Attendance - Questions for Council Candidates

Editor's Note - Welcome to the 13th installment of Questions for Council Candidates. Recently, Hyattsville Patch sent a 15 part questionnaire to candidates running in this year's Hyattsville City Council election. The questions, developed with the help of Hyattsville Patch readers, probe the candidates thoughts on city policy, development, and also asked the candidates to do a little self reflection. 

Between now and May 7, Hyattsville Patch will be publishing their responses to each question to help you, the reader, make a more informed decision at the polls on May 7. Here now are the responses to the 13th question. Responses are organized alphabetically by ward.

Question - Absenteeism has been an issue for the current Hyattsville City Council. Describe your other obligations, personal and professional, and how you would be able to minimize conflicts with your council duties?

Bill Jenne - I’m starting a small financial advisor practice here in Hyattsville after leaving a large broker/dealer last year. I will be working from home for the time being and at present I can’t foresee my practice growing so large in the next 4 years that it would prevent me from being an extremely effective council member. I will have time to answer city business calls during the week, or at least return calls relatively promptly.

Bart Lawrence - My main obligations are as follow: my family; my day job, which is sometimes a night or weekend job; the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA; The Friends of the Hyattsville Library; etc. 

Family: my wife and I have somewhat flexible schedules and we’ve grown accustomed to juggling varying demands (i.e., two children).

Day job: I’m fortunate to have a position that provides flexibility. 

HES-PTA: there’s little doubt that my council duties will necessitate a ratcheting down of my efforts with the PTA, but the PTA is led by a handful of energetic and engaged community members, so it’s in good hands (my term as president ends in June 2014). 

Friends of the Hyattsville Library: my attendance at Friends’ meetings has been spotty, I admit, but the library is one of my favorite assets in the City, and though it’s a County entity, my attention to our library will continue. 

Etc.: I’m certain other interests will arise that place demands on my time, but I find the more involved and occupied life to be the more rewarding life, if not tiring. I take my commitment to the voters seriously. I will be engaged. I expect this to be a rewarding experience.

Ward 2 Candidates:

Robert Croslin - I am self-employed and able to be flexible with my scheduling. I have an aging mother in Baltimore, but my brother lives closer to her than I and is able to respond for emergencies.

David Hiles (Incumbent) - Showing up is not good enough. I have a record of doing my homework, participating in meetings, and getting things done.  I’ll keep it up if you give me another term in office.

Ward 3 Candidate:

Patrick Paschall - Serving on City Council will be an honor and privilege, one which I intend to treat with respect and dedication.  Far from simply committing to attend City Council meetings, I commit to come to meetings fully prepared and to proactively engage in policy debates.  I believe that effective policymaking includes not just engaging in discussions on the dais, but also working closely with other Council Members to collaboratively create policies that effectively serve the city residents.  This means not just creating policy proposals, but sharing those proposals with colleagues in advance so they have adequate opportunity for input and feedback.

I have a very exciting career as a civil rights attorney working on federal administrative agency policy.  My work focuses primarily on policy analysis and advocacy, which can be demanding at times but is often done during normal business hours.  While I sometimes work late to meet deadlines, my organization also has flexible scheduling to allow our staff to work from home and generous compensatory time policies, which allows me adequate time to take care of personal needs.

My wife, Sara, and I are also very excited to have our first child on the way.  With the love and support of Sara, we are committed to sharing the responsibility of childcare but are also committed to making sure that we can be part of solutions to ensuring that our children grow up in a truly special place.  We consider my service on City Council as a joint venture in giving back to the city we love by sharing in our home responsibilities to ensure that I can truly dedicate myself to public service.

Ward 4 Candidates:

Ross Gateretse - If elected, I will find the time to be available and schedule my personal and professional life around the city council schedule. Absenteeism is a problem, but I also understand people get sick or have travel obligations. City council responsibilities are important, but if I were to miss a meeting, the mayor will be the first to be briefed of my unavailability and will know my thoughts about the issues at that meeting. I will also watch the video of the meeting. 

Edouard Haba - Based on my current personal and professional obligations, I do not foresee any scheduling conflict with City Council's meetings and other official activities. Also, the fact that City Council meetings' dates are known ahead, will help me plan other activities accordingly.

Ward 5 Candidates:

Pastor Herrera - Editor's Note - Herrera did not submit responses to this questionnaire before the publication deadline.

Joseph Solomon - I am certain my current attendance record is better than a number of current council members and as a representative intend to maintain my commitment to attend meetings.

Clayton Williams - I have been regularly attending council meetings as a citizen since September. In that time, my attendance record has been better than most sitting Councilors. While I have felt duty-bound to attend as a citizen and now a candidate, as a sitting member, my duty to attend would be even greater. If we are deciding the benefits packages for employees, and guiding the city’s growth that directly impacts the lives of the residents, the City Council should be our first priority.