Board Remained Unchanged After Election
James Rada, Jr.
Mayor Don Briggs easily won election to a fourth term as mayor of Emmitsburg on September 29, 2020. Of the 398 votes cast for the mayor, Briggs won 230 of them.
“I am humbled by the results,” Briggs said. “It just means that I have to work hard to serve the community.”
The mayor’s race was a contested election, with former Mayor James Hoover and Board of Commissioners President Cliff Sweeney. Hoover received 110 votes, and Sweeney received 58.
“I ran against two true gentlemen opponents, where only the issues were discussed,” Briggs said during the October 5 town meeting.
Briggs noted that the town has a lot going on in terms of development right now, and the town needs to proceed carefully.
“What makes Emmitsburg so special is its small-town feel, and I don’t want to lose that,” Briggs said.
Commissioner Joseph Ritz, III, was also elected on September 29. He ran unopposed and received 331 votes.
Ritz said, “In the next three years, I’d like to address the following: the lack of public parking in town; traffic issues in and around the square; business growth without so many deterring restrictions; offering more for our youth and their families; and our aging and failing utility infrastructures.”
Sandra Dalton, clerk of the Circuit Court for Frederick County, swore in Briggs during the October 5th town meeting. Briggs then swore in Ritz. The ceremony was done without family in attendance because of COVID-19 restrictions.
During the meeting, Briggs recommended new positions for the commissioners for the upcoming year. This happens after every election.
Commissioner Tim O’Donnell was asked to serve as the new president of the board of Commissioners.
Sweeney, who has served as board president for two years, was asked to serve as vice president and the liaison to the Citizens Advisory Committee.
Commissioner T. J. Burns was asked to serve as treasurer.
Commissioner Frank Burns will continue serving as the liaison to the Parks and Recreation Committee, in part, to continue his efforts to bring local youth baseball back to Emmitsburg.
Ritz was asked to serve as the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The board approved the mayor’s recommendations, and the commissioners are now serving in their new positions.
