Easton residents are encouraged to vote for Easton Town Council President tomorrow at the Easton Fire House between 7 am and 8 pm. The fire house is located at 215 Leonard Rieck Drive..
Last month, the Spy and the Avalon Foundation interviewed three out of the four candidates. Those interviews are reposted below.
Readers can also watch the Avalon-Spy special Town Hall meeting with all four candidates here.
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The Talbot Spy and the Avalon Foundation recently agreed again to provide special coverage of Easton’s September 12th election for Town Council president. As part of this partnership, the two organizations have decided to hold a Town Hall meeting at the Avalon Theatre on august 29th at 6 pm. Moderated by Spy columnist and Easton resident Craig Fuller, all four candidates have been invited to participate in an hour-long discussion on the future of Easton.
The Spy and Avalon also agreed to broadcast individual candidates’ profiles before the Town Hall gathering.
Last week, Dave Wheelan, the Talbot Spy’s editor, sat down with candidates Frank Gunsallus, Al Silverstein, and Bob Willey to discuss their backgrounds, qualifications, and priorities if elected to office. The fourth candidate, Kevin Bateman, did not respond to our invitation to participate.
In these interviews, the candidates talk about their backgrounds, motive for running for the office, priorities and address some of the town’s challenges.
These interviews average 20 minutes in length.
Frank Gunsallus
Al Silverstein
Bob Willey
Holly Wright says
Perhaps more important is your video coverage of the Spy-Avalon Council President candidate Town Hall debate which was masterfully moderated by Craig Fuller. I see we can easily access this on your website next to the featuring of this item.The debate shows each’s depth of knowledge and facility in discussing issues facing the Town. You will see that Al Silverstein is unquestionably head and shoulders above the others.
One of the strengths Al Silverstein brings is a willingness to consider any proposal but the ability to kick the tires of new shiny ideas that might seem superficially attractive. The shiny object in the Council President debate was Frank Gunsallus’s suggestion that we should approach the State for participation in its Health Professionals Shortage Area Program which provides medical school tuition reimbursement for a time commitment in a shortage area. Easily known is that these are federal designations and Talbot doesn’t qualify in the area of primary care. Caroline County does.
Al will move Easton forward always getting to the bottom of bright shiny new ideas rather than a proposing actions based on a remarkably superficial understanding like the other candidate.
Holly Wright says
Only Al Silverstein has promised to introduce an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance that requires developers to pay for infrastructure costs associated with their projects and will discourage megadevelopers from thinking of Easton as open season for their projects. The other candidates offer platitudes.
Brian Doak says
I’d just like to know which one of these guys will stand up to real estate developers trying to overbuild our community. The projects planned on the Oxford Road are obscene and will destroy the access to Oxford and stress our public systems, not to mention the ecosystem. Who, other than real estate developers and those with a financial interest, actually wants these projects to go forward? I’ve yet to meet a resident who thinks this is a good idea but our “representatives” do it anyway.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Excellent Question!!!!! And a very important one given their past performance to date. And our overall record here collectively to date, going back decades.
Dan Watson says
Gunsallus
michael brophy says
In my opinion, this shortened term of only 20 months will require someone who has recently been part of our town government so as to hit the ground running and not have to play catch up. Time/experience is of the essence. So much has, and is happening within this “B easton ishished” town.
Two of the candidates are qualified.(my opinion) One of them will have a small window of time to prove that they can achieve or move forward the goals as they stated. We can then vote them in for the full 4 years after that.
See you tomorrow
Eric Ploeg says
Surprisingly Easton’s budget and rising costs aren’t really addressed by any candidate. However, as our new Governor has spent Maryland’s state budget from a surplus to a looming deficit of billions in 9 short months, we can be certain to see increases in state taxes and fees. Our ever-increasing local taxes and municipal spending should be addressed now before its too late.