Rockville City Elections '99 - Candidate for Mayor: Krasnow

Rockville City Elections 1999
Candidate Questions and Responses

Questions

Responses
For Mayor
Krasnow
Young

For Council
Adams
Dorsey
Harrison
Robbins
Wang
Wright

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Rose Krasnow, for Mayor
5 Don Mills Court
Age 48 y
Resident 19 y

PARTICIPATION: I am actually pleased that we have so many volunteers who want to serve on a Board, Action Team or other City activity. Low voter participation, is another matter. Rockville's non-partisan and off-year elections decrease attention focused on the political process. Moreover, our citizens are generally satisfied with the way the City isbeing run, so they have little incentive to vote. A major issue would galvanize the population.. I also think that electronic voting via computer will increase participation, particularly among younger residents. We will increase the involvement of our minority population only when we do a better job of making sure that their basic needs, such as food and shelter, are being met.

NEIGHBORHOODS: Although I support Smart Growth, we must protect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. This can be done by preventing cut-through -traffic, minimizing noise impacts from nearby roads, preserving our trees, and preventing encroachment into our parks. Our Neighborhood Resources Program and the newly adopted Environmental Guidelines are both important steps toward neighborhood preservation.

Traffic congestion is a more difficult issue. The number of cars has increased at a faster rate than our population. People do not want to carpool or ride buses, and they use their automobiles for even the shortest of trips. Unless citizens are willing to change, there is little that politicians can do. Fortunately, telecommuting and online shopping may eventually provide some relief.

HOUSING: Increased residential development within the city means moderately priced dwelling units are being built at the King Farm, Rose Hill, and possibly at the Thomas Farm. Moreover, when the former Blandford Apartments were sold, we worked with the developer, who then agreed to keep a majority of the units available for lower income residents. Rockville actually has a large number of moderately priced homes, but the age of the dwellings makes them less than appealing to many first-time homebuyers.

We are currently looking into ways to provide low-cost loans and other incentives to enable owners to rehab their properties. We also plan to broaden the mission of the Housing Authority, so that it can provide housing to people of different income levels.