City of Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor’s was sworn-in to this third term on Thursday. Joining O’Connor in taking the oath of office were five new city council members, and two additional members returning from the last administration.
O’Connor has served as Frederick City’s mayor since 2017 and campaigned on a platform of unfinished business in this year's election. O’Connor wants to continue growing the city’s relationship with the county to address affordable housing, transportation, and child care.
Earlier this year, the city created five new voting districts, with the remaining two members serving at-large.
Returning council member Derek Shackelford is joined by first time member Libby Taylor, both serving at-large. Katie Nash returns for another term in District 1, while new members César Díaz, Peter Brehm, S. Scott Lasher and Sarah Hempel Irani serve Districts 2-5 respectively.
O’Connor presented the outgoing members of the former administration with keys to the city, stating he felt proud with the work the city continued to do. “Every administration is unique,” O’Connor explained. “The last one was defined by continued economic development and a strengthening economy and a commitment to justice and belonging.”
Housing Study Task Force
The Mayor said he looks forward to working with the new city council and identified affordable housing as one of his top concerns. “To work with this council, who have all pledged that they want to work on this issue as well, gives us a real opportunity to make a difference in this community,” O’Connor said.
A study by the National Association of Realtors shows the average age of a first time home-buyer has increased to 40 over the last 10 years. O’Connor explained the city itself is facing a shortage of thousands of units, which drives up costs, squeezes families and limits who gets to share in Frederick’s success.
Due to release in January, the mayor said a year-long joint county and city housing study will reveal that over 30% of residents are considered housing burdened. That means they spend more than 30% of their monthly household income paying for their housing. Additionally, O’Connor said the study shows a gap of more than 10,000 housing units in the city alone.
To that end, the Mayor announced the department of housing and human services will create a task force to provide the city with solutions within 60 days of receiving the study. The group will create immediate short term solutions, ideas to strengthen the housing pipeline in the midterm, and ensure people can put down roots through long term reform. “This cannot be a one time exercise,” O’Connor said. “The scale of the challenge demands a response that is lasting and sustainable.”
Community Cabinet
To ensure local residents can have their say in city processes, the Mayor announced his first community cabinet. The goal will be to bring the Neighborhood Advisory Committees, also known as NACs, together with city leaders and residents to promote communication.
Accompanying the announcement, O’Connor discussed a planned resolution to realign NAC boundaries with the city’s new voting districts, created earlier this year, for better representation.
O’Connor explained this will allow residents to more effectively connect with the developers who are building in their specific areas.
New-American’s Task Force
O’Connor announced the new-american’s task force, whose purpose will be to help inform city policy and encourage advocacy for Frederick’s immigrant communities. Over the last year, the city has met with immigrants facing non-profits to strengthen that communication.
As of 2023, 20% of Frederick City’s population is foreign-born, with the most common places of origin being El Salvador, India and Nigeria. When people immigrate to Frederick, O’Connor said, they are saying, “this city’s story has room for mine.”
O’Connor told the story of his own family, coming to America from Ireland and Germany several generations ago. He says their dreams are shared by those who live in, and immigrate to, the city today. “Frederick is coming of age,” O’Connor explained. “We are no longer a town becoming a city, we are a city defining its next chapter. And we are doing it with the same ingredients that brought my family to Frederick. Hope, opportunity and community.”
Pathways to Possibility Fund
O’Connor said the same mentality is applied to the city’s work with youth, and announced the pathways to possibility fund.
Across the county, there are approximately 1,000 students facing housing insecurity according to the Maryland Department of Education. These students lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
The program will draw dollars from the opioid abatement funds with the goal of ensuring family finances won't prevent children from participating in sports, after school groups and other activities.
Kelly Russell, Former City Council Member
Kelly Russell has served on the city council for four terms, and has served on many of Frederick’s boards and committees. She says what she’ll miss most is getting to know everything that’s going on in the city. “One of the opportunities you have as a city council member is being invited to all of the new things,” Russell explained. “ I’m still going to keep my eye on things.”
Russell has championed transportation and improved the walkability and bikeability of the city for many years. Just like connecting bike lanes across the city, Russell says it's all about connecting the dots. “You have to listen to what it is they are looking for and then try to connect them to things that will help them get their mission accomplished,” Russell explained.
She says the biggest part of the job is collaboration and wants to see the new council work towards solutions that help as many residents as possible.
Derek Shackelford, Returning Council Member
Derek Shackelford returns for another consecutive term as council member, and says he brings the institutional experience to help usher in the new members. He says he wants to help mentor the new council members as well as collaborate with their ideas.
As a returning council member, Derek says he’s heard the voice of the community and says many residents are worried about affordability. He looks forward to addressing the cost of housing, the economy and child care.
To his constituents, Shackelford said he’s thankful for another chance to serve the city. “I’m honored,” Shackelford said. “I appreciate their support…their trust. I look forward to serving, progressing and moving things forward.”
Libby Taylor, New Council Member
Libby Taylor is serving her first term on the city council. When it comes to affordability, she says the land management codes are a part of the conversion that isn’t being talked about. “Development has been talked about so much on the campaign trail… ” Taylor explained. “Instead of the developers leading the way, it’s a way for the city to decide what we want to do.”
Taylor says she wants to get creative with how the city looks at daycare. She wants to look into city owned properties that could be repurposed as child care centers. “If I’m really dreaming big, I would really love to see those be intergenerational,” Taylor said. “To have a senior day center paired with a childcare center.”
The council member says she’s excited to see her partners aren’t scared to think out of the box while still doing the research to identify milestones and ensure results.
