Wednesday, 17 November 2010 16:17

Current commissioner Michael Zimmer might be set to run again, according to recent fundrasing events listed on his Web site.

If he does run, it will likely be for commissioner of District 5, where he lives. The majority of District 5 is filled by Eldersburg, making the decision as to who will represent it an important one for community residents. Thus far there is only one person officially running for the seat, Doug Howard, most known as be the director of the Carroll Area Transit System. Both are Eldersburg residents.

Zimmer's stance

According to Zimmer’s election Web site, his main issues of focus are:

- Taxes and budgets
- Education
- Roads
- Economic development
- Public safety
- Residential growth and agricultural preservation
- Recreation

Below are excerpts from his Web site showing his stance on the above issues:

Taxes and budgets	"I do not support a transfer tax. I oppose tax increases and new taxes. I support lowering the caps on assessments." "I will solicit financial and volunteer support from citizens and the private sector for the critical areas of education and recreation. In other words, I will seek voluntary forms of contributions rather involuntary tax hikes."
Education	"Our chief challenges in education revolve around teacher retention and recruitment and keeping up with infrastructure needs. Certainly a strong budgetary commitment to education is a top priority."
Roads	"We need to do more to secure state funding of our road needs. Strengthening the relationships and improving communication of priorities between the Commissioners and our County Delegation should enhance our ability to secure greater funding."
Economic development	"Our current inventory of property places an unfortunate burden on residential real estate taxes." "Our lack of balance in land use has existed for many years." "Sometimes something as simple as a perceived attitude can cause a business to select one county over another . . . I will make sure business owners know that Carroll County welcomes their investments and jobs in our community."
Public safety	"Clearly our budgets need to reflect our priority to public safety. However, spending alone is not a measure of leadership. For example, alternatives to local incarceration in the detention center need to be utilized."
Residential growth and agricultural preservation	"In many ways our infrastructure has failed to keep up with growth. Our roads and school infrastructure are very stressed. Our farmers feel under-appreciated and are under tremendous financial pressure . . ." "I will ensure the zoning officials do not harass legitimate agri-business uses."
Recreation	"Our recreational facilities are stretched very thinly. As with education spending, I will develop alternative funding sources to build needed facilities."

Zimmer’s previous voting record

Below are some of the votes Zimmer has placed on issues affecting Carroll County:

June 12, 2007	Voted against a new runway at the Carroll County Regional Airport Read more (Carroll County Times)
October 4, 2007	Voted in favor of a County police force Read more (Gazette.net)
April 17, 2008	Voted in favor of waste sharing with Frederick County Read more (Carroll County Times)
July 3, 2009	Voted to move forward with county incinerator project Read more (Carroll County Times)
October 6, 2009	Voted against receiving Federal grant money for ‘green’ initiatives in the county October 6, 2009 Read more (Carroll County Times)
October 29, 2009	Voted against using Delta Airport Consultants for engineering of new county runway Read more (Carroll County Times)

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