McKay poised to slow growth, broaden tax credits if reelected to County Council

Jul. 1—Editor’s note: The Frederick News-Post is profiling candidates for various public offices in Frederick County leading up to the July 19 primary elections.

Frederick County Councilman Steve McKay said that, if reelected, he would continue to try to slow development so that it does not overwhelm schools and roads. He would also push for broader tax credits for veterans.

Over the last four years, McKay, a Republican who is among the most vocal members of the council, has sponsored bills that updated the county’s zoning ordinance, established a property tax credit for disabled veterans, expanded eligibility for a tax credit for seniors and uniformed service members and their spouses, and adjusted the fees that developers pay toward school construction projects.

The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on another of his bills that would change the adequate public facilities ordinance to require that large developments in the county adhere to a higher standard for easing traffic.

“Part of the reason for running again is making sure those things don’t get undone,” McKay said. “The wrong next four people on the council can undo all your best work.”

McKay aims to build on the last four years, too. He said he plans to draft a bill to make property tax credits available to more uniformed service members.

Three candidates are campaigning to represent District 2, which includes New Market, Linganore, Ijamsville and parts of Urbana and Mount Airy.

Lisa Jarosinski, who runs her own business preparing tax returns and bookkeeping, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the November general election.

McKay, who in 2018 won the District 2 seat over Jarosinski with 57% of the vote, and Casie Chang, an administrative assistant for Frederick County Public Schools, are vying for the Republican nomination.

McKay works as a national security professional for GCI Inc. and has lived in Monrovia with his family since 1999.

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“I enjoy the work,” McKay said. “I feel that I brought a good voice to the council, and you get a lot of satisfaction from various aspects of the job.”

He said he’s especially proud when he is able to convince a colleague to change their mind about a proposal and vote in his favor, which can be a “rather unique experience for this kind of position.”

If reelected, McKay said he would propose changing the county’s definition of agritourism to help farm businesses expand and be more competitive with similar businesses in neighboring counties. But, he said he is not yet sure what specific change he would try to make.

McKay was president of Residents Advocating for Land use and the Environment, formerly Residents Against Landsdale Expansion, which fought successfully against development of a Monrovia Town Center in the early 2010’s. (Jarosinski also served on the board for RALE.)

McKay said he would continue to make his voice heard when the county makes decisions about development projects.

Companies building in Frederick County have the option of paying a fee to be exempt from including a certain number of moderately priced dwelling units in a development, McKay said. In a second term, he said he would propose a bill granting the county the authority to approve or deny a developer’s request for a payment-in-lieu option.

The bill, McKay said, would also do away with the payment-in-lieu option for age-restricted housing units. The county needs more affordable housing options for its growing senior population, he said.

McKay said he is not opposed to growth in the county, but he would like to see it happen at a rate that the county’s schools and roads can keep up with.

“I want to have a seat at the table when we start to see more zoning changes come back,” McKay said. “I want to make sure we make good decisions.”

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan