Endorsement: Jim Racheff
Frederick, MD

In many ways we entrust the most valuable things in our lives to wellbeing of our community: our families, our friends, our jobs and businesses. What happens here matters deeply to all of us who have decided to make Frederick our home – which is why I’m supporting Kai Hagen for county commissioner.

As a business owner I know that the quality of the people that comprise an organization is the single biggest factor in determining that organizations’s success. It’s not the form of government or the particular rules and procedures that make for a good county government, it’s quality of our county commissioners that make the difference. And when it comes to people, past behavior is usually the best predictor of future performance. During the past four years Kai Hagen has demonstrated that he has the qualities to lead this community.

We need leaders that are trustworthy and genuine. Kai Hagen has supported ethics and lobbying reform – both before and after he was elected to office. His actions as a commissioner have been completely consistent with the statements he made during his last campaign. With Kai, there’s no pretense or slight-of-hand you find in career politicians; the person you see on the dais at a meeting at Winchester Hall is the same person you’ll run into on the Church Street afterwards.

We need leaders that are accessible to the citizens. There is no other elected official that I know that’s as accessible and willing to discuss the issues as Kai Hagen. And whether you happen to hold a similar perspective or opposing view on a topic, Kai’s always willing to have a thoughtful debate on the merits.

We need leaders that are not only knowledgeable about the issues, but have the courage to take them on. Kai Hagen is extremely knowledgeable about the issues that we’re facing today: how to responsibly manage growth and development, how to address our solid waste management dilemmas, how to preserve our rural heritage and natural resources, how to effectively provide the essential services we rely on – especially in times like this of economic uncertainty. These aren’t easy problems to solve, but during his term Kai has been willing to tackle them head-on.

Kai Hagen advocated for revisiting the New Market Regional plan long before he was a commissioner. And after he was elected Kai worked with stakeholders to develop an agreement that would help the Lake Linganore community move forward. Anyone that wonders about Kai’s commitment to supporting smart, responsible growth need look no further than that agreement or the recently completed county-wide comprehensive plan.

Most importantly, we need leaders that are passionate about serving this community. That’s is self-evident when you hear Kai Hagen speak about Frederick County.