By Logan Monteleone
News Editor
In addition to the beginning of terms for some elected officials, a special election for town representatives is coming up next week.
Meghan Efland has begun her term as mayor, and Sheila Austrian has begun her second term as Ward 1 representative. A special election for representatives to Chestertown’s third and fourth wards will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Ward representatives serve as in-betweens for the residents in their designated area of Chestertown and the town’s government.
Students registered to vote in Chestertown should prepare to go to the polls next week at the Chestertown Volunteer Fire House on 211 S. Maple Avenue. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Local voters who did not vote by mail should prepare to walk to the firehouse or organize a ride.
The League of Women Voters will hold a forum for Ward 3 and 4 candidates on January 21. A recording of the event should be available on The Chestertown Spy website.
The candidates for Ward 4, the ward that includes Washington College, are Marcus
Goldman, Stephen L. Lozar, and Ryan McGuire. The candidates for Ward 3 are John “Beloved” Munson and Andre De Mattia.
Lozar’s goals as a representative would be to focus on public safety programs, responsible spending of taxpayer dollars, and improved communications between town government and residents, and restoring curbside recycling, according to a letter by Lozar run by The Chestertown Spy.
Along with supporting projects like a playground in Bailey Park, Goldman is focused on education and the environment, according to a letter to the editor in the Spy endorsing the candidate.
According to the same letter, Ward 3 candidate Munson will focus on increasing civic engagement and helping mitigate the impact of homelessness if elected.
McGuire is focused businesses, improved walkability, and increased transparency and communication, according to briefs on the candidates in The Chestertown Report,
In another letter published by the Spy, Ward 3 candidate DeMattina pledged a commitment to responsible economic growth, lower property taxes, restored curbside recycling, and a focus on increased events in town, if elected.
The vacancies in the Wards 3 and 4 seats are the result of no candidate running in the third ward and Efland taking her role as mayor after serving as the Ward 4 representative.
Unlike in some larger municipalities, Chestertown representatives are considered part-time and most often hold other jobs to support themselves. Though it will not impact current council members, a salary raise was proposed by Ward 2 Council Member Tom
Herz during a council meeting earlier this month, as reported by the Kent County News, which also cited a Washington College study that shows “Chestertown officials receive the lowest compensation among comparable municipalities — a factor that could discourage candidates from seeking office.” Mayor Efland said visiting the town’s website is a first step to becoming an engaged community member.
Photo caption: Mayor Efland and sophomore Joe Atkins discuss civic engagement on Jan. 17 at the College’s Leadership Summit.
Photo by Logan Monteleone