Issues and Values Important to Cecil County
The platform of any political campaign should be based on the candidate's values. While it's true that we vote for those with similar political philosophies, leadership goes much deeper than that.
Transcending politics, we want our leaders to share our values.
Values that reflect who we are, how we treat others, our love for God and country, the safety of our families, and the determination to live our lives according to our own beliefs and constitutional rights.
These values bind us together as a community and form my platform. These are Cecil County values.
FAMILY
There is no stronger social structure than family. My wife, Amy, and I were fortunate to have been raised in strong families led by parents who feared God and loved our country. They instilled in both of us the values that define who we are. Love God, love your neighbor, be kind and honest, have integrity, and stand for your beliefs.
As we went on to have our own family, these values are what we cherish and live by. There is no greater testament to my values than my family, and my administration will work hard to ensure that Cecil County is a safe and nurturing community to raise a family.
PUBLIC SAFETY
It is a basic Conservative principle that Public Safety is essential to a free and ordered society. Yet, the current administration presided over the largest mass exodus of public safety professionals Cecil County has ever experienced. This avoidable loss of institutional knowledge has made our communities less safe.
In our small county, which sees about 250 drug overdoses yearly, an average of 4 of your fellow citizens will die each month from a drug overdose. Drugs, the fuel for crime in Cecil County, are pouring in from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the unsecured southern border, bringing crime, chaos, and fear to our communities.
Yet our sheriff's office, detention center, dispatchers, and EMS have been severely understaffed during the last three years while doing their best to protect our county. Because of the shortsightedness of the current administration, there are only four deputies assigned to the School Resources Unit to cover 25 schools, whereas Harford County has a deputy in every school to protect its students.
Our volunteer firefighters are some of the bravest and most dedicated souls in our communities, yet they are in dire need of updated equipment and apparatus.
Our public safety professionals are second to none and do not deserve to be treated as election-year afterthoughts.
As a 25-year Cecil County law enforcement officer and a lifelong Republican, my values reflect the Conservative principle that the government's top priority is the protection of its citizens and ensuring that our children receive a quality education in a safe and secure environment. As County Executive, I will bring a unique experience in understanding public safety and what it takes to achieve it.
SUPPORTING our LOCAL BUSINESSES
As small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, we should treat them as such and work to eliminate or at least reduce unnecessary and burdensome fees and regulations that impede their growth. I value the hard work, ingenuity, and risk involved in entrepreneurship, and my administration will have their backs.
Local businesses sponsor our kids' sports teams, donate to local charities, and hire our friends, family, and neighbors. They reflect Cecil County's values.
Local businesses need county government to be an ally, not a hindrance, and I will work to help them grow and create good-paying jobs in Cecil County.
EDUCATION
As a conservative Republican, I value having a public school system that provides quality and transparent education to our children. As a fellow parent, I know investing in public education is vital to training a diverse workforce to thrive in our growing economy. As a law enforcement officer, I recognize that a good educational system promotes and strengthens families and communities and improves overall public safety. Yet Cecil County ranks as the lowest-funded school system in Maryland. This irresponsible underfunding of our schools by the Hornberger Administration, and the pettiness with which it is done, jeopardizes the future of our kids and their education. While no department should be given a blank check, this approach is lazy, short-sighted, and unsustainable. It undermines our economic growth, weakens families, and is detrimental to our county's future. As County Executive, I will work with the school system in using proper funding to galvanize sorely needed improvements.
AGRICULTURE and PROTECTING OUR RURAL HERITAGE
As a Conservative and conservationist, I believe that supporting Cecil County agriculture is vital to preserving our rural character and promoting economic growth within the community. Agriculture has been a fundamental part of our county's history, allowing citizens access to locally produced foods. Purchasing and consuming local produce not only supports our farmers but also reduces the negative impact of transportation and promotes a healthy lifestyle. By protecting and supporting Cecil County's agriculture industry, we also uphold our values of self-reliance and independence.
Furthermore, protecting our waterways is essential to maintaining the ecological balance within our community. Conservative values prioritize the importance of environmental conservation and responsible resource management. We recognize that our natural resources are limited and fragile, and strategies and policies must be put into place to ensure their preservation. Our farms are critical in this conservation effort, as agriculture heavily depends on clean water and sustainable land practices. Providing adequate resources for our farmers to implement these practices protects our waterways and creates an environment in which agriculture can continue to thrive.
Finally, protecting our rural character is essential in maintaining the quality of life of our citizens and is something I value greatly. Rural communities offer an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban areas and provide a sense of peace and tranquility. Embracing our rural way of life allows our children to grow up in a safe and traditional environment. It fosters a sense of community and encourages sustainable and self-sufficient living. By preserving the rural character of our county, we are not only protecting our way of life but also embracing American values by ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same benefits that we have.
HOLDING THE LINE on TAXES
As your next County Executive, I will not raise Cecil County tax rates, which burdens hard-working citizens struggling to make ends meet. By keeping tax rates low, businesses and individuals can keep more of their own money, which they can use to invest in their economic growth and development. It is a bedrock Conservative principle that fiscal responsibility is crucial for the long-term health of any government. Instead of raising tax rates, a STREIGHT Administration will focus on reducing waste and cutting unnecessary spending. This can be done through careful analysis of existing programs and departments and regular audits to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.
By taking a creative and responsible approach to managing government resources, we can honor our Conservative values and hold the line on Cecil County tax rates while ensuring that essential services are delivered efficiently and effectively.
INTEGRITY and ACCOUNTABILITY in GOVERNMENT
For almost 250 years, our experiment in self-government has been the most successful in history. To function properly, we need integrity back in our local leadership. Folks need to trust their elected officials, and that county government will be there to help us. It shouldn't take upwards of 16 months to get a permit to build a deck on your own home, and a trip to the County Administration Building should not be an exercise in getting the runaround and navigating bureaucratic red tape.
We don't need a county government that is more interested in playing politics with their cops, teachers, local businesses, and the citizens they are supposed to serve. A county government whose main priority seems to be massive pay hikes for its senior administration, most of whom are from somewhere other than Cecil County, don't live or pay taxes here, and aren't affected by the policies they create.
These are not Cecil County values. They might be Annapolis values.
But I'm a Cecil guy. In a STREIGHT Administration, Cecil County will not be run by outsiders who don't share our values.
As County Executive, I will ensure that Cecil County is governed by Cecil Countians who share our values and understand that their job is to serve the public, not their self-interest.
These are Conservative values, these are Cecil County values, and these are my values.
Transcending politics, we want our leaders to share our values.
Values that reflect who we are, how we treat others, our love for God and country, the safety of our families, and the determination to live our lives according to our own beliefs and constitutional rights.
These values bind us together as a community and form my platform. These are Cecil County values.
FAMILY
There is no stronger social structure than family. My wife, Amy, and I were fortunate to have been raised in strong families led by parents who feared God and loved our country. They instilled in both of us the values that define who we are. Love God, love your neighbor, be kind and honest, have integrity, and stand for your beliefs.
As we went on to have our own family, these values are what we cherish and live by. There is no greater testament to my values than my family, and my administration will work hard to ensure that Cecil County is a safe and nurturing community to raise a family.
PUBLIC SAFETY
It is a basic Conservative principle that Public Safety is essential to a free and ordered society. Yet, the current administration presided over the largest mass exodus of public safety professionals Cecil County has ever experienced. This avoidable loss of institutional knowledge has made our communities less safe.
In our small county, which sees about 250 drug overdoses yearly, an average of 4 of your fellow citizens will die each month from a drug overdose. Drugs, the fuel for crime in Cecil County, are pouring in from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the unsecured southern border, bringing crime, chaos, and fear to our communities.
Yet our sheriff's office, detention center, dispatchers, and EMS have been severely understaffed during the last three years while doing their best to protect our county. Because of the shortsightedness of the current administration, there are only four deputies assigned to the School Resources Unit to cover 25 schools, whereas Harford County has a deputy in every school to protect its students.
Our volunteer firefighters are some of the bravest and most dedicated souls in our communities, yet they are in dire need of updated equipment and apparatus.
Our public safety professionals are second to none and do not deserve to be treated as election-year afterthoughts.
As a 25-year Cecil County law enforcement officer and a lifelong Republican, my values reflect the Conservative principle that the government's top priority is the protection of its citizens and ensuring that our children receive a quality education in a safe and secure environment. As County Executive, I will bring a unique experience in understanding public safety and what it takes to achieve it.
SUPPORTING our LOCAL BUSINESSES
As small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, we should treat them as such and work to eliminate or at least reduce unnecessary and burdensome fees and regulations that impede their growth. I value the hard work, ingenuity, and risk involved in entrepreneurship, and my administration will have their backs.
Local businesses sponsor our kids' sports teams, donate to local charities, and hire our friends, family, and neighbors. They reflect Cecil County's values.
Local businesses need county government to be an ally, not a hindrance, and I will work to help them grow and create good-paying jobs in Cecil County.
EDUCATION
As a conservative Republican, I value having a public school system that provides quality and transparent education to our children. As a fellow parent, I know investing in public education is vital to training a diverse workforce to thrive in our growing economy. As a law enforcement officer, I recognize that a good educational system promotes and strengthens families and communities and improves overall public safety. Yet Cecil County ranks as the lowest-funded school system in Maryland. This irresponsible underfunding of our schools by the Hornberger Administration, and the pettiness with which it is done, jeopardizes the future of our kids and their education. While no department should be given a blank check, this approach is lazy, short-sighted, and unsustainable. It undermines our economic growth, weakens families, and is detrimental to our county's future. As County Executive, I will work with the school system in using proper funding to galvanize sorely needed improvements.
AGRICULTURE and PROTECTING OUR RURAL HERITAGE
As a Conservative and conservationist, I believe that supporting Cecil County agriculture is vital to preserving our rural character and promoting economic growth within the community. Agriculture has been a fundamental part of our county's history, allowing citizens access to locally produced foods. Purchasing and consuming local produce not only supports our farmers but also reduces the negative impact of transportation and promotes a healthy lifestyle. By protecting and supporting Cecil County's agriculture industry, we also uphold our values of self-reliance and independence.
Furthermore, protecting our waterways is essential to maintaining the ecological balance within our community. Conservative values prioritize the importance of environmental conservation and responsible resource management. We recognize that our natural resources are limited and fragile, and strategies and policies must be put into place to ensure their preservation. Our farms are critical in this conservation effort, as agriculture heavily depends on clean water and sustainable land practices. Providing adequate resources for our farmers to implement these practices protects our waterways and creates an environment in which agriculture can continue to thrive.
Finally, protecting our rural character is essential in maintaining the quality of life of our citizens and is something I value greatly. Rural communities offer an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban areas and provide a sense of peace and tranquility. Embracing our rural way of life allows our children to grow up in a safe and traditional environment. It fosters a sense of community and encourages sustainable and self-sufficient living. By preserving the rural character of our county, we are not only protecting our way of life but also embracing American values by ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same benefits that we have.
HOLDING THE LINE on TAXES
As your next County Executive, I will not raise Cecil County tax rates, which burdens hard-working citizens struggling to make ends meet. By keeping tax rates low, businesses and individuals can keep more of their own money, which they can use to invest in their economic growth and development. It is a bedrock Conservative principle that fiscal responsibility is crucial for the long-term health of any government. Instead of raising tax rates, a STREIGHT Administration will focus on reducing waste and cutting unnecessary spending. This can be done through careful analysis of existing programs and departments and regular audits to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.
By taking a creative and responsible approach to managing government resources, we can honor our Conservative values and hold the line on Cecil County tax rates while ensuring that essential services are delivered efficiently and effectively.
INTEGRITY and ACCOUNTABILITY in GOVERNMENT
For almost 250 years, our experiment in self-government has been the most successful in history. To function properly, we need integrity back in our local leadership. Folks need to trust their elected officials, and that county government will be there to help us. It shouldn't take upwards of 16 months to get a permit to build a deck on your own home, and a trip to the County Administration Building should not be an exercise in getting the runaround and navigating bureaucratic red tape.
We don't need a county government that is more interested in playing politics with their cops, teachers, local businesses, and the citizens they are supposed to serve. A county government whose main priority seems to be massive pay hikes for its senior administration, most of whom are from somewhere other than Cecil County, don't live or pay taxes here, and aren't affected by the policies they create.
These are not Cecil County values. They might be Annapolis values.
But I'm a Cecil guy. In a STREIGHT Administration, Cecil County will not be run by outsiders who don't share our values.
As County Executive, I will ensure that Cecil County is governed by Cecil Countians who share our values and understand that their job is to serve the public, not their self-interest.
These are Conservative values, these are Cecil County values, and these are my values.
