Schmidt Enters District 1 Council Race

Kevin Schmidt believes he can bring checks and balances to a County Council dominated by Democrats if he's elected in District 1.

Schmidt is a Republican with a background in intelligence, who plans to officially file to run for the open District 1 seat this week. The seat is being vacated by Courtney Watson, who is running for County Executive. 

"I'm of the view that that at the county level we should limit our burden of impact on people's finances," said Schmidt. "There's the rain tax, the gas tax, the motel tax—it's a compilation of pressures being put on citizens in Howard County."

Schmidt, 39, has lived in Ellicott City for four years. He works as the vice president of government relations for the Smiths Group in Washington, D.C.

Schmidt said he wanted to run for County Council because he has always wanted to give back to his community.

"I want to work on transparency in government," said Schmidt. "I get the sense from my community that the development process is already baked, that people don't have a say."

Asked to elaborate, Schmidt said he believes growth is good, but there's a feeling in the community that residents don't have an input on what that growth is going to look like.

"If people communicate with each other," said Schmidt, "both sides can benefit."

"We've got to make it easier for people to participate in government," added Schimdt. "We have to get people to attend community meetings, people have busy lives, but we need to get better at saying 'this is how it affects you.'"

Schmidt said if elected, he'll also focus on improving education and infrastructure in the county, but also hopes adding a Republican to the Council will provide a different perspective.

Currently there are four Democrats serving on the Council—Watson, Mary Kay Sigaty (Dist. 4), Calvin Ball (Dist. 2) and Jen Terrasa (Dist. 3)—and one Republican, Greg Fox (Dist. 5). Sigaty and Ball have already announced plans to run for re-election in 2014.

Schmidt's career arc sent him through different offices in the U.S. Congress. He started out in the office of Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde after graduating from Catholic University in 1997. 

About a month before 9/11 he joined the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the U.S. House of Representatives. Schmidt described the next six years working for the committee and then later in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security as  a "blur".

Schmidt said he learned that, "Regardless of the circumstances you have to be steady, have a clear mind, and not get caught up in emotions," during his time working with Congress.

Schmidt and two Democrats have announced their intentions to run for the District 1 seat. The Democrats are Dave Grabowski, a founding member of the Elkridge Athletic Association as well as nine-year member of the Planning Board, and Jon Weinstein, an Ellicott City businessman who lost a 2010 election for District 9A in 2010.

Schmidt said that although he may have a lower profile right now in the community than his opponents, "At the end of the day, I look forward to proving myself to the District 1 citizens."

District 1 includes most of Ellicott City as well as parts of northern Elkridge.