Newcomer facing final incumbent commissioner
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Mon Oct 11, 2010, 07:57 AM EDT
— OAKLAND — Just three weeks remain before the Nov. 2 general election, when Garrett County voters will cast ballots to decide several hotly contested local races.
One of those is for the District 3 seat on the county commission, which incumbent Republican Denny Glotfelty hopes to retain by defeating Democrat challenger Bill Welch.
Glotfelty is now at the end of his first term, and is the only incumbent commissioner to get through the September primary.
He said he was surprised by his fellow commissioners’ defeats in the primary, and he’s still campaigning on fundamentally the same issues and strategy as when he was first elected four years ago.
“We’re going to keep going forward,” Glotfelty said. “We’re looking at affordable housing, we’re working on new business partners to create good jobs, and we lowered taxes. I’m running pretty much on the same thing as I did four years ago, because I did what I said I’d do.”
But according to Welch, the county needs to make changes, not simply stay on the same track. He pointed out that young people are leaving the county in droves and possibly the only way to keep them in the area is the creation of different kind of jobs that are based in technology and the Internet.
Welch also said that the county should reduce its real property tax rate to free up money for businesses and residents alike.
“My opponent had four years to do that and didn’t get it done,” he said. “I’m not going to attack him, but the record speaks for itself.”
Glotfelty said the current commission has already taken steps to develop the county’s technological offerings, including supporting the new Career Technology Training Center in Accident and working to tap into the recently-announced federal grant to extend broadband Internet service to rural parts of Maryland.
Welch faces a built-in disadvantage as a Democratic candidate in Garrett County, a longtime Republican stronghold. He described himself as a conservative Democrat who wants to see fewer regulations on businesses and who is comfortable working with Republicans to bridge the party gap.
“I’m reaching out to Republicans, and they have reached out to me,” Welch said. “The Republican support is surprising, but not surprising when you consider my conservative values and business background.
Apart from the campaign, Glotfelty is fighting a different battle — an ongoing one against cancer — that has included several hospitalizations. But he’s also continued to attend meetings on commission business and says that he’s physically and mentally capable of tackling another term.
“It’s not easy, but we’re getting through it,” he said. “I’m a little sluggish, but people understand. The cancer seems to be staying stable. It’s just going to take a little time to heal up.”
Contact Megan Miller at mmiller@times-news.com
