Q&A: Candidates for the May 11 New Market Town Council election | Politics & government

The News-Post reached out to the remaining town council candidates running for office. Mayor Winslow Burhans III is running for re-election unchallenged.

Voting will be held at Grange Hall at 14 S. Alley, New Market, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 11.

Why are you running for town council?

I would like to be part of New Market’s growth and help in fulfilling the town’s goals and mission by helping our community grow in a responsible way.

What skills/experience would you bring to the position? Have you held elected office before?

I am a real estate attorney and small business owner. I have a thorough understanding of state and local law and the process which must be followed. As a small business owner, I am well versed in many aspects that can affect a town. I can balance a budget and prioritize projects while keeping an eye on growth. While I have never held elected office before I have been a member of several HOA boards, and several nonprofit boards.

What would you say is the biggest challenge/issue facing the town right now, and how would you address it?

New Market is a small town with an exceptional past in a community that is rapidly expanding. Growing the town to suit the needs of the surrounding area while not losing its charm and eloquence is a difficult task that I would love to be a part of. I plan on working with the mayor and other council members to come up with a plan that supports the towns goals while meeting the needs of the community around us.

What organizations or activities are you involved in and around New Market?

I have been involved in LOUYAA, Four County Little League and Linganore Youth Football.

Why are you running for town council?

I would like to continue bringing new businesses into town, working on traffic safety, and finishing road/alley infrastructure.

What skills/experience would you bring to the position? Have you held elected office before? 

I bring 14 years as a town councilman. Prior to being councilman for our beautiful town, I was on planning & zoning and a citizen workgroup for Streetscape.

What would you say is the biggest challenge/issue facing the town right now, and how would you address it? 

Traffic volume and safety. I would address it by urging our Frederick County leadership to honor their agreement and support the New Market bypass.

What organizations or activities are you involved in and around New Market?

Good neighbor program, Linganore field hockey team photographer, and board member for the Linganore-New Market Community Show.

Why are you running for town council? 

I’m running for town council because serving is my lifelong passion, from serving as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy, business development lead for Lockheed Martin, energy program manager for Montgomery County Government and, most importantly, serving as a loving husband and father of three. Serving [on the] Town of New Market Council is a natural extension of who I am.

My leadership style is grounded in asking questions, listening and learning to uncover opportunities to serve others. For example, the Frederick County Public Schools’ response to COVID-19 was extremely challenging for many — parents and students in particular. I asked questions, listened to challenges, and uncovered an opportunity to serve. I retrofitted our garage into a caring learning environment led by two fantastic educators: Mrs. Kim Ragan and Mrs. Heather Gielser. We even made the cover of the Sept. 11, 2020 Frederick News-Post.

What skills/experience would you bring to the position? Have you held elected office before?

I’m skilled and experienced in project management, budget management, grant management and contract development and negotiations and local government. Examples include managing million-dollar projects, $25 million dollar budgets and collecting over $10 million in grants and incentives.

My skills and experience will serve the Town of New Market community well. I have the honor of being nominated by the Town of New Market “Green Team” and inheriting Councilman Jake Romanell’s walking trail project. I sincerely thank Jake for this opportunity and look forward to working with town constituents of all ages and backgrounds in developing a safe walking trail. The walking trail will connect LOUYAA Field, Royal Oak, both New Market Middle and Elementary schools, Old Town New Market, Brinkley Manor and The Orchard communities.

What would you say is the biggest challenge/issue facing the town right now, and how would you address it? 

The biggest challenge facing the town right now is complacency. I’ll address complacency through a town-wide safe walkway project. Town residents will work together as a community to address complacency and to better all of us and the town.

The safe walking path will benefit town residents, and future residents, in many ways: social — bring town people together, safety — reduce town traffic, health — encourage a healthy lifestyle.

I ask town residents for three things:

• Vote with your dollar. Purchase goods and services from town businesses whenever possible.

• Assistance with safe walking path in and around the town, text me at 410-382-9494.

Our town residents can accomplish anything by simply working together.

What organizations or activities are you involved in and around New Market? 

Nominated by mayor and town council as safe walkway project manager, president of New Market Middle School PTA — which supports town businesses whenever possible, retrofitted garage into learning pod for parents and kids, hosted “Meet the Mayor” event in April, assists wife’s local small business hair salon, Hair By Alison.

Why are you running for town council?

I am running because I believe in the heart and soul of the Town of New Market, I believe in the town’s potential and future, and I especially believe in what the town beholds. The Main Street New Market business district has the opportunity to be an attraction to both locals and out-of-towners, giving our community the opportunity to promote our small businesses, and focus on the multitude of options for future commerce.

What skills/experience would you bring to this position? 

I have a passion to serve the neighborhoods and citizens around me, and a true commitment to making my community a better place to live. I am a firefighter/EMT in Frederick County, which affords me the opportunity to serve our people closely. My job highlights my attention to detail and my fast response time to issues at hand. I believe myself to be an ideal candidate for this position because my specific skill set is a natural match for this thriving community.

What would you say is the biggest challenge/issue facing the town right now, and how would you address it? 

Our biggest challenge is our biggest opportunity right now, and an exciting one: building Main Street into a thriving tourist destination again. I have a deep appreciation for the history of our town, with the antique boom, and the imprint New Market has made on Maryland. I think that holding onto the historic past and at the same time embracing the future is the perfect way to make our small town succeed. I firmly believe that New Market can be a thriving destination again with the support of Frederick County and the local government. By promoting small businesses and opening the zoning requirements for new residents to open future business, we will all succeed and win together.

What organization or activities are you involved in and around New Market?

I have been involved in our New Market community since my family and I moved here. My wife and I remain active with the seasonal farmer’s markets, supporting the events committee every Christmas by decorating the light posts, and I help out with our local church, Hope Methodist. I am always looking for more ways to be involved and help make a difference within NewMarket.

Editor’s note: Dennis Kimble did not respond to the emailed questionnaire.