse more aggressive fiscal responsibility efforts to free up funds to better support education and infrastructure initiatives
- Work with local governments to create an incentive program for small to medium-sized business designed to increase local jobs and business revenue
- Support effective revitalization initiatives designed to invest in lower income communities through the support of local businesses and additional government funding
- Supports the repeal and restructure of HB1107
- Embrace and support an effective teacher incentive program designed to attract and retain highly qualified teachers
- Endorse education programs, such as STEM and Green Stride, to encourage and empower young women and other minorities to pursue careers in areas of science, technology, engineering, and energy sustainability
- Increase minority-owned business opportunities & growth
- Support state government officials’ efforts to push harder on the federal government to support local business through greater tax incentives
- Partner with local faith-based and community organizations to create valuable youth mentorship programs designed to raise self-sufficient and empowered community adult members
Mel Franklin (D)
- Endorse a tax incentive for the expansion of Brandywine Crossing Shopping Center
- Supported the ‘Economic Development Incentive Fund’ leveraging loans to spur private
- Enacted the ‘Jobs First Act’ requiring county revenue in county contracts go to county-based
- Reformed and expanded summer youth jobs program
- Approved funding for new construction and renovation of Accokeek Academy, Clinton Grove Elementary, and
- Stephen Dacatur schools
- Awarded $10,000 to expand agri-business in District 9’s rural tier
- Approved policies that will ensure long-term preservation the rural tier
- Established legislation to guarantee the “right to farm” in the rural tier
Calvin Hawkins (D)
- Supports grant initiative s to help small and family-owned businesses
- Supports public funding assistance for economic development projects that help grow our tax base
- Curtail industrial zoning that is negatively impacting communities and infrastructure throughout the county
- Increase funds for teacher salaries and enrichment programs
- Supports legislation funding for additional resources for high school seniors
- Investigate and correcting the disparity of pay for public school employees, particularly for the supporting service employees
- Develop legislation to address the eviction crisis
- Proposes blocking internet auction sales until everything has been recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Court
- Supports accessory apartments, adding people to neighborhoods without drastic changes in looks and parking
Prince George's County Election District 1 Candidates for County Council
These candidates are running unopposed in the general election.
District 1
Tom Dernoga (D)
- Prioritize education funding for classrooms, reducing administration cost
- Prioritize school building renovation and repairs
- Will not accept use of a county vehicle
- Advocate for government transparency
- Advocate reducing the salary and other perks for county council members, incl: personal use of county vehicles
- Develop metro stations
- Repave neighborhood streets and sidewalks
- Ensure developers pay their fair share of infrastructure cost
Prince George's County Election Candidates for State's Attorney
Aisha Braveboy (D)
- Seeks maximum penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence and child abuse
- Seek resources for victims such as transitional housing, job training, and counseling
- Improve pay, working conditions, and job satisfaction among line prosecutors and investigators
Bruce Johnson Jr. (I)
- Implement a youth apprentice program that will help reduce mass incarceration and youth unemployment
- Ensure offenders are held accountable and victims get justice
- Advocates a higher level of professionalism and proficiency to the State’s Attorney office
*is a Write In Candidate
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Mahasin El Amin (D)
- Promotes confidence in the Clerk’s office by ensuring the public an rely on the Clerk to timely process and maintain accurate court records
- Experience using MDEC over two years (Maryland Electronic Filling Case Management System)
- Assure the Clerk’s office offers topnotch customer service to every person that interacts with the office
Register of Wills
Cereta A. Lee (D)
- Ensure residents have an easy experience when dealing with the Register of Wills’ office
- Implemented credit-card payments and conduct office matters online
- Educating county residents of the importance of having a will
County Sheriff
Melvin C. High (D)
- Enhanced courthouse security with additional manpower, improved technology, and a more highly-trained K-9 unit
- Developed a warrant strategy that focused on taking violent offenders off county streets, reducing the backlog by 31%
- Strengthen the agency by hiring more deputies and civilian personnel, and has invested in the best training protocols in law enforcement
Judges – Orphans’ Court
(Vote for 3)
Wendy Cartwright (D)
- Promotes efficiency
- Most experienced judge, “which results in our citizens getting competent, caring service”
- Advocates for meditation services in estate cases involving division of tangible property
*note this profile dates back to 2006
Athena Groves (D)
- Encourage people to prepare their wills
- To continue to educate the public on the purpose and function of the Orphans’ Court
- To be actively involved in the organizations that exist to make our courts better and more effective for the citizens
*note this profile is dated to 2010
Vicky Ivory-Orem (D)
- Increasing for interpreter services
- Recruit and retain qualified personnel
- Providing information in different languages
Referendums and Initiatives
Question 1
Constitution Amendment
(Ch. 357 of the 2018 Legislative Session)
Requiring Commercial Gaming Revenues that are for Public Education to Supplement Spending for Education in Public Schools
For
Against
- Increases voter turnout
- Remedies inaccurate voter rolls
- Eliminates arbitrary deadlines that cut off registration when voters are most interested
- Assists geographically mobile, lower-income citizens, young voters and voters of color
- Maryland and DC already have same day registration
(Maryland only applies for early voting.)
Question 2
Constitutional Amendment
(Ch. 855 of the 2018 Legislative Session)
Same-Day Registration and Voting at the Precinct Polling Place on Election Day
For
Against
- There’s already legislation in place to tie casino revenue to education; however, funds were redirected toward other budgets.
- This referendum creates a ‘lockbox’ allocating casino revenue to education by law.
The Washington Informer – Cover Story on Casino Ballot Question F
Charter Referendum
(CB-30-2018)
Public Works and Transportation Facilities Bonds
$148,287,000
For
Against
Charter Referendum
(CB-31-2018)
Library Facilities Bonds
$16,796,000
For
Against
Charter Referendum
(CB-32-2018)
Public Safety Facilities Bonds
$56,053,000
For
Against
Charter Referendum
(CB-33-2018)
County Buildings Bonds
$97,564,000
For
Against
Charter Referendum
(CB-34-2018)
Community College Facilities Bonds
$81,187,000
For
Against
Combined Charter Referendum (Questions A – E): $399,887,000
PG County gov’t has a debt limit of 6% of the County’s assessable base of real property* ($87.5 billion as of July 2017)
PG County outstanding bonded debt: $1.3 billion, that is an 7.5% decrease from the previous year
The interest on long-term debt accounts for 2% of the County’s expense budget
Bonds are typically held by private citizens, businesses, and other governments
Government bonds allow the government to borrow money, usually for CIP (roads, public works, facilities, etc.…)
*plus 15% County assessable base of personal property (4.1 billion as of July 2017)
Question F
Charter Amendment
(CB-35-2018)(DR-2)
Council Member Residency Requirement
For
Against
This charter amendment expressly adds that the nine districts are “compact, contiguous, and equal in population”
It’s common for representative offices to have residency requirements.
Question G
Charter Amendment
(CB-36-2018)
Nondiscrimination – County Personnel and Contracting
For
Against
This amendment addresses the language in the County Charter:
To include “marital and familial status” to ensure nondiscrimination regardless of status/dependents
change [physical or mental handicap] to “disability” which is consistent with modern terminology
Question H
Charter Amendment
(CB-38-2018)
County Council Member Full-Time Position
For
Against
This charter amendment’s purpose is classify that membership on the Council be considered a full-time position for the purpose of determining compensation.
There is no actual clarification in the charter
compensation is based on the ‘Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and 2/3 votes from the council members themselves
Question I
Charter Amendment
(CB-39-2018)
County Auditor – Appointment, Responsibilities and Authority
For
Against
This charter amendment proposes:
County Auditors be appointed to 5yr terms, and subject to renewal and can be removed for cause
Not all government agencies will receive a complete financial audit for the proceeding fiscal year
County Auditor be empowered to conduct investigations into fraud, waste, and abuse
Question J
Charter Amendment
(CB-40-2018)
County Personnel – Temporary Appointment
For
Against
This amendment proposes that temporary administrative appointments (head of any agency) be limited to no more than year
Question K
Charter Amendment
(CB-41-2018)
Charter Review Commission – Length of Term
For
Against
This charter amendment proposes a set length of term for the charter review:
An appointment is made no later than one year prior to the beginning of each fourth year of a term
The Charter Review Commission will commence its work at the discretion of the Chair of the Commission
made up of highly qualified personal representing both public and private. The Commission reviews the County charter, scope of reviews are varied.
The commissions review for 2017-18 focused on:
- Individual rights
- Anti-discrimination laws
- Gov’t Conduct Investigations
- Charter reflecting gender neutral language
County Quality Profile
Here we provide a sample of regional statistics that correlate directly with offices up for election.
.83%
Employment growth rate
(2015-2016)
4th in taxes paid to MD
4th largest tax base in MD
4th in funding received from MD
9.1%
Poverty Rate
6.2% decrease in PG County
$79,184
Median household income, 3.1% increase
Candidates for County Council At-Large on the economy
- Procurement support
- Boost an advisory council comprised of county business
- Aggressively pursue quality retail and high-quality amenities
- Redevelop area surrounding the 15 metro stations in the county
- Compete for federal government offices relative it’s regional peers
- A proactive county-wide outreach to residents about workforce training
- Community focused investment – “far too many outdated and rundown commercial centers”
- Support effective revitalization initiatives designed to invest in lower income communities through the support of local businesses and additional government funding
- Support state government officials an efforts to push harder on the federal government to support local business through greater tax incentives
- Endorse more aggressive fiscal responsibility efforts to free up funds to better support education and infrastructure initiatives
- Work with local governments to create an incentive program for small to medium-sized business designed to increase local jobs and business revenue
- Increase minority-owned business opportunities & growth
- Increase support for business development organizations designed to help aspiring business owners get the education, advice, and tools for achieving and maintaining successful business ownership
- Partner with local faith-based and community organizations to create valuable youth mentorship programs designed to raise self-sufficient and empowered community adult members
- Endorse a tax incentive for the expansion of Brandywine Crossing Shopping Center
- Supported the ‘Economic Development Incentive Fund’ leveraging loans to spur private
- Enacted the ‘Jobs First Act’ requiring county revenue in county contracts go to county-based
- Established a jobs stimulus tax incentive for development at the Branch Ave Metro station
- Established a new local business loan program solely for locally owned and operated business
- Established a quicker and reliable planning and development review process regarding
- development around metro stations
$3,116,934,200
PG County Expenditure (2017)
61.7%
Education
(53.5% statewide average)
20.7%
Public Safety
8.7%
Debts, Pensions Funds, County Salaries
2.2%
Non-Departmental
Funding for gov’t offices
.9%
Health and Human Services
.7%
Infrastructure & Development
Candidates for District 1 on govt' accountability
- Established a county website that allows county residents to track who is receiving county dollars
- Has held dozens of District 9 community advisory meetings to obtain feedback directly from county residents
- Proper analysis on community impact for projects
- Address citizens about economic development and their issues prior to any major votes
- Convene quarterly meetings with the County Pan-Hellenic Council, discuss social issue impact
- Will not accept use of a county vehicle
- Advocate for government transparency
- Advocate reducing the salary and other perks for county council members, incl: personal use of county vehicles
15th
Ranked for education spending in the state
23rd
County public schools rank in MD
(out of 24)
961
Avg SAT score for county grads
(state avg 1046)
Candidate for District 1 on education:
- Seek more in state funding
- Investing in pre-k readiness
- Renovate educational facilities
- Examine the idea of K-8 schools
- Re-evaluate school faculty regulations
- Enhance bus transportation operations
- Promote vocational education and programs
- Reduce bureaucracy and cut down on management
- Enhance county support for non-profits that guide students
- Partnerships with higher education institutions like UMD or PGCC
- Supports the repeal and restructure of HB1107
- Embrace and support an effective teacher incentive program designed to attract and retain highly qualified teachers
- Endorse education programs, such as STEM and Green Stride, to encourage and empower young women and other minorities to pursue careers in areas of science, technology, engineering, and energy sustainability
- Reformed and expanded summer youth jobs program
- Approved funding for new construction and renovation of Accokeek Academy, Clinton Grove Elementary, and
- Stephen Dacatur schools
$284,800
Housing average assessed value
4.6% increase
60.3%
Home ownership
.9% decline
$3,000
Avg County property taxes
60% households pay, 33% increase from 2015
$1,555
Avg rent in PG County
One bedroom, 16% increase
Candidates for District 1 on affordable housing:
- Proposes blocking internet auction sales until everything has been recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Court
- Develop legislation to address the eviction crisis
- Supports accessory apartments, adding people to neighborhoods without drastic changes in looks and parking
Crime Statistics
(2014-16)
↓ 15%
Violent crime total
↓ 22%
Overall crime total per 100,000
↓ 22%
Property crime total
- Homicide: 67 – 42% increase
- Forced Rape: 248 – 31% increase
- Robbery: 1,362 – 7% decrease
- Aggravated Assault: 1,588 – 6% increase
- Burglary: 2,789 – 31% decrease
- Larceny: 10,757 – 17% decrease
- Motor Theft: 2,856 – 24% decrease
Candidates for District 1 on public safety:
Repave neighborhood streets and sidewalks
- Seeks maximum penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence and child abuse
- Seek resources for victims such as transitional housing, job training, and counseling
- Improve pay, working conditions, and job satisfaction among line prosecutors and investigators
- Seeks to address root causes of some criminal activity, supports diversion programs, that offer substance abuse and mental health treatment
- Create an elder abuse unit to prosecute criminal acts involving a victim who is 64 years of age or older (abuse, assault, financial exploitation)
- Combat human trafficking, engaging with community by conducting informational sessions at schools, churches, and neighborhood meetings
- Advocates the use of date to improve efficiency and operation of the State’s Attorney office, enhancing abilities to address crime trends and known criminals
- Proposes a ‘gun court’ specialized in gun-related charges against criminal defendants,
- providing expedited adjudications, protecting community by taking violent gun offenders off
- Enhanced courthouse security with additional manpower, improved technology, and a more highly-trained K-9 unit
- Developed a warrant strategy that focused on taking violent offenders off county streets, reducing the backlog by 31%
- Strengthen the agency by hiring more deputies and civilian personnel, and has invested in the best training protocols in law enforcement
- Has made domestic violence a priority and hired permanent ‘Special Victims Assistants’ to help victims access the courts and the services they need to become survivors
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Official Government Resources:
Prince George’s County 2018 General Election Ballot (This link is a 420-page pdf)
Sources:
Prince George’s County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2016-17
Prince George’s County 2017 Strategic and Fiscal Policies
Prince George’s County Budget Overview FY 2016-2017
Prince George’s County Brief Economic Facts
Prince George’s County Board of Education Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2017
Maryland Office of the Comptroller – Maryland by the Numbers
Maryland Public Schools 2015-16 Financial Data – Expenditures
Maryland Association of Counties – 2018 School Funding Per Student County-by-County
Maryland Crime Control & Prevention – Crime Data (Present)