Nineteen people -- including 14 Republicans and four Democrats -- are running in the Sept. 15 primary election for a seat on the three-member Carroll County Board of Commissioners.

A 19th candidate has filed as an independent and collected enough signatures to appear on the November ballot.

With so many candidates, the primary election has taken on the jumbled quality of a foot race at the starting line. More confusing for voters, candidates agree, is the similarity of the candidates' views.

Republican, Democrat or independent, the candidates have mostly echoed one another in their calls for increasing economic development, controlling growth, combating drug use and improving the relationship between government and the public.

"No matter what lever you pull, it's all the same chocolate milk," quipped one candidate.

"What disappoints me the most is that there is no controversy," said James E. Harris Sr., a Republican candidate. "Controversy would be good, because it would separate those who really want it from people who are in it for a paycheck."

But during a League of Women Voters forum on Thursday, candidates suggested that there are characteristics that separate them, such as character, age, political experience and business experience. The candidates say that those qualities will make the difference on Sept. 15.

Republicans

Michael R. Baker: County government could learn a thing or two from business, said Baker.

With his years of business experience, Baker, 59, of Westminster, said he is the candidate who can give the county the best lesson in creating leaner budgets, making quicker decisions and running a more efficient operation.

"There's a lot of waste in the county," Baker said. "I'm confident I can cut 10 percent [from the budget] without affecting service and laying people off."

Baker is a management consultant for St. Agnes Healthcare and has worked in administrative positions at hospitals and in the health care industry. He also was a Baltimore police officer.

Baker supports increasing economic development, limiting residential growth in areas without adequate facilities and limiting closed-door meetings.

He also has proposed building a beltway, perhaps a toll road, around the county instead of building bypasses around communities.

Edward S. Calwell Sr.: Calwell was first elected to the Westminster Common Council in 1989. Since 1994, he has served as council president.

That experience, Calwell said, led to his decision to seek a seat on the Board of Commissioners.

"With the tools and leadership I picked up along the way and the ability to negotiate with citizens, it gave me a base to work with so I could seek a higher office," he said.

Calwell, 53, a self-employed training consultant and antique dealer, said his main concern is maintaining the quality of life in the county. Calwell said the county needs to more aggressively lure new businesses. If the county is able to secure major employers, the county's reputation will spread, he said.

Calwell has also been a member of the Carroll County Parks & Recreation Council, Carroll County Rape Crisis Intervention Service and Westminster Municipal Band. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Baltimore and served in the Air Force.

John F. Curran Jr.: In the crowd of Republican candidates, Curran is hoping to distinguish himself by promising something no other candidate has: free trash pickup.

"There's lots to talk about, but this is something that's positive," Curran said. "It's not radical. It's something that should have come about a number of years ago. We are small enough that we are right for it."

If elected, Curran said, he would trim $1.8 million from the Public Works Department's $9.8 million budget by privatizing operations. He said the savings could be used to pay for a competitively bid contract with one hauler. County residents currently pay $100 to $200 for trash service.

Curran said his plan is based on 14 years of experience in the county's Department of Public Works, where he was bureau chief of solid waste and special projects coordinator. He left the department in April, when his position was eliminated. He is unemployed.

Curran promises to cut waste and political favoritism in county government.

"I want to make the hiring process more open and based on guidelines for the position, not because they contributed to your account," he said. "This is a problem in the county."

Donald I. Dell: Dell is seeking his third term as county commissioner.

The former dairy farmer said maintaining a strong school system and preserving more agricultural land will be two of his primary goals if re-elected.

Dell, 73, of Westminster, said he plans to improve the commissioners' leadership. He criticized the current board for failing to stay informed about each department's projects.

"There are a lot of things the commissioners don't know about," he said.

Dell, however, defended the current administration against criticism by commissioner candidates, many of whom have demanded an overhaul of county government.

"Things are in a good state," he said. "It's not like Carroll County is falling apart and we need to turn everything upside down."

Dell is past president of the Carroll County Farm Bureau and past vice president of the Maryland State Farm Bureau.

Robin Bartlett Frazier: Frazier has been active in county politics for 20 years.

But this year, instead of supporting someone else's campaign, she decided it was time to run her own.

"It was my turn to be the strong, moral, conservative candidate and stand up for what's right," said Frazier, 38, of Manchester. "We seem to be going in a direction of bigger government and more taxes. That's not what people want."

Frazier said she will use her experience as a loan officer in the banking industry to tighten budgets and run government more efficiently.

"It's a matter of setting priorities. Government should be providing the things that they are supposed to: roads, schools, health and safety and then take a look at what's left," she said.

She was appointed to the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission in 1994 and served until April, when she resigned to campaign for commissioner. In 1990, she was elected to the Republican Central Committee.

Julia Walsh Gouge: After losing her bid for lieutenant governor in 1994, Gouge took a break from politics. She was host of a cable show and ran her family's trucking business.

But this year, Gouge, 58, of Hampstead, who served two terms as county commissioner from 1986 to 1994, has decided to return to the political arena, seeking a third term as commissioner.

In her time away from the Board of Commissioners, Gouge said she has watched the county government grow distant from the public. If elected, she plans to hold public meetings throughout the county as she did during her last two terms in office.

"People knew they could come, and it made people feel they are close to government," she said.

Like other candidates, Gouge said the county should promote economic development more aggressively, not only to help the tax base but also to solve commuting problems.

"We have half of our people going outside the county for jobs," she said. "They could work right here at home."

Gouge served as mayor of Hampstead from 1983 to 1986 and was a member of the Hampstead Town Council from 1979 to 1983.

James E. Harris Sr.: Harris looks back at the last four years in Carroll County government with frustration.

"It's the worst four years I can remember," he said.

Harris said poor management has led to cost overruns on a number of county construction projects, including several new schools and the detention center.

"Nobody is watching the store," said Harris, 56, owner of Red Hill Landscaping. "More time is spent fighting over stupid issues than helping the public."

He said he plans to protect landowners' property rights, promote economic development and make the county government accountable to the public.

Harris is president of the West Carroll Republican Club and was active in Citizens Against Big Charter Government.

Patricia Holbert: Holbert's campaign for county commissioner has taken her into the county detention center, planning commission meetings and 12-hour ride-alongs with sheriff's deputies.

"I've been trying to find out where the money goes," said Holbert, 41, of Westminster. "I've been going around to various institutions. I don't know if any other candidate is doing what I'm doing."

She said her travels throughout the county have helped her identify the primary issues of her campaign -- creating smaller, more efficient government; widening the tax base with economic development; and working with law enforcement to find solutions to the growing drug problem.

She has proposed a whistle-blower program that would reward county employees for identifying waste or corruption.

"There are plenty of decent, hard-working people working for the county," she said. "It's the ones that don't that we need to get rid of.

Holbert is a substitute teacher in Carroll County Public Schools. She served on the citizens committee of the Land Use Team for revising the county Master Plan. She is vice president of Residents Attacking Drugs and a member of the Landowners Association.

Melvin Mills: Like Michael Baker, Mills has promoted his business acumen as one of his primary qualifications for commissioner.

"I really feel government needs to have a business climate," said Mills, 56, of Finksburg. "You're managing a very large budget in government. Business philosophies need to be brought into government."

One of those philosophies is customer service. Mills said he would require all county employees to enroll in a customer service course.

"I really believe, in most cases, county employees don't understand who they work for," he said. "They really work for the people of the county."

Mills is owner of Mills Communications Inc. of Westminster.

He has been promoting three primary goals during his campaign -- maintain a reasonable property tax; increase the industrial tax base from 11 percent of total tax base to 18 percent to 21 percent; and unify the county.

Mills said citizens do not feel close to county government. He suggested holding commissioner meetings throughout the county and establishing advisory boards made up of residents.

George William Murphy III: Murphy had no intention of running for political office when he moved to Carroll County from Baltimore County in 1993. But when the urban problems he hoped to escape followed him, Murphy reconsidered.

"I saw overdevelopment and drug use. All the things were coming back to haunt me," said Murphy, 49, of Sykesville.

If elected, Murphy said, he would open an office of substance abuse to combat the county's drug problem; balance the needs of development and land preservation; and improve the lives of the working poor.

"They are the perennial victims of the drug trade," he said. "They have so much to lose. I understand where they are coming from."

Murphy is the assistant superintendent with Wakefield Valley Golf Course in Westminster.

He has been a community activist in Baltimore County, fighting the crack-cocaine trade, protesting against adult entertain- ment establishments and lobbying for forest and farmland preservation.

Stephen Matthew Nevin: Nevin, 37, bristles when asked whether he is too young to be a county commissioner.

It's experience, he argues, not age, that counts.

Nevin points to a lifetime of experience working and playing in Carroll County, and more than a decade working as an accountant and sales representative.

He said he plans to use his business skills to improve the quality of life in Carroll County by increasing citizen involvement, cracking down on drugs and making his position as commissioner a full-time job.

Nevin said he is driven by the fundamental desire of all parents to improve the community for their children.

"I'd hate to have my kids ask me, 'Why did it get that way?' and know I didn't do anything about it," he said.

Among his goals as commissioner, Nevin says, are monthly public meetings, establishing a hot line for citizens to call to express concerns, and promoting programs to eliminate drugs.

He was a registered representative of Prudential Insurance Company of America before resigning this year to campaign full time.

Betty L. Smith: Smith needs only to look as far as the closest portable classroom to remind herself why she's running for commissioner.

She has dubbed the portables "monuments to mismanaged growth."

If elected, Smith said, she will fight mismanagement.

"I'm worried about the state of the county," said Smith, 49, of Westminster. "I'm worried about the county economically. I want to set new guidelines for decision-making in government. I think they should be based on fact, not opinion. All decisions that are made will affect our county five to 10 years in the future."

Smith, a part-time legal assistant for a Westminster attorney, is a member of the Republican Central Committee and executive board member of the Carroll County Republican Club.

Smith said one her goals as commissioner would be to set new guidelines for county government appointments. She said the county needs to establish new standards to eliminate political favoritism.

She also would aim to increase economic development by offering more incentives to businesses.

Harvey I. Tegeler Jr.: Tegeler decided to make his first bid for public office after growing increasingly frustrated with the current Board of Commissioners.

"I felt as though the current board was such an enormous source of disappointment. I found so many glaring problems from so many different areas. It was necessary for someone with business experience to run," he said.

Tegeler, 45, president of Interstate Financial Services Inc. in Westminster, said he has the experience to offer.

Like James E. Harris, Tegeler has criticized the county's management of construction projects, including the county detention center and Cranberry Elementary School. Both projects have come in over budget, he said.

"It's one thing after another. There appears to be nobody at the helm," he said.

Tegeler is also critical of how the county handled economic development opportunities, a number of which were lost because the commissioners did not pursue them aggressively, he said.

"They dropped the ball," he said. The county needs to develop a more professional attitude in dealing with businesses prospects, said.

Tegeler has been president of the South Carroll Republicans for three terms and vice president for two.

Tegeler moved to Carroll County 13 years ago from Baltimore County.

Richard Yates: "Promises Kept" has become the mantra of Yates' bid for re-election.

Yates said he has remained true to two promises he made in 1994, when he said he would not raise taxes and he would control growth. Yates said voters can expect more of the same if he is re-elected.

"I think we can fit a lot more in the county. But we have to do it in an orderly fashion," he said.

Commissioner Dell has criticized the current commissioners for not keeping tabs on the day-to-day operations of the county. Yates, however, disagreed, saying the commissioners should not distracted by micromanaging the county.

"I don't believe in checking over everyone's shoulder," he said.

Yates also rebuffed criticism from other candidates, many of whom say the commissioners have failed to manage the county properly.

"I did the same thing when I was on the outside," he said.

Yates, a World War II veteran, was awarded the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Purple Heart.

Democrats

Perry L. Jones Jr.: After 11 years as a member of the Union Bridge Town Council and eight years as the town's mayor, Jones is seeking higher political office.

"I felt like I needed to give a little more to the community," said Jones, 46, who works at his family-owned auto service center.

Like other candidates, Jones' main campaign issues are growth, education and crime.

"We need a sensible growth plan for Carroll County and quality education in schools," he said.

Jones said he will fight the fear of crime through education and more effective law enforcement. He also plans to make the county's school system a priority.

Jones has been a member of the Union Bridge Fire Department for 24 years and is past president of the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League.

Roger Larry Mann: Mann had never thought to run for public office, but watching the county government the last few years made him reconsider.

Mann, 49, of Westminster, said the government has drifted from the people it represents.

"The theme of my campaign is going to be 'Commissioners for Citizens,' " said Mann, who owns and manages several residential duplexes in Westminster.

Mann wants to create a "citizen-based" budgeting process that encourages more input from residents.

"It's my approach where you have several meetings where citizens can observe the budget. They can observe how their money is spent. It is not a one-meeting affair," he said.

Randy M. Reese: At 32, Reese, of Hampstead, is the youngest candidate for the Carroll County Board of Commissioners.

"I felt that the majority of the people running are a little bit older, and they don't know what it's like to live in Carroll County and try to make ends meet," said Reese, a building and remodeling contractor.

"I'm just your average guy," he said. "I know what it's like to bounce checks."

If elected, Reese said, he would try to figure out a way to make the county a more affordable place to live for the younger generation.

Like other candidates, Reese advocates attracting more business to the county by investing in infrastructure, including a large industrial park and good roads.

Reese is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland Air National Guard. He said his work demands have prevented him from campaigning much or soliciting contributions.

Maxine Carole Wooleyhand: Since moving to Carroll County 30 years ago, Wooleyhand has watched the county grow from a rural community to a major suburb.

L Much of the growth has not been controlled, Wooleyhand said.

So, Wooleyhand, 55, of Sykesville, has made growth control a priority in her campaign for commissioner. She said she plans to make sure there are adequate schools, roads and other infrastructure before growth is allowed.

"I have a hard time seeing more growth before we have infrastructure. It's putting the cart before the horse," she said.

Wooleyhand also said she would combat the county's drug problem by placing undercover police cadets in the schools. She also proposed mandatory parent involvement in drug seminars.

Wooleyhand, a retired day care provider, served on the Sykesville Town Council from 1987 to 1991 and is vice president of the Democratic Central Committee.

Independent

Carolyn Fairbank: As an independent, Fairbank has set herself apart as the only candidate guaranteed a spot on the November ballot.

Fairbank collected more than the 2,600 signatures required to get her name on the November ballot. Her name will not appear on the primary ballot.

"At this point in time, I don't believe either party accurately reflects my views," said Fairbank, 45, who had been a Democrat for 23 years.

If elected, Fairbank, of Eldersburg, said she would promote common-sense growth management, improve teacher-to-student ratios and increase economic development.

"Development needs to pay for development," she said. "For too long, development has never had to pay for itself. It's time we make them do that."

She also advocates opening up government to citizens by holding night meetings and keeping all meetings open.

"I think it's time the government remember who they work for," she said.

Fairbank, a 25-year resident of the county, is chairwoman of the Freedom Area Citizens Council and president of the Carroll Highlands Community Association.

Fairbank is owner of Quest-STAR Consulting, an international information technology consulting and training company.

Pub Date: 9/06/98