Aberdeen Communities Together (ACT), the community action group which recently saw all four of its endorsed candidates for mayor and city council elected into office, will celebrate the election victory Friday at the Aberdeen Senior Center.
ACT, which originally organized to stop the Wetlands Golf Course annexation and has been actively involved in Aberdeen politics ever since, endorsed incumbent Mike Bennett for mayor and incumbents Ruth Elliott and Ruth Ann Young and challenger Bruce Garner for city council – each of whom was elected in the city’s Nov. 3 election.
Here is the event invitation sent out this week:
Dear Concerned Citizens:
We are holding our public meeting and local election results celebration this Friday evening, at 7 PM, at the Senior Center, 7 Franklin Street and would love to see you there.
We have invited all of our newly elected officials and hope all will be in attendance.
With the election in the history books and dust from campaign season starting to settle, Aberdeen’s candidates have finally found the time to reflect on their victories, defeats, and futures.
After 6 years on the city council, Mike Hiob considered leaving elected office altogether, but some chance conversations (with Gov. Martin O’Malley, several prominent local elected officials, and his wife, Barb, among others) convinced him to go all-or-nothing – taking the chance of losing his council seat with a run for mayor.
Hiob was defeated by incumbent Mayor Mike Bennett by about 150 votes, but said he was not angry or upset by his loss. Even though he was disappointed with the results, Hiob is excited about the opportunities it will open up for spending more time with his family, completing long-overdue projects around the house, and strumming his guitar more frequently.
Here are Hiob’s farewell comments as read, with some additional improvisation, ...Continue Reading
As part of The Dagger’s coverage of the City of Aberdeen’s municipal election on Nov. 3, the following questions were presented to each candidate for mayor and city council.
The five questions (bolded and boxed) were chosen to generate discussion on specific topics. The candidates’ answers have been included verbatim as received by email or reported following an interview.
1) If you are unsuccessful in your re-election bid and never return to office, what will your legacy be? How do you want to be remembered?
“My legacy when I get out of public life? I really don’t care if people remember my name whatsoever, but did I accomplish things for the city and citizens of Aberdeen? Did I make things better for them?”
Bennett said he didn’t get into politics to develop his legacy, in fact, he admitted his original intent two years ago was to run for city ...Continue Reading
With just a few days before Aberdeen voters go to the polls, the mayoral and city council candidates worked hard Wednesday night at the Candidates Night Forum to demonstrate why they would be the best choice to represent the city for the next two years.
Nine of the ten active candidates (all 3 mayoral candidates and 6 of the 7 running for city council) fielded 9 total questions generated by some of the approximately 100 people in attendance and The Dagger, which moderated the event.
Those 9 questions included:
1. Why are you running in this year’s election?
2. How would you position Aberdeen to reap the greatest benefit from BRAC?
3. What is your position on a hotel tax for Aberdeen? If you support it, how would you overcome opposition to the tax?
4. What is your opinion of the city’s current obligations under the Ripken Stadium contract?
5. What is your position on Aberdeen’s water ...Continue Reading
For those who are unable to attend the Aberdeen Mayor and City Council Candidates Night Forum tonight (Wednesday), or may just want to catch the action for the comfort of their own homes, The Dagger will be providing live video of the entire event.
The Dagger is hosting and moderating the forum, which is scheduled be begin at 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 128 in Aberdeen
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the forum will begin at 7 p.m. Questions will concern issues facing Aberdeen, and candidates’ answers will be limited to 90 to 120 seconds.
The forum is sponsored by the Harford County Municipal Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 128.
Whether you show up in person or tune in online, join this important discussion with less than a week remaining until the Tuesday, November 3 City of Aberdeen election.
Interview with Aberdeen Mayoral Candidate/City Council President Mike Hiob:
As part of The Dagger’s coverage of the City of Aberdeen’s municipal election on Nov. 3, the following questions were presented to each candidate for mayor and city council.
The five questions (bolded and boxed) were chosen to generate discussion on specific topics. The candidates’ answers have been included verbatim as received by email or reported following an interview.
1) If you are unsuccessful in your re-election bid and never return to office, what will your legacy be? How do you want to be remembered?
1.) First of all, I intend to succeed. Either way, I would prefer my legacy (that’s a strong word) to be that “Mike Hiob was a Councilman that had the courage to make decisions that were always in the best interest of the City…..NOT looking toward the next election”. In other words, leave with my integrity untainted.
Interview with Aberdeen Mayoral Candidate Barbara Kreamer:
As part of The Dagger’s coverage of the City of Aberdeen’s municipal election on Nov. 3, the following questions were presented to each candidate for mayor and city council.
The five questions (bolded and boxed) were chosen to generate discussion on specific topics. The candidates’ answers have been included verbatim as received by email or reported following an interview.
1) If you are successful in your election bid, what do you hope your legacy will be when you leave public office? How do you want to be remembered?
My legacy from my previous years in elective office as a Harford County Councilwoman and State Delegate includes better Harford County schools, a park in Aberdeen by City Hall and the library, alternative schools for disruptive youth in Maryland, no more corporal punishment in our public schools, fair pay for women and minorities in state employment, night differential pay ...Continue Reading
Just two weeks before the city’s election, Aberdeen is proving once again that when it comes to politics, no tactic is off-limits.
A police report filed earlier this summer against a notable local figure has come to light in what may be an effort to turn a dubious allegation into a political hit.
According to the report, former State Senator and Harford County Councilman Art Helton was not charged earlier this year after a 32-year-old woman who rented one of his properties accused him of harassment.
It’s curious that the report comes to light now, months after authorities dropped their investigation, but just ahead of another tight city election.
Helton dismissed the accusations, which were levied in a police report made public last week, claiming the woman “was either mentally irate or on something.” He said the woman and one of her co-workers admitted to him that the accusations were made in an effort ...Continue Reading
All told, the 10 candidates for Aberdeen mayor and city council have raised nearly $22,000 in campaign contributions, but more than half of that total has been raised by incumbent city council president/mayor candidate Mike Hiob alone.
Hiob’s mayoral campaign has brought in $11,000. The other 9 candidates (2 for mayor and 7 for city council) have raised a combined $10,800 among them – Mayor Mike Bennett ($3,989), mayoral candidate Barbara Kreamer ($525), councilwoman Ruth Elliott ($1,568), council candidate Bruce Garner ($100), councilman Ron Kupferman ($0), council candidate Sandy Landbeck ($3,485), council candidate Trudie Norman ($0), council candidate Zenobia Todd ($75), and councilwoman Ruth Ann Young ($1,157).
Following Hiob’s massive war chest, the next largest campaign account is that of the incumbent mayor Bennett with $3,989, with council candidate Landbeck only $500 behind with $3,485 in her account.
Here are the campaign finance totals – amount raised, amount spent, and amount remaining – ...Continue Reading
