I served on the Hagerstown City Council from 1977 to 1981. I handled some labor negotiations for the city during my term. Also, I have experience in the construction field and labor negotiations in the private sector. I negotiated and supervised construction contracts both in private industry and for the Federal Government. I have been attending council meetings and discussing city problems with department heads, particularly the Department of Finance, over the past three years.
Drugs are the biggest crime problem in Hagerstown.
I believe the new Chief of Police in his short time serving Hagerstown, has had success in reducing the drug trade in some areas of Hagerstown while some areas have gotten worse. I believe we should let the Chief follow through with his current plans to improve the entire situation. The city has created eleven new police positions since 1995, making a total of 101 sworn officers, which is sufficient to handle the policing of Hagerstown. This is comparable to other cities our size. Yes, the city should be involved in assisting low income families in obtaining their own homes.