Three commissioner seats up for election in Emmitsburg

Four people are running for three seats on the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners in Tuesday's election.

Of the three board seats up for election on the five-member board, two will be for three-year terms. The other seat will be for a single year.

The top two vote-getting candidates will receive three-year terms and the third place vote-getter will get the one-year term, Town Clerk Sabrina King wrote in an email.

Until now, commissioners have served three-year terms, according to the town charter.

As of January, Emmitsburg had 2,020 registered voters, including 591 Democrats and 866 Republicans, according to state records.

Rosario Benvengi

Rosario Benvengi previously served on the commission, has served as deputy sheriff and owned and run two businesses in Emmitsburg, according to a 2021 interview with The Frederick News-Post.

He also ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the commission in 2021 on a platform of supporting infrastructure.

He noted the importance of finding new water sources, saying at the time that he "would seek to freeze new construction until an additional water source can be secured."

"The fragile infrastructure facing Emmitsburg is the most important issue," he said then. "The previous board has increased growth for housing and businesses without considering stress on infrastructure."

He also said the growth had led to "traffic congestion, which should have been addressed already."

Benvengi did not respond to emails on Tuesday and Friday seeking an interview for this story.

Kevin Hagan

Kevin Hagan has lived in Emmitsburg for nearly 30 years and works in healthcare, serving as a senior consultant for ROI Healthcare Solutions, according to his LinkedIn page.

He has served as the chairperson of the town's Planning Commission and been an active member of the Emmitsburg Business and Professional Alliance.

"You have to step into the community and get involved or you can't complain," he said.

Hagan said he would like to apply the business-minded approach and his work on the town's comprehensive plan, learning "where we want to grow," to his work on the commission if elected.

He said he was concerned about rising water bills and would focus on solutions to reduce them.

The town commissioners agreed in 2023 to raise water rates 36% per year for the next five years.

He also said that accommodating the aging population was a priority.

Hagan said he is a conservative interested in supporting those within the community living below the ALICE line (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The Seton Center described this as "working poor."

The newest ALICE report shows that 55% of Emmitsburg residents live below the threshold.

"I'm knocking on every single door to hear what they have to say," Hagan said.

Jim Hoover

Jim Hoover has a long career in Emmitsburg politics. He served as mayor from 2002 until 2011 and was a commissioner off and on since 1998. He has been part of the current board since being appointed after then-Commissioner Frank Davis became mayor in 2023.

Hoover said he looks forward to solving the water bill situation. He said the increase of 36% per year for five years is unsustainable for the community, especially those living on fixed incomes.

He said the board is actively pursuing a solution.

"My goal is to be able to finish it," he said of those discussions.

Another policy item he stressed was responsible growth. This included infrastructure upgrades and zoning to encourage "development beneficial to the town," he said.

He said he will seek an appointment as the commissioner liaison for the Planning Commission.

He said he residential growth has outpaced commercial and business development. He would argue for policies that were "not intrusive" to the town, yet "keep Emmitsburg sustainable" in a holistic perspective, he said.

Hoover said he would want to keep this long view in mind with projects like the Frailey Farm annexation.

Emmitsburg's 2015 Comprehensive Plan identified Frailey Farm as an area for future growth, but a 2022 proposed annexation has yet to bring the site into town limits.

Cliff Sweeney

Cliff Sweeney, another current commissioner, has served nine terms total. Since 1996, he has served all but two years.

Sweeney highlighted the improved parks, as well as infrastructure, including sidewalks, among the projects he was most proud of contributing to.

He said he would look to build on this idea and create more opportunities for public gatherings and community activities.

Sweeney said he would like to see Little League return to Emmitsburg instead of going to Thurmont.

"We lost our Little League, which was a big part of our town," he said. "We need to get our children's activities back here in town."

He, like Hoover and Hagan, pointed to water bills as a major concern. He said a meeting on Monday in which the matter was discussed is evidence of the urgency.

He said the board debated ways to have water services "pay for itself and not lose money," yet also not cost residents so much money "that they can't pay their water bills."

Further, he would like to continue to bring transparency to the town government and promote business growth. He stressed his desire to see a robust Emmitsburg neighborhood atmosphere.

"I want to try to get our community all together," Sweeney continued. "You know, the new and the old to mix together and make our community stronger."

Voters must have registered by Aug. 30 to vote in Tuesday's election.

Registered voters can cast ballots at the old town office at 22 E. Main St. between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday.