Early voting starts Friday for the general election in the city of Frederick. The office of mayor is on the ballot, the two major party nominees are outlining their stands on affordable housing, child care, the economy and other issues affecting city residents.

Incumbent Mayor Michael O’Connor - Democrat

First elected in 2017, incumbent Mayor Michael O’Connor has served the city for two consecutive terms. O’Connor is running for his third term, and is looking forward to continuing the work he has pursued for the last eight years. “There continues to be work in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, housing affordability issues, workforce development and programs that we hope will underpin the youth center and community center projects,” O’Connor explained.

Tom Trott - Republican

Republican nominee Tom Trott is a local entrepreneur and co-founder of Victory Mortgage Solutions, a Frederick-run company. As a businessman who works with housing, he says it's time for change. “Instead of complaining about some of the current issues I have in Frederick, I have decided to step up and make things better for all residents of our city,” Tott said. “And that’s why I started our One Frederick campaign.”

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing remains a hot topic amongst voters, who are concerned about inventory, diversity in styles of housing, and even where the housing is located.

Developers are expected to ensure 12.5% of homes in new developments are Moderately Priced Housing Units, or MPDUs. To incentivize developers to build affordable housing, the city charges them a fee if they don't. Mayor O’Connor says most companies opt to pay the fee.

O’Conner is willing to see the fee increased, but says there’s no one solution to affordable housing. Nothing is off the table, O’Connor said, and wants time to speak with the city council. “I know a number of the candidates have talked about wanting to eliminate that fee,” O’Connor acknowledged. “ Certainly, we need to determine what our affordability needs are, and then pull the right levers to try and generate the housing.”

In 2000, Frederick City had a population of 50,000. Now, that number has gone up to 80,000. Today, 45% of city households live below the ALICE threshold, which stands for asset limited, income constrained but employed. These households live above the national poverty line, but can’t afford to make ends meet.

Trott is worried the population won't be able to keep up with the cost of living and wants to do more with the funds available. “I would like to see those [fees] increased, or I’d like to see the developers actually building the MPDU’s,” Trott said. “I think we need to just revisit the whole thing collectively.”

Both candidates agree they look forward to a housing study currently underway through a partnership between the city and the county.

Child Care

Ken Oldham, CEO of United Way of Frederick County, said the cost of child care is one of the leading forces pushing families below the ALICE threshold. A 2023 study found 80% of county residents relied on child care, and 46% of families spent more than $1,200 per month on services.

O’Connor worked early in his administration to introduce a child care program to help providers increase the quality of their work. He acknowledges moving the needle towards better services has also raised prices.

Incentives for providers could foster new businesses, O’Connor explained, and wants to explore tax credits for families in need. “A scarcity of providers is going to drive prices, that’s a simple supply and demand conversation,” O’Connor said. “The county’s considering some changes to their tax credit program, and I’d like to see the city mirror that work so you get that double benefit.”

Trott understands the value of quality child care. He wants to meet with providers to learn what they need to grow, but is cautious of regulating the city into a dead end.

Trott is a board member of the Frederick County YMCA, which boasts of being the largest child care provider in the county. Having reviewed the ALICE report, Trott wants to expand the YMCA’s Head Start program, which provides early education support to families in need.

At the same time, Trott is cautious that too much regulation may push the city into a dead end. “Regulation is very important, particularly when it comes to our kids,” Trott acknowledged. “But the cost of compliance for things gets factored into it just like the cost of taxes, and at some point, we need to find that happy medium.”

Business

As a local businessman, Trott says there was a time when both Frederick City and Route 40, also known as the Golden Mile, were much more lively. He wants more effort put into making the Golden Mile more interconnected with the rest of the city to improve foot traffic.

Additionally, he wants to see the permitting process for businesses streamlined and more accessible to encourage growth. “The City’s regulatory departments must protect public health, safety and general welfare, but that’s not mutually exclusive to having a business friendly climate,” Trott said.

In contrast, O’Connor challenges that in his eight years as Mayor, the city has seen a growth of 400 new businesses. This includes efforts to foster relationships with businesses in the bioscience sector.

O’Connor explains his tactics to the economy are ground level, listening to what businesses need in real time. “When we see the business climate changing, we adjust our tactics and our strategies through our economic development office,” O’Connor said. “We have done that for the last eight years during covid and we’re going to continue to do that.”

How to vote

All Frederick City residents may vote regardless of citizenship status due to a bill passed by the-then board of aldermen in 2024.

The city sent out general election ballots via USPS between October 5 and October 14. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by November 4 and received by November 7. Ballots may be deposited via drop boxes by 8 p.m.

Residents can drop off their their mail in ballots at the locations bellow:

• The Bourne Building, 355 Montevue Lane, Frederick, MD 21702
• Hillcrest Commons, 1150 Orchard Terrace, Frederick, MD 21703
• Talley Recreation Center, 121 North Bentz Street, Frederick, MD 21701
• Housing Authority Office, 209 Madison Street, Frederick, MD 21701
• Governor Thomas Johnson High School, 1501 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701
• Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702

To improve representation, the City Council approved new district boundaries in February. The five newly appointed districts will each be represented by one of the seven City Council Members, with the remaining two members operating at-large. Voters can find their districts displayed on their voter registration card.

Residents will also be able to vote in person at the Trinity Recreation Center at 6040 New Design Road, Frederick, Maryland 21703. Early voting for the general election will be held on October 24 and 25, with election day voting occurring on November 4.