Candidates for county commissioner District 3 — Republicans

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006

Monifa Tarjamo, 34, Waldorf, freelance journalist

Jim Howard Thompson, 54, Waldorf, grocery store employee

Eric Vrem, 31, Waldorf, real estate agent and vascular specialist

Q Many residents have complained about rising property tax bills. Should the county consider rolling back the tax rate?

Crawford: ‘‘Yes, the operative word being ‘consider.’” Wants to review the budget to ‘‘see what we can and cannot do.” Suggests adopting a program for the poor and elderly that would tax houses at the value of their mortgage, not the assessment. ‘‘There are innovative programs that must be considered to hold the line on property taxes.”

Tarjamo: ‘‘Absolutely,” considering the rising price of gas, food and other necessities. ‘‘We need a break someplace.”

Thompson: ‘‘Short answer — yes.” The tax rate is based on the market value of homes, which is somewhat inflated and will eventually fall. The commissioners should not get in the habit of spending the excess revenue.

Vrem: ‘‘Yes.” Home values are rising approximately 20 percent every year. ‘‘We definitely need to do something about it. ... There are some seniors whose property tax is higher than their mortgage has ever been.”

Q The commissioners have embarked on a comprehensive road-building program to relieve traffic congestion in the more highly populated areas of the county. What ideas do you have or what would you do to continue fixing the county’s traffic problems?

Crawford: The county has gotten ‘‘short sheeted” on state transportation money. Supports second span for the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. ‘‘We definitely need that. ... What happens if there is a terrorist attack?” in Washington, D.C., and evacuees have to cross a two-lane bridge? County also needs a new bridge on the western side, but that will take a ‘‘long time to stew.”

Tarjamo: The Waldorf bypass should be designed to extend past La Plata, and Metro should be extended to the county.

Thompson: ‘‘We should develop more elaborate interchanges, such as they have done in Prince George’s County.” But the proposed Waldorf bypass ‘‘just puts [other projects] on hold. ... We need to resolve the Waldorf bypass question once and for all.”

Vrem: ‘‘I think light rail would be a great solution here” to parallel U.S. 301 or Route 210. ‘‘The biggest issue with light rail is if we’re going to do it, we have to do it soon.”

Q Do you support a Waldorf bypass⁄upgrade? If so, which alignment do you favor?

Crawford: ‘‘To me the most urgent and practical thing to do is to upgrade 301.” Clinton overpass system was ‘‘a tough pill to swallow” for businesses, but it has proved to be a ‘‘huge benefit. ... By putting that bypass in, it revitalized the area. If the federal government can build a bridge to nowhere, then give us a couple of bypasses, dang it.”

Tarjamo: ‘‘Upgrading what we already have is much better than building something new.” Proposes an upgrade with two new lanes replacing the median strip.

Thompson: Supports a bypass if it would connect Baltimore or Washington, D.C., to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. The state should fund it.

Vrem: An upgrade might kill road-fronting businesses, but an alternate route would ‘‘just bypass Waldorf and hit La Plata.” A bypass of both Waldorf and La Plata is needed.

Q Do you support the county’s recent purchase of the financially ailing Capital Clubhouse skating rink?

Crawford: ‘‘I don’t know the details on that. ... I understand the needs for activities for young people. ... Whether [the buyout] was financially acceptable, I don’t know.”

Tarjamo: ‘‘Absolutely not. No, I don’t think it was a good purchase.” The county paid more than the building cost to build. ‘‘If something is doing poorly, you buy it for bargain-basement rates.” Activity fees are still too high.

Thompson: ‘‘No. The clubhouse needed county help to open up in the first place, and that should have been a red flag that it was not a good idea.”

Vrem: ‘‘Do I believe it could have been done differently? Yes.” But the building can be useful to the county for youth events. ‘‘It’s time for us as a county to actually take advantage of it. ... Most people don’t know it’s there.”

Q Do you support the county’s plans to spend at least $7 million to help build a minor league baseball stadium in Waldorf?

Crawford: ‘‘I like the concept of a minor league stadium. ... I’ve got friends that hate it and other friends who say it’s the smartest thing we’ve ever done.” Doesn’t agree with cost overruns. ‘‘That’s just going in the wrong direction. At some point, you need to draw the line.”

Tarjamo: ‘‘I personally do not think that is a good idea at all.” Developing a stadium to attract people and businesses to the county is ‘‘putting the carriage before the horse. ... I think it’s going to end up losing a tremendous amount of money for the county.”

Thompson: ‘‘As it stands now, I’m uncomfortable with that idea.” Does not support additional county funding for the project. Stadiums ‘‘have not proven to be a moneymaker,” and businesses in Prince George’s County are not raving about the Bowie Baysox stadium. ‘‘At this point, I would vote it down.”

Vrem: The $7 million price tag ‘‘is a lot of money,” but the state will provide an equal portion for the project. The stadium could be ‘‘a big plus” for attracting businesses to the county.

Q Charles County continues to face a shortage of affordable and workforce housing. What ideas do you have or what would you do to relieve this problem?

Crawford: ‘‘Mixed-income housing is a good idea.” Would like to see a subsidized ownership program, not more Section 8 rental assistance. Wants to turn Section 8 recipients ‘‘from somebody who is needing tax dollars to someone who is paying tax dollars.” Zoning code should allow smaller houses to be built.

Tarjamo: Suggests tax breaks for developers who participate in an inclusionary zoning program. Supports a smaller minimum size for homes.

Thompson: Proposes a redevelopment zone between Route 925 and U.S. 301 in Waldorf that could help create a viable downtown featuring owner-occupied townhouses or condominiums. Seniors need group homes — the senior communities with house prices starting around $600,000 are ‘‘ridiculous” and out of reach for many seniors.

Vrem: The lack of affordable housing is ‘‘one of the key things that is affecting the county.” The houses currently being built are out of the range of the middle class. Proposes an inclusionary zoning policy