Aberdeen City Council Candidate Landbeck: “One Who Served Her Community Well”

Interview with Aberdeen City Council Candidate Sandy Landbeck:

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?

1. I would hope to be remembered as one who served her community well.

2) Do you believe Aberdeen gets enough “bang for its buck” from the city police department? Would Aberdeen be better off dissolving the APD and handing protection over to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office? What changes, if any, are needed within APD – underfunded, overfunded, top-heavy, etc?

2. I absolutely agree that Aberdeen is fortunate to have the police department that we do. I am adamantly opposed to dissolution of the deparment. How can anyone argue the price of our saftey? To think we would get a “bigger bang” from the County Sheriffs Office(or State Police) when the County and State budgets are dwindling is incredulous! The main change the APD needs is a viable retention plan for its officers- retirement, pay steps incentive pay, continued health benefits for officers & spouses, etc.

3) What do you believe is the best path to securing Aberdeen an affordable, sustainable, longterm water supply?

3. The best path to securing affordable, sustainable, longterm water supply is to begin the process immediately of constructing our own water facility, capable of handling the needs of the City for the forseeable future. The real question is-How do we do that? The problem will not go away, and the County agreement is a stop-gap measure at best. We must seek a reliable water source in the immediate future and pursue all that goes with that.

4) If the Wetlands team came back with another proposal for annexation similar to the one talked about two years ago (including the millions of dollars upfront for city infrastructure, funding for city personnel and equipment, new fire substation, etc), what would your vote be and why?

4. I sat on the Planning & Zoning Board when we voted approval of the Wetlands. Our recommendation for the development of that sight was a moderate, smarth growth recommendation. The City Coucil at that time did NOT consider the Boards recommendaion, but chase a different plan. I say when the Wetlands group comes back with another proposal that Planning & Zoning’s original recommendation be examined and put into use.

5) Who do you hope is elected mayor and why?

5. As for the Mike’s-I hope to be able to work with either of them.

From Landbeck’s website:

Qualifications:

– Nearly 4 decades active residency in Aberdeen

– Career Educator – Teacher, Counselor, Administrator

– Member of Aberdeen Planning and Zoning Commission for 17 years

– Raised her family and sent her children to school in Aberdeen

– Court-appointed Special Advocate for at-risk children

– Board Member, Harford County Library Foundation

– Board Member, Close Foundation for At-risk Youth