Patricia O'Brien, hoping the fourth time's the charm, has announced her candidacy for the 7th District County Council seat.

Mrs. O'Brien, 60, a Democrat, has run three times against Virginia P. Clagett, D-West River. Now that Ms. Clagett must leave office because of the county's term-limit law, Mrs. O'Brien thinks she has a good chance.

She conceded that she "didn't put much effort" into her previous races, because "it's difficult to beat an incumbent."

But this time, "I'm going to for it and go big," said Mrs. O'Brien, a retired supervisor for the former Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co..

She said her years of experience with several South County civic groups, including the Mason's Beach Citizen Association, should help her as a council member. "I don't think there's one issue that would come across my desk that I would not have encountered on the outside," she said.

She listed as her major concerns the increase in crime in South County and improving the service provided by county public works crews.

Last winter, she said, "we had the lousiest snow removal we've ever had. They just made one swipe through the main streets. They seem to have cut back. We don't seem to be getting the services we used to get."

She will be running in the Democratic primary against attorney Joseph E. Collinson III of Friendship, whose father had been a councilman. School board member Dottie Chaney has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.