League of Women Voters Forum Outline
1 minute candidate introductions.
Round 1Each candidate was asked a different question about data centers.
Recent polls suggest that data centers are an important issue for voters. The facilities face backlash because of their impact on the environment and the lives of people who live near them. Water consumption, air, and noise pollution, along with the amount of power they consume, have some residents on edge. Further, some residents view the large acreage needed for data centers as a threat to the county's shrinking farmlands. Yet data centers can benefit a community, with capital investment, tax revenue, job growth, and digital infrastructure. Everyone who has a cell phone, or a computer benefits from the ability to store, process, and manage data, and AI increases the need for data centers.
What benefits can the 293,000 plus residents of Frederick County expect from the addition of data centers?
What obligations do you think a data center has to a community when it comes to environmental impacts?
How should data center owners account for the increased costs to county residents for power, electricity, and water services?
Round 2
Keeping in mind residents whose income is minimum wage or less, how do you define affordable housing, what are the barriers to increasing affordable housing in Frederick County, and what specific proposals will you make to address these barriers?
Round 3Each candidate received a different question about education.
What do you see as priority for Frederick county schools?
How can the county council prioritize and support the state's blueprint for the future of education plan to improve schools in the county?
What is the best way for the county council to support youth outside of the school system?
Round 4
The 60 plus senior citizen population in Frederick County now exceeds the school age population and is growing. What initiatives do you support to address the housing, transportation, healthcare, and food insecurity needs of this growing sector of the population?
Round 5
You (Mr. Young) and Ms. Knapp both talk about transparency and partnership with many businesses, emergency services, and other entities.How do you engage with, partner with, and remain fully transparent to residents and voters you represent, outside those entities?
Mr. Newhouse, environmental justice is one of your priorities. As stated on your website, you propose to preserve and utilize our green infrastructure while planning for the future, utilizing the county's existing infrastructure to support abundant ecosystems and develop civic engagement and participation programs.How do you propose to do all that?
Round 6.Different questions about transportation.
Would you support expanding transit services to include more off peak and weekend service?
How can you improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure? Would you be willing to add sidewalks and pedestrian bridges and improve bike lanes throughout the county?
How would you work to improve transportation service to better meet the needs of growing rural and suburban areas of Frederick residents?
Round 7. Different questions about the environment.
What is the county's largest contributor to greenhouse gasses, and what actions can the county council take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet state goals.
What initiatives would you propose, as a new council member to address effects that growth has on climate change in Frederick County?
What specific proposals have you made, or supported during your tenure to address the effects of climate change?
Round 8. Same question for each candidate.
The state legislature passed ambitious laws to make policing more accountable and more responsive to residents of the state, which resulted in a statewide creation of citizen police accountability boards to review complaints against officer, as well as the prohibition against 287G agreements with ICE. The current sheriff has expressed his intention to challenge the prohibition against 287G agreements. The sheriff is not accountable like a police department could be to the county government. However, the Frederick City Police Department can be more directly accountable to the county government. Might you consider working to create a countywide police department to handle safety in the community, and to enforce the state laws?
Closing StatementsTwo Minutes
Round 1Each candidate was asked a different question about data centers.
Recent polls suggest that data centers are an important issue for voters. The facilities face backlash because of their impact on the environment and the lives of people who live near them. Water consumption, air, and noise pollution, along with the amount of power they consume, have some residents on edge. Further, some residents view the large acreage needed for data centers as a threat to the county's shrinking farmlands. Yet data centers can benefit a community, with capital investment, tax revenue, job growth, and digital infrastructure. Everyone who has a cell phone, or a computer benefits from the ability to store, process, and manage data, and AI increases the need for data centers.
What benefits can the 293,000 plus residents of Frederick County expect from the addition of data centers?
What obligations do you think a data center has to a community when it comes to environmental impacts?
How should data center owners account for the increased costs to county residents for power, electricity, and water services?
Round 2
Keeping in mind residents whose income is minimum wage or less, how do you define affordable housing, what are the barriers to increasing affordable housing in Frederick County, and what specific proposals will you make to address these barriers?
Round 3Each candidate received a different question about education.
What do you see as priority for Frederick county schools?
How can the county council prioritize and support the state's blueprint for the future of education plan to improve schools in the county?
What is the best way for the county council to support youth outside of the school system?
Round 4
The 60 plus senior citizen population in Frederick County now exceeds the school age population and is growing. What initiatives do you support to address the housing, transportation, healthcare, and food insecurity needs of this growing sector of the population?
Round 5
You (Mr. Young) and Ms. Knapp both talk about transparency and partnership with many businesses, emergency services, and other entities.How do you engage with, partner with, and remain fully transparent to residents and voters you represent, outside those entities?
Mr. Newhouse, environmental justice is one of your priorities. As stated on your website, you propose to preserve and utilize our green infrastructure while planning for the future, utilizing the county's existing infrastructure to support abundant ecosystems and develop civic engagement and participation programs.How do you propose to do all that?
Round 6.Different questions about transportation.
Would you support expanding transit services to include more off peak and weekend service?
How can you improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure? Would you be willing to add sidewalks and pedestrian bridges and improve bike lanes throughout the county?
How would you work to improve transportation service to better meet the needs of growing rural and suburban areas of Frederick residents?
Round 7. Different questions about the environment.
What is the county's largest contributor to greenhouse gasses, and what actions can the county council take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet state goals.
What initiatives would you propose, as a new council member to address effects that growth has on climate change in Frederick County?
What specific proposals have you made, or supported during your tenure to address the effects of climate change?
Round 8. Same question for each candidate.
The state legislature passed ambitious laws to make policing more accountable and more responsive to residents of the state, which resulted in a statewide creation of citizen police accountability boards to review complaints against officer, as well as the prohibition against 287G agreements with ICE. The current sheriff has expressed his intention to challenge the prohibition against 287G agreements. The sheriff is not accountable like a police department could be to the county government. However, the Frederick City Police Department can be more directly accountable to the county government. Might you consider working to create a countywide police department to handle safety in the community, and to enforce the state laws?
Closing StatementsTwo Minutes