Three newcomers earn council seats in Taneytown election
By Bob Blubaugh
The city of Taneytown has three new council members after Monday’s election while two other Carroll municipalities are holding elections today.The municipal election season got under way in Carroll County on Monday as voters turned out for Taneytown's Town Council election. Four new candidates – Lillian Hardie, Nick Kalinock, Harry Meade and Rachael Miller – were vying for three seats as none of the incumbents opted to run again. According to the city’s Facebook page, out of 5,558 registered active voters in Taneytown, 336 (7 percent) went to the polls and voted on Monday. Kalinock earned the most votes with 279, Meade was next with 270 and Miller edged Hardie for the final council seat, 191 to 177. The three victorious candidates were running as a slate, as they noted during a "Meet the Candidates" Forum hosted by the Taneytown Chamber of Commerce and Envision Taneytown on April 17 that was broadcast and streamed live by the Community Media Center.
Sykesville
Perhaps the most contentious municipal election campaign has been waged in Sykesville this spring. In addition to the back-and-forth between some of the candidates and their supporters in Sykesville's online community and on other social media, the candidates got a chance to face off in a well-attended forum on April 24 inside the Town House, hosted and streamed by the CMC.In an election cycle featuring numerous uncontested races, Sykesville is the lone municipality with contested races for both mayor and council and all the candidates running for town offices were present at the forum. First, the five candidates for Town council -- Mark Carbone, Elizabeth Guroff, Greg Hilliard, Leo Keenan and Alex Ries answered questions for more than an hour. Then it was time for the mayoral candidates, Stacy Link and Rob Whittaker. The campaigning finally ended and the election is taking place today, May 6, until 8 p.m. at the Town House.
Mount Airy
Also holding its election today, May 6 is Mount Airy. Eligible voters can go to the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company Reception Hall until 8 p.m. to vote for mayoral and town council candidates. Neither race is contested.Each of the candidates did come into the CMC to record a candidate profile, however, so click to learn more about incumbent and soon-to-be reelected Mayor Larry Hushour as well as the two candidates who will be earning the two council seats, incumbent Stephen Domotor and newcomer Sean Kelly.
Coming Up
Four other Carroll municipalities were scheduled to hold elections next week, although Union Bridge's election was called off because, according to Resolution 01-2024, "if the number of candidates for the office is equal to or less than the number of vacancies for such office, then no election shall be held for such office."Three seats for the Union Bridge Town Council were open and they will be filled by incumbent Laura Conaway and newcomers Anthony Bowman and Logan Grossnickle.
Hampstead will hold its election on Tuesday, May 13, but only three candidates -- Diane Barrett, Wayne H. Thomas and Benjamin Zolman -- are running for the three Town Council seats.
New Windsor and Westminster also are holding elections on May 13 and both have contested mayoral races. In Westminster, Mona Becker is seeking reelection against Nicholas Thomas. Incumbent members of the Westminster Common Council Tony Chiavacci and Dan Hoff are running unopposed.
In New Windsor, longtime Mayor Neal Roop is retiring and his spot will be filled by either Ashley Collier or Kevin Cornick. Collier, Cornick and Dante Howard, the lone New Windsor resident to file for Town Council candidacy and already a winner of one of the two open seats, participated in a Candidate Forum hosted by the CMC on April 30 at New Windsor's Town Hall. Click here to see how it went.
Finally, Manchester will hold its election on Tuesday, May 20. Chris Cuneo, Steve Miller and Vince Pacelli are unopposed running for three seats on the Town Council.
