The following open letter was addressed to the Brickyard Coalition.
Thank you for the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Coalition recently to discuss a wide range of issues affecting our county. I enjoyed the discussion.
Good government requires that elected officials ensure that communities are involved in a meaningful way in the decisions that affect them. Public trust in government erodes when government leaders make deals behind closed doors, as the Brickyard community knows all too well. As a member of the County Council since 1998, I have worked openly and closely with many communities on a broad range of issues that affect them. I was one of the County Councilmembers who sent a letter publicly urging County Executive Leggett to work with the Coalition to find a mutually acceptable use of the Brickyard Road site.
From the discussions I’ve had with Coalition representatives in the past two years, as well as from conversations I’ve had with other residents in the Brickyard community when I knocked on their doors, I understand that many people in the community would like the Brickyard Road school site to be used as an educational farm. It would be an appealing use of the property and would have significant public benefits. However, whether or not that worthy idea comes to fruition, which would require the approval of the Montgomery County Board of Education, the underlying and enduring interest of the community is ensuring that the use of the site is compatible with the community. I’ll work closely with the Coalition to achieve that outcome.
Before I was elected to the County Council, I led battles for more open and accountable government as the executive director of Common Cause Maryland from 1988–1994. Those efforts resulted in strengthening the state’s Open Meetings law to require zoning discussions be held in the open. Those efforts also limited political action committee (PAC) contributions for the first time in state and county elections. Since I first ran for the County Council 20 years ago, I’ve refused campaign funds from developers and PACs. I’m the only candidate running for County Executive who isn’t financed by interest groups. I’ll bring that same commitment to open, accountable, and responsive government to the office of County Executive.
Phil Andrews
County Executive candidate