Gardina says he won't run for County Council again
Five-term councilman says, 'I'm interested in doing something else'
By Bryan P. Sears, bsears@patuxent.com
Posted 9/09/09
Gardina, a Democrat and five-term member of the council who represents Perry Hall and Towson, said yesterday that his 20 years on the council are enough.
“I’m not interested in doing it,” said Gardina after a council meeting Tuesday night. “I’m interested in doing something else.”
For now, Gardina said he is interested in continuing to teach.
Gardina, arguably the environmental conscience of the council, has two masters degrees in civil and environmental engineering. He currently teaches math and science at an area private school.
“I’d like to continue teaching and maybe doing something else related to the environment,” Gardina said.
The County Charter prohibits Gardina from teaching in county schools because of his role on the County Council. If he left the council, he would be eligible to teach in county schools.
Gardina, the only councilman to serve five terms, got his start as a community activist in Perry Hall. He wrote a weekly column for The Times, a local community paper, that frequently dealt with environmental issues.
In 1990, he challenged Democrat Norman Lauenstein, a four-term councilman, campaigning on residential growth and property tax issues. A wave of anti-tax, anti-incumbent sentiment helped lift Gardina to victory.
During his five terms, Gardina became known for advocating for environmental bills including tax credits for commercial and residential green buildings. The council this week passed Gardina’s bill requiring residential recycling of household electronics.
But Gardina said he’s most proud of his work in creating standards for the Honeygo area of Perry Hall. The area, one of two designated growth areas in the county, was slated for as many as 15,000 new homes in the early 1990s.
David Marks, a longtime activist in Perry Hall, credits Gardina with creating standards that mandated quality housing design, more park land and resulted in about one-third of the homes that could have been built in the area.
“The Honeygo plan he authored in his first term is his most lasting legacy,” Marks said.
And if there are any regrets, Gardina said his biggest one is not being more diplomatic.
“I wasn’t always as diplomatic as I wanted to be,” he said.
Marks, who was a high school senior when he campaigned for Gardina in 1990, said a lack of diplomacy was never a problem early on.
“He worked hard and had the support of both Democrats and Republicans,” said Marks, a Republican who is frequently mentioned as contender for Gardina’s seat. “He forged coalitions and some of us wish he had done that in recent years.”
Gardina’s announcement is certain to bring out a slew of potential candidates for the office.
Towson activist Mike Ertel has already started raising money and said earlier this year he intends to run for the seat.
Other Democrats mentioned as possible candidates include Bill Paulshock, a Perry Hall businessman; Kathy Reiner Martin, an environmental activist friend of Gardina who ran for the seat in 2006; and Jeff Magness, a county correctional officer and executive vice president of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees.
A sizable campaign war chest and continued fundraising earlier this year signal that Gardina could be eying another elected office.
“I haven’t ruled out running for another office,” Gardina said this week, adding that he has “a significant amount of funds.”
His most recent campaign finance report, filed with the state Board of Elections in January, shows a cash balance of nearly $150,000.
He acknowledged after Tuesday night’s council meeting that he has continued to raise money. While he would not say exactly how much he has raised, he acknowledged that the amount is between $200,000 and $300,000.
Gardina has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the 7th District State Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Andy Harris. Harris has said he plans to seek a rematch against Rep. Frank Kratovil for the 1st Congressional District seat.
Gardina would only say the senate race is one option he is considering, and has made no decisions on his political future.
In 2006, Councilman John Olszewski Sr. and Gardina spearheaded an effort to add a provision to the County Charter that would allow councilmen to hold state jobs. The bill was passed by the council but ultimately rejected by voters in the 2006 election.
Gardina said that vote had nothing to do with his decision to leave the council.
“I didn’t have a state job lined up then and I don’t have one lined up now,” Gardina said.
user comments (2)
user brucerobinson says...
The first time I went out with my then-future wife, she took me to a fund raiser for her friend Vince. I found him to be quiet, intense and passionate about environmental issues. He was also likable and had great bona fides. He remained faithful to his passions over these twenty years. He did much for the community, although I didn't always agree with him. I chided him over turning my son the aluminum can collector (to self-fund a trip to Australia with People to People) into a criminal for picking up cans from the curb. I regularly reminded him of his role as a representative when he would use the Patuxent papers to blast a complaining constituent. It seemed to me that as he became more partisan, he became less tactful. Interesting that the article mentions David Marks. David has lived and breathed his passion for a strong community, too. He has dedicated his professional life to public service and his community life to improving his community. He has not been blinded by partisanship, choosing to evaluate the information available and make the decision for actions that were for the best, whether campaigning for Vince or for Al Redmer and Jim Ports. If he were available, the 5th Council District could do a lot worse than this dedicated community worker, David Marks. It would be hard pressed to better, though.
Posted 12:35 PM, 09.11.09
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