10-Steps Forward for Gaithersburg’s Future
The Jud & Cathy Campaign Platform
Gaithersburg City Council Elections 2007
- Our city must strive for open and responsive government: Government that is accountable, and that uses the talents and wisdom of its constituents to better serve their needs. Gaithersburg’s leaders and administrators need to improve access to information so that taxpayers and stakeholders may more readily engage in the public process. Likewise, we must continue to foster the participation of citizens in governance. Decisions about Gaithersburg should be guided by priorities and strategies developed with public input, which are recorded in documents such as the Strategic Plan and the Master Plan.
- We will insist upon a high quality of life for all residents in all areas of the City. We must take measurable steps to revitalize our aging neighborhoods through City-funded initiatives, and through partnerships with businesses and other levels of State and Federal government.
- The City must address and control rising levels of crime, particularly violent crime, within our borders. The first step to achieving that goal is supporting the police department through hiring needed personnel, procuring the necessary tools, and phasing in a ‘beat’ approach to local policing. We must ensure that the police facilities are adequate and well-maintained.
- Gaithersburg must ensure responsible growth, which mandates that there are adequate public facilities, including schools, roads, utilities, and emergency services. Furthermore new development or redevelopment projects must be consistent with the Master Plan.
- The City must continue its fiscally conservative, “pay as you go” budgeting and spending policies. We must avoid increasing the tax rate—which has remained steady for over four decades—while providing tax relief, where possible, for property owners facing sharply increasing tax appraisals.
- For many years, the City has had a clear need to replace its Senior Center. And we must turn this need into a reality. It’s time to plan for and fully fund this endeavor.
- Gaithersburg must protect and preserve our natural environment and resources, particularly when it comes to pollution in our stream valleys. We will propose a specific plan to help accomplish this goal. Gaithersburg has the opportunity to be a model community in its stewardship of our natural resources.
- Gaithersburg has a strong heritage that is well worth protecting and preserving. We should nurture our cultural scene in the present and take steps to promote community life. We also need to preserve and maintain structures that define the character of our city.
- We must work urgently with the state and the county to secure funding for critical highway projects, roads and road improvements to relieve and prevent traffic congestion.
- The City must aggressively pursue mass transit solutions. Specifically, we must continue to lobby for the construction and most effective alignment of the Corridor Cities Transitway. The City should promote alternatives to driving that are safe, and provide convenient access to City destinations.