Dorchester Chamber of Commerce collects responses from City of Cambridge and Board of Education Election Candidates

2024 is a General Election year with the vote completing locally at 8 pm on November 5th.  However, the 2024 City of Cambridge Election is not on the same schedule as the General Election.  Voting for the Mayor and all five City Commissioners will happen on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 7 a.m through 7 p.m.  Voting for the City Election will be held at 447 Race Street, Cambridge, MD.  You can visit the Chamber website (https://www.dorchesterchamber.org/) for more information on both the General Election and the City of Cambridge Election.

The Dorchester Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee created a series of questions/topics for each of the local offices up for election in 2024.  The questions are based on topics the committee believes are of concern to our members.  It is by no means meant to be a comprehensive list of all voter concerns but will provide insight on candidate positions on key issues that would have an impact on our community.  The questions were provided to all candidates, even those running unopposed, to give all an equal chance to present their positions.  The Chamber believes a well-informed public has a better chance of electing the most qualified candidates. 

Thirteen of the fourteen candidates running in the City of Cambridge election provided responses.  One of the four candidates on the ballot for Board of Education provided responses, two of the four are running unopposed. The responses can be viewed and downloaded from the Chamber website: https://www.dorchesterchamber.org/candidate-questions.

Here are the questions/topics sent for response:

City of Cambridge Mayor:

1. Describe your understanding of the role of the Mayor of Cambridge.
2. What characteristics or skills are needed most in a leader to move the city towards vitality? Describe how your life experience and education has prepared you for this role.
3. List the top three economic drivers for Cambridge/Dorchester County and how you would cultivate them.
4. List two strategies you believe would help existing businesses to expand and explain how they would help.
5. What support/programs would you implement to attract new businesses to the city?
6. What is your vision for waterfront development from the fishing pier to the Creek? How do you define the role of CWDI?
7. What should the city and county be working on collaboratively to benefit the entire community?
8. How important do you feel it is to have strong working relationships with State and Federal legislators and their staff and why?
9. How do you recommend we fund infrastructure improvements in road maintenance, flood control and housing code enforcement? How would you recommend prioritizing the improvements?
10. What is your understanding of current crime rates and what strategies would you recommend for improvements?
11. What do you believe can be done to improve the local workforce?  What role should the city play in helping the school system prepare our next workforce? 
12. Describe your understanding of affordable workforce housing and how you will support additional development and incentives for the creation and/or re-development of affordable workforce housing.
13. Describe what you know about existing youth programs in Cambridge and list ideas you have to grow existing programs and to add new ones.
14. How important do you believe tourism is for the city?
15. What is your position on the investments being made in the old City Hall building on Gay Street?  

City of Cambridge Commissioner:

1. Describe the role of the City Council as you understand it.
2. What characteristics or skills are needed most in commissioners to move the city towards vitality? Describe how your life experience and education has prepared you for this role.
3. List the top three economic drivers for Cambridge/Dorchester County and how you would cultivate them.
4. List two strategies you believe would help existing businesses to expand and explain why.
5. What is your vision for waterfront development from the fishing pier to the Creek? How do you define the role of CWDI?
6. What should the city and county be working on collaboratively to benefit the entire community?
7. How do you recommend we fund infrastructure improvements in road maintenance, flood control and housing code enforcement?  How would you recommend prioritizing the improvements?
8. What is your understanding of current crime rates and what strategies would you recommend for improvements?
9. What do you believe can be done to improve the local workforce?
10. Describe your understanding of affordable workforce housing and how you will support additional development and incentives for the creation and/or re-development of affordable workforce housing.
11. Describe what you know about existing youth programs in Cambridge and list ideas you have to grow existing programs and to add new ones.
12. How important do you believe tourism is for the city?
13. What is your position on the investments being made in the old City Hall building on Gay Street?
14. Given the challenges of the past three council cycles with Commissioners either moving out of their wards or being accused of not living in their wards, what level of commitment are you willing to make to the constituents of your ward that you will continue to live there for the full four-year term.

 Dorchester County Board of Education:

1. Describe your understanding of the role of the Dorchester County School Board.
2. Tell us the most important thing you want to accomplish during your tenure to improve educational outcomes for children in Dorchester County and what data do you have that supports your view it will improve educational outcomes for the children.
3. Please tell us about your background, experience, involvement in the Community and what knowledge and strengths you would bring to the office.
4. Describe how County Government and Public Schools should work together to provide the best education system possible.
5. Describe your understanding of the workforce needs of the community and the role of DCPS in helping to prepare students to meet those needs.
6. Describe your interpretation of having students Career & College ready.
7. Describe the value you see in the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Program and internships for students and businesses in the community?  Has an apprenticeship/internship impacted your life/career?
8. The Career and Technology Center is a valuable asset, how do you see expanding its use and return on investment for the community?
9. Besides attending school board meetings, what can, and will you do to gather and respond to parental concerns?

Please visit the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce website for more information on the election: https://www.dorchesterchamber.org/