January 21, 2024 • 33 mins
Meet the dynamic young man who is the mayor of Forest Heights, Mr. Troy Barrington. Lily.
Website:
Mayor's Office | Forest Heights, MD - Official Website (forestheightsmd.gov)
Instagram:
Troy Barrington Lilly (@troyblilly) • Instagram photos and videos
Website:
Mayor's Office | Forest Heights, MD - Official Website (forestheightsmd.gov)
Instagram:
Troy Barrington Lilly (@troyblilly) • Instagram photos and videos
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tamara Davis Brown (00:03):
Welcome back to another episode of All
Politics is Local, the Marylandedition with me, your host,
Tamara Davis Brown.
I am starting off the new yearwith a dynamic young man who
happens to be the mayor ofForest Heights, Mr.
Troy Barrington Lilly.
(00:24):
We are so excited to have him.
He is going to tell you a lotabout himself, so I'm not gonna
do much more than introduce himbecause he's gonna give us a
full bio.
But one of the reasons that Iwanted to invite him as guest
speakers, well, obviously weknow that we're in an election
season with at least Congress,that is.
(00:45):
This is the year that all theseats uh for the House of
Representatives are up forelection.
And there will be severalSenate seats, including one seat
here in Maryland, because ourSenator, Mr.
Ben Cardinal, has decided thathe's not going to run for office
again.
He's going to retire.
We have several people running,including our county executive
(01:07):
for Prince George's County,Angela Also Brooks, running for
that seat.
Mayor Troy Barrington Lilly isthe mayor of the town of Forest
Heights.
And he's going to tell you alittle bit more about where that
is and all the good things thatare going on under his
leadership as the new mayor.
So, welcome, Mayor Lilly.
Thank you for joining us todayon All Politics is local.
(01:30):
I'm so glad to have you.
Troy Barrington Lilly (01:32):
Good morning, and thank you, Taylor,
for having me.
It's good to see you.
Happy New Year to you.
And it's great to be a guest onthe show today.
Thank you.
Tamara Davis Brown (01:40):
Very good.
So we're just going to jumpright in and tell the listeners
to, you know, give them a littlebit of bio about who you are.
Did you grow up in the town ofForest Heights?
How you came to the town?
Just give us a little bit ofbackground about your history
and how you came to become mayorof Forest Heights.
Troy Barrington Lil (02:02):
Absolutely.
So I moved to Forest Heightsabout seven years ago.
So I wasn't born and raisedhere.
However, um I grew up inAnorino County, so in Maryland.
My dad was in the army, and wemoved around a little bit, you
know, the beginning, earlyperiod of my life.
But I grew up in Maryland, andso Maryland is home.
And I've always had familymembers in Prince Rogers County.
(02:23):
One of my mom's best friendsused to live off of Branch Ave
in Temple Hills.
My uncle lived in Bladensburg.
My aunt and uncle still live inuh Springdale, and they've been
there for 30 plus years.
So Prince Rogers County wasalways like my second home.
Uh, and then for probably areason similar to a lot of
folks, you know, wanted to be asclose to DC as possible.
But in Maryland, where it's alittle bit more affordable to
(02:45):
live, we landed in Forsyth aboutseven years ago.
It's a small little town.
It's what I like to call abrief reprieve from the hustle
and bustle of the city on yourway out to the exurbs and some
of the more rural areas.
Um, so it's like the best ofeverything, convenient.
Um, you've got trees and you'vegot neighbors who've been here
30 plus years, 40 years, some ofthem.
(03:06):
And that's what really drew mehere.
Tamara Davis Brown (03:08):
Excellent.
Um, so if you uh were born andraised or lived in Anna Rondo,
did you go to Anna Rondo HighSchool?
Where did you go to college?
Uh talk about your education.
Troy Barrington Lilly (03:19):
Yeah, so I graduated from Rundle High
School back in 2000 something.
I'll let folks do that out ontheir own.
Uh, and I actually was one ofthe kids who was trying to find
what is my bath gonna be.
I was really interested in thearts and creativity, but I
wasn't able to hone in rightaway on what I wanted to do.
So I spent um a brief period inthe Maryland Army National
(03:41):
Guard Reserves.
As I said, my dad was in theArmy.
So he was kind of like this isa way for you to kind of figure
out, you know, if this is foryou and what you want to do
afterwards.
After serving that time, um, Iworked for 13 years as a DOD
contractor.
And I worked on a really,really important project, worked
in the office of the JointStack Writer program office, uh,
(04:03):
which is located in Arlington,Virginia.
And that was, I would say,really a light-shaving
experience.
Kind of worked my way up therungs doing some asset
management in the beginning, butI, you know, eventually was
doing photography and design forthat program office.
And if it if you know anythingabout that, they're building the
fifth generation fighter jetfor a lot of the U.S.'s allies
(04:26):
uh and the three services.
And so I got to meet a lot offolks who were pretty high
ranking.
We had engagements that I wascovering with ministers of
defense from Denmark and from uhother nations that wanted to
join the program.
So that was what I would callcharacter building, right?
Learning from very uhsuccessful leaders and then
(04:48):
interacting with folks who wereleaders from other nations,
seeing how people are able towork together in high-pressure
environments to deliver resultsand to manage a lot of
expectations, both external andinternal.
Uh, from there, I moved on andnow I work for Accenture Federal
Services doing product designand development uh for the
(05:08):
national security portfolio.
So that's kind of my bio.
I'm what I like to call anautodidact, right?
Learning on my own and takingexperiences and putting them
together to build my story.
Tamara Davis Brown (05:18):
That's interesting.
That's something that I did notknow about you.
So I'm learning more about youmyself.
I'm gonna get a little bit ofpersonal and ask you, because I
was telling our producer that Ithought you were the youngest
mayor to ever serve, not onlymayor of Forest Heights, but
maybe currently in the state ofMaryland, that I could be wrong.
(05:41):
Uh you said 2000 something, soum, I could be wrong.
But um, if you don't mind, ifyou don't want to share your
age, share whether that fact istrue that you are the youngest
mayor in the town of ForestHeights and perhaps the youngest
mayor in the state of Maryland,if not in this DMV area.
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:02):
Well, look, so now you made me, now I
have to go back and do some uhlook at the records and see what
what's on the books.
But I don't mind sharing myage.
Not no, not at all.
I'm 37.
I am told I was the youngestmayor in Forest Height's
history.
We've had 15 mayors total, withme being the 15.
So I'm told I'm the youngest uhat 37.
Now, the other places, I gottalook this up.
(06:24):
We gotta see uh what otherhistory maybe that we made.
I'd be interested to know.
So thank you for asking.
Okay, very good.
Tamara Davis Brown (06:30):
Now, are you married?
Do you have any children?
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:32):
Or I am married.
My husband and I have beenmarried since uh earlier last
year.
So um, yes, I am marriedhappily, and we don't have any
children.
No, we don't, but we'rethinking about it.
So we'll see.
Ask me that question in acouple years, and we'll see
where we are.
Tamara Davis Brown (06:49):
Okay, very good.
All right.
So you've lived in ForestHeights for 70 years.
Uh, tell the listeners exactlywhere Forest Heights is located
in Maryland.
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:59):
Yes, I can tell you absolutely.
Yeah.
So you come into Forest Heightsuh one of two ways.
If you're leaving DC and you'reon South Capitol Street, where
one side is southwest and oneside is southeast, as soon as
you come across Southern Avenueand you pass the East Over
Shockland Center, when you getto Livingston Road and you see
Henry's on one side and theMcDonald's on the other side,
(07:20):
that is the beginning of theresidential area of four sites.
And once you get to 495, you'releaving it, right?
But if you take Oxenhill Roadand you go past MGM and you're
near Oxenhill Manor, that'sstill four sites.
We've got some of that roadway,and Oxenhill Manor is actually
entirely within our municipalbounds.
Coming to the head highway inthat area, to the left and the
(07:43):
right, we see those houses,that's all full safe.
Yeah.
Tamara Davis Brown (07:46):
Okay.
Now, how far?
So if you go down LivingstonRoad, and for those of you don't
know, he mentioned a famous uhrestaurant landmark, Henry Soul
Food Cafe, which is the home ofsweet potato pies.
I buy a several pies everyThanksgiving.
Um, but if you're going downLivingston Road where the you
(08:06):
like you said, you had theMcDonald's on one side and now
the the office building whichhas the dialysis uh center in it
right now.
How far down Livingston Road doyou go all the way up to Oxen
Hill Road where you're now atthe Aldi and you know all of
that?
How far down Livingston Road doyou go?
Troy Barrington Lilly (08:26):
I'm glad you mentioned the office
building because that officebuilding with the dialysis
center and Mountway BaptistChurch that recently came into
the town's boundaries.
So that is foresight.
The businesses and the gasstations to your right are
within the town.
And as you drive up Livingston,what's on your left is not in
the town, and virtuallyeverything that's on your right
is within the town.
(08:47):
So let me make that a littleclear.
Birchwood City and Clearvieware on one side, right?
Birchwood City and Clearvieware on one side.
You actually see their civicassociation signs.
Livingston Terrace, thatapartment complex, that's not in
the town, but things to theright are in the town.
Like there's a couple churches,Shaka Ministries, Abundant
Life, there's a barber shop.
Uh but once you pass a streetthat's called Comanche, which
(09:13):
runs into Livingston Road,before you get to that overpass
of 495, you've already left foursites currently.
Tamara Davis Brown (09:19):
Okay, gotcha, gotcha.
Okay.
But a lot of people don't knowthat if you turn on that street
to right by McDonald's, whereyou get you can turn left and
enter into the themunicipality's actual building,
there's a whole community backthere.
unknown (09:36):
Yeah.
Tamara Davis Brown (09:37):
A lot of people don't don't don't realize
that there's a a bunch of filesbecause you can't really see it
from um 210.
Yeah.
But you can kind of you can seemaybe one or two right at the
the new light that they built umwhen they were reconstructing
all of the that intersection forMGM, right?
For what what have you, butthere's a couple houses you see,
(09:59):
but it's a whole community.
How many um households does itthe town cover?
Troy Barrington Lilly (10:04):
Right now we've got about 950.
So there's around a thousandhouseholds within the town.
Tamara Davis Brown (10:12):
Would you say I heard you say that you had
some residents that have livedthere for 30 or 40 years?
So is it multifamily?
I mean multi-generational.
Do you have a lot of seniors?
Do you have some youngfamilies?
Because, you know, you and yourhusband, you you guys are
young.
Are there young families withchildren?
Is it multi-generational ormore kind of a retired,
(10:33):
laid-back uh community?
Troy Barrington Lilly (10:36):
You know, it's a really good blend of
both of those things.
We have two elementary schools,Forsyth Elementary, which is on
the Henry side.
We've got FlintstoneElementary, which is on the side
with the municipal building,that road you were just talking
about, which is tucked away.
So we've got a really goodblend.
I'm just thinking about thethree houses to the right of me.
They've all been owned by thesame people for more than 30
(10:57):
years, more than 32 years.
So there's a lot of stability,but then we've got a lot of, you
know, new families that havemoved in recently, some families
that have moved in since I'vebeen here and have kids going to
one of the schools or theMontessori school, uh, John
Hansen or National ChristianAcademy on Bach Road.
So we've got a nice blend ofeverything.
Everything is here.
Everyone is here.
Tamara Davis Brown (11:19):
Right.
So I know I have a little bitof history about Flintstone
because our children attendedJohn Hanson Montessori.
Okay.
But um, our children are, Iguess, old enough now that the
Montessori program was part ofFlintstone at one point before
it had its own separatebuilding, and the Montessori
parents advocated for uh aseparate building and were able
(11:44):
to be housed at John HansenMontessori.
So when I first looked into theprogram, I went to Flintstone
Elementary to look into theMontessori program for our both
our son and daughter.
And uh I decided to wait untilthey actually moved to a
separate building to put theminto the program.
But they both started at pre-Kor K through eighth grade for
(12:08):
the most part.
Yep.
So that's a little bit.
I I know a little bit aboutForest Heights.
Troy Barrington Lilly (12:14):
But with it to be inside knowledge, you
taught me something.
unknown (12:17):
Yes, yes.
Tamara Davis Brown (12:18):
Let's uh pivot a little bit and talk
about your public servicecareer.
How did you get involved?
Correct me if I'm wrong, youwere first a city uh town
council person before beingelected to um mayor.
And so talk talk to me a littlebit about how that all came to
(12:39):
be in terms of being on the thetown council, what made you
decide to run, what got you, youknow, your juices flowing and
getting active and involved.
Troy Barrington Lilly (12:51):
So during the pandemic, I was home and I
was able to join all themeetings virtually.
And so I started jumping onevery meeting about everything
that was happening in Forsyth.
I had done it a little bitprior to the pandemic, but it
was harder, you know, to getthere in person on certain
nights after working and youknow, juggling other
responsibilities.
(13:11):
But once we went virtual, thatwas really the key.
And so about a year in, ourmayor actually passed away
unexpectedly in 2021.
Mayor Mohammed, she had justbeen re-elected in March of that
year.
She passed away in Augustunexpectedly.
So we had to elect a new mayor,which opened up a seat on the
council.
Uh, I was actually appointed tothat seat because I had been
(13:32):
talking to council about someideas and things uh that I
thought maybe we could try tomake improvements in the town.
And so they appointed me to theseat.
I was on the seat for a fewmonths and then I had to run for
re-election.
I was re-elected, which was uha great experience after meeting
residents and knocking hundredsof doors in the town.
And so a couple months afterthat, was chosen as council
(13:55):
president.
And a year later, May 2023,which would have been just last
year, our previous mayor wasironed.
Uh, he had some personalresponsibilities and he, you
know, wanted to just take somemore time for himself.
So uh I became acting mayor,ran for the full seat, and we
had a lot of support.
I was, you know, honestly kindof surprised.
But in the community, folkswere really asking me to run,
(14:19):
and I looked at work we hadstarted.
I wanted to continue that work.
And so after some very seriousconsideration, I decided to put
myself forward, and we had a lotof support.
I think we had 94% of the vote.
Uh, so that's kind of the storyabout getting into the mayor's
seat.
Tamara Davis Brown (14:34):
Okay, very good.
So that's that's interesting toknow.
I I think I I knew a little bituh about that.
And honestly, I had not heardof you uh for our listeners.
The way that I met uh Troy isuh it was time for the South
County Democratic Club to haveelections.
(14:56):
And I had served as presidentfor quite some time, probably
about eight years.
Then I was secretary, then Ibecame vice president, and I was
like, it's time for some newblood, some young people to get
in here.
And I was so excited that Troystepped up to the plate to take
my place as vice president ofthe South County Democratic
(15:18):
Club.
So thank you very much.
We need some fresh blood, newideas, and you guys are doing a
wonderful job with uh my soror,uh Courtney.
Yeah, um Finkley Green.
And um, so I'm so proud of youguys and what you're doing, and
then you're taking it to thenext level.
And like I said, one of thethings that we really want to do
(15:40):
is to really encourage youngergeneration like yourself to be
more active and engaged in thecivic process.
Now you talked about uh whenyou were listening to some of
the town meetings online andthere were some ideas and some
things that you wanted toimplement.
Can you kind of talk aboutthose things?
(16:01):
And now that you are mayor,what are some of your
initiatives and what you aretrying to implement in the town?
Troy Barrington Lilly (16:09):
Oh, great question, Tara.
So one of the things that Ihelped to do while I was on
council was we started a Youthand Community Bureau, which was
a partnership between our townand uh our district for our
county council member's office.
And so we've been able to uhget someone on board to help us
(16:31):
to connect the dots withorganizations and opportunities
in the community for youth andcommunity folks of all ages.
So we are in the process of uhexpanding our offering for our
youth.
We're going to have them in fora vision boarding session so we
can hear from them and gettheir feedback about what will
be valuable to them.
And then we have some ideasabout areas to target.
(16:53):
So, for example, uh we'replanning an economic empowerment
series that is going to betotally centered around young
folks, and we want to make itinteractive.
So, as opposed to having apresenter come in and you know
do slides for two or threehours, we're going to create a
format where they would get tocome up with their own idea
about either business orsomething they'd like to do, and
(17:13):
then they can share and presenton that.
So you think communityengagement is definitely one of
the big pillars of what I wantedto bring.
But as mayor, there's fivethings I'm working on.
Uh, the first thing, and thefirst ones are kind of the
basics that you always have toget right.
So we need infrastructureimprovements and upgrades.
And we already started some ofthose projects in my first seven
months in office.
We got a project done where werepaired streets at multiple
(17:36):
places in the town and haveupgraded some of the stormwater
management.
Uh, another pillar is digitaltransformation.
We had to get a lot ofprocesses online, right?
So that the knowledge basedoesn't leave when a person
leaves.
And then also we're catching upwith financial reporting so
that we can provide transparencyto our residents and comply
with regulations across thestate and county.
(17:56):
Uh the other two items arebeautiful.
I'm sure if you've been toHenry's, right, you've seen that
while foresight is beautiful,everyone doesn't treat it that
way.
And so we are partnering withthe state uh highway
administration to get access totwo tents so that we can
beautify it with trees andevergreens and things that will
show that we really care aboutthis place.
(18:17):
This is a beautiful place and aplace to be respected by all
that come uh into and out of thetown.
And uh the last portion isplanning for the future.
I'm not sure if you know, butuh one of those topics that was
being discussed when I wasjumping on the virtual meetings
during the pandemic was that wehave a 20-acre mixed-use
(18:37):
development called National Viewthat is coming to town.
It's gonna be at the verybottom of town.
So if you are getting off 495to get on 210, Bald Eagle Road
is a side road which leads youto Oxen Hill Road.
It snakes next to 495, it's onthe opposite side of MGM.
There's gonna be uh an entirenew development in addition to
(18:58):
our town that's built there.
And so we are engaging withthat team and we're having
public meetings and deliveringresident feedback so that we can
bring the two sides of thecommunity together and unite
them.
So when that project comesonline, residents who've been
here feel included.
And also, uh lastly, I'll justadd, I think that it's hard to
(19:20):
get things done, big things donewhen you don't have a plan.
And so one of the things I planto deliver before I leave
office is a capital improvementplan to prioritize what we're
gonna do, where in town, and andgive residents feedback, and
then also a strategic plan,which looks at years down the
line, what are the the mainthings that we're gonna focus on
doing, because we can't do 100things at once, but we can focus
(19:43):
on a handful of things anddrive results uh to those
initiatives to get them acrossthe line.
Tamara Davis Brown (19:50):
Well, that's very good, very aspirational,
and I am so excited for yourinitiatives, and I know that you
guys will do a great job withthat, with you as mayor of the
town of Forest Heights.
I know about beautificationbecause I I remember when I was
running for state senate forthat district, we chose the area
(20:14):
along 210 to kind of helpbeautify and pick up trash along
the way.
So I know that that is a greatpriority to keep it beautiful
because you have some beautifulmonument signs to tell you
welcome to the town of ForestHeights.
And we want to definitely keepthat area very nice and
(20:34):
beautiful as you exit the DC uhline and come into the town and
you want it to present well.
I'm a little excited about uhthe new project that you
mentioned.
I guess both excited andcurious, a little sad too,
because our daughter, when shewas in Girl Scout, she was a
(20:55):
brownie, and that is the OxenHill farm area.
And they have live animals.
And I have this picture that Ilove of her.
She was a brownie at the time,and they were in front of this
huge cow, this big brown cow,her and her Girl Scout troop.
And it says, uh, her t-shirtsays brownies can do anything.
(21:16):
And that was the one of thefirst trips they did, uh,
father, daughter uh type tripsthere.
So it brings back goodmemories.
So I'm kind of gonna miss thatarea for the educational piece
that they had for young childrenthere.
But I'm also excited about thismixed use uh project.
(21:38):
And when you say mixed use,it'll be residential and
commercial, to your knowledge.
I know you and I havepersonally talked about it
offline about what's coming, buttell us a little bit more about
that project and and what thedevelopers are planning.
And I know, isn't that the samespot that at one point they
were looking at maybe possiblyputting the commander's stadium
(21:58):
as well?
Troy Barrington Lilly (22:00):
Oh, you're asking all good
questions.
So let me reassure you, farm isgoing nowhere.
The farm is National ParkService land.
And in fact, in addition to thefarm itself, there's 330 acres
of parkland that is a part ofthat whole site.
And um some of it actuallyfronts Ox and Run, which runs
(22:20):
into the Potomac River, andthere's a bike trail and a
running trail back here.
All of that is gonna stay.
If anyone from CongressmanGlenn Ivey's office is
listening, or uh Senator VanHolland, who I'll see next week,
or our future senatorlistening, anything we can do to
protect that parkland we wantto do.
I never want to see that landbe used for anything else except
(22:42):
for preservation for residentsin the area to enjoy.
That is the land that you knowour former governor was trying
to do a land swap with.
He was trying to give that landto the state of Maryland, and
he was going to uh give land toFrederick, to the uh National
Park Service or to the you knowthe federal government.
So he wanted to do a land swapand propose building the Redskin
(23:03):
Stadium there, but that is notthe site for something like
that.
That is a historic place thatwe need to keep uh as green
space.
So on to National View.
Nashmallie was actually builton a thin sliver of land that's
beside the farm and closest tothe uh the end of the
residential portion of Forsitesas it exists.
(23:25):
Okay, I know exactly where youtalk about that.
Right off of uh Bald EagleRoad.
So it is gonna have an entrancethough that's only from Bald
Eagle Road.
There won't be an entrance forvehicular traffic from the town.
There'll be a pedestrianwalkway from one of our streets
where it dead ends, wherethere'll be a trail so residents
can get in and out, which Ithink is a nice uh compromise.
(23:46):
Um, it's going to haveresidential.
So the plan is for condominiumsfor uh apartments for senior
housing and for low-income andmoderately priced housing as a
part of that component.
Also, there's supposed to besome office space and a full
service grocer and otherbusinesses.
So it's supposed to be amixture of everything,
basically, at that one site.
(24:07):
You could live there and nothave to leave, basically.
Tamara Davis Brown (24:09):
Okay, excellent.
Well, thank you for clarifyingthat.
But uh, I'm so glad thatpreservation of that green space
and and the beautiful parkthere and the the river view and
all of that is gonna bemaintained.
So hats off to you for uhfighting for that and including
that and making sure thatresidents continue to enjoy that
(24:32):
space.
Thank you, thank you.
All right, so we've talkedabout your initiatives.
Now we're gonna pivot a littlebit because we kind of talked
about the fact not only thatyou've run, but that now you're
actively involved as vicepresident of the South County
Democratic Club.
And because this podcast isreally trying to encourage the
(24:52):
next generation, themillennials, the gins, whatever,
whatever they're called now, Ican't keep up with them.
Generation now, let's call themnow.
The gym generation now, yes.
Well, first of all, why shouldthey be involved and actively
engaged in local government persh?
Let's answer that first.
(25:13):
What's what what's yourrationale um as to if you were
talking to someone your age oryounger, uh, what would you tell
them why it's important to beinvolved in civics and local
government?
Troy Barrington Lilly (25:29):
Well, I would say that you want to have
a stake.
Meaning if something happens,even if it's not exactly what
you want, at least you influenceit.
And influence is reallyimportant in my in my mind.
And so make your voice heard.
You know, a closed mouthdoesn't get fed.
And if you don't share an idea,even if you don't know if it's
(25:51):
good or if you're fearful aboutit, you can get feedback, right?
And you can start to be part ofthe process.
And I also think that I wouldsay political experience comes
in all shapes and sizes andbuckets.
Your lived experience isimportant because it informs
policy and it informs empathy.
And I think everyone's livedexperience is relatable to the
(26:13):
problems that we're trying tosolve.
You don't have to have a polysci degree or be a lawyer or
have even looked at legislation.
You know, I'd like to tell ajoke.
Uh before I got involved in thecouncil, I didn't know a
proclamation from a resolution,from an ordinance, from
anything.
But if you are willing to thinkabout what problems need to be
(26:36):
solved and then to proposesolutions and have
conversations, even with peopleyou disagree with, to form uh
solid policy, all those otherthings will come into line.
So whatever experience youhave, whether you've been a
college student, worked in thecorporate world, or whether
you've been a business owner, orwhether you've been a
tradesman, all of that knowledgeand experience is valuable in
(26:57):
shaping policy.
So bring your ideas forth, trythem on precise, let other
people uh give feedback, hearwhat other people are thinking,
and then that's the way that theprocess works, best in my
opinion.
Tamara Davis Brown (27:10):
Excellent.
And I I agree.
I found this quote from Platoof all people that says your
lack of engagement basicallymeans that you're gonna be ruled
by people inferior to you.
Wow.
(27:30):
And I thought that was verypowerful.
So I start now that I send outemails, I start putting that
quote down at the bottom of allof the the emails just to say,
hey, you need to be active andinvolved.
And I loved how you said thatyour own personal experiences
(27:51):
bring about empathy, brings a alevel of knowledge base that
maybe the policymakers don'tknow or don't understand.
And I think that's why I getinvolved.
It's like you guys are aremaking high-level decisions up
here, but this is how it impactsme down right where I live.
This is how it impacts me on mystreet in my neighborhood.
(28:14):
And so if you want to be ableto influence that, you've got to
be involved.
And I appreciate thosecomments.
So thank you about for that.
So if a young person who'sliving in the town of Forest
Heights wanted to be in moreinvolved and wanted to uh be
able to participate besides theinitiative, what are some of the
(28:39):
the committees that the townhas that if someone that does
live in the town want to findout more information, how could
they become more engaged?
Troy Barrington Lilly (28:50):
So we meet twice a month at a minimum.
We meet the first Monday ofevery month at 7:30, and we meet
the third Wednesday of everymonth at 8 p.m.
Uh if there's a holiday, we'llshift it one day to the next
business day.
So sometimes, you know, theMonday meetings on a Tuesday.
The Wednesday meeting normallyis not interrupted.
Uh those meetings are hybrid,so we stream live on YouTube,
(29:14):
Facebook, and we hold thosemeetings in person at the Town
Hall Chamber.
And I love to see people comein person.
And in fact, we started servingrefreshments at a lot of the
meetings because we know it'sdinner time for a lot of people,
but we want to have folks comeout, we want to hear from you.
And I personally, and I thinkthe council would agree, we are
feedback people.
We want to hear what we aregetting right, where do we need
(29:38):
to make some changes orimprovement?
I like to hear feedback, and sofor a young person, I
understand that maybe a meeting,you know, with all of us at the
table and the gavel andRobert's rules is a little bit
intimidating.
So outside of meetings, I'malways trying to talk to and
listen to young folks, right?
If I see you walking up thestreet.
(29:59):
As I'm driving by, or if I'mriding my bike or walking
around, I see you, or if you'revolunteering at one of our
events, I'm gonna strike aconversation with you, and I
want you to talk back to me.
And I want to build aconnection, meaning, like, let's
exchange phone numbers, emailme, send me a message on
Instagram, which I have donewith some of the kids, you know.
(30:20):
Um for our harvest day back inOctober, we had a lot of kids
from Potomac and Occidental HighSchool volunteer, and we
brought them back to a meetingafter that and thanked them, uh,
gave them a certificate.
But more so, I just wanted themto know we want to hear from
you, we want your involvement,we want to see your face.
We want you to, we want to letyou know you have you know the
(30:41):
opportunity to take up spacehere and to ask questions.
And so there's actually acouple young people I've been in
regular communication with whowere like, Well, what is your
job entail?
Or how can I learn how to dosome of what you're doing?
Or will you take me to some ofthe places you're going to meet
people and see things happen?
And I'm like, when I hear that,that's excellent.
My my uh light bulb is goingoff, and I'm like, Yes, I want
(31:04):
to pull you in because if you'reeager and you're excited and
you're willing, I will bring youwhere we're going so that you
can get exposed because we needyou to be in line to take the
rings.
Tamara Davis Brown (31:15):
Excellent.
And you mentioned activities,and so we're gonna kind of close
on that.
Uh, heard you talk about aharvest fest, but although we're
in the the heat of winter orthe the the cold of winter right
now, what are some of theactivities and events that the
town has, or there's somethingthat's coming up that you may
want to publicize in addition toyour normal council and town
(31:39):
meetings?
What are some of the thingsthat you're working on right now
that you and the councilmembers to prepare and plan for
for the resident of town ofForest Heights?
Troy Barrington Lilly (31:50):
Well, this is a really big year for
Forest Heights.
I'm glad you asked thatquestion.
We are celebrating 75 years ofincorporation.
On April 20th, we're gonna havea 75th Diamond Jubilee
celebration banquet and dinnerthat evening, April the 20th,
2024.
And we want everyone that'slistening, and this includes you
and your husband and folks thatyou know, we want to invite you
(32:12):
all out to come celebrate withus.
We're gonna have some specialguests.
We're gonna tell the town'shistory, and we're going to set
the tone for the next 75 years.
Tamara Davis Brown (32:21):
That sounds great.
I did not know that the townwas soon to be 75 years is since
its incorporation.
That is that is great.
Well, I have thoroughly enjoyedlearning more about you, uh,
Mr.
Mayor, learning more about thetown of Forest Height, some of
the new projects that arecoming, some of the new
initiatives that you are doing,and now the 75th uh Jubilee
(32:47):
anniversary of itsincorporation.
So it's been a pleasure havingyou.
Thank you for spending timewith me this morning.
I know that you are a busy man,not only with your job, but as
mayor of the town of ForestHeights.
So I thank you for your timeand for coming on to talk about
the local things because allpolitics is local.
(33:11):
And so thank you for joiningus.
We appreciate you and to ourlisteners.
We want you to subscribe, like,share with all of your friends
and neighbors about what's goingon in the town of Forest
Heights.
And remember, all politics islocal.
Thanks for joining us.
Welcome back to another episode of All
Politics is Local, the Marylandedition with me, your host,
Tamara Davis Brown.
I am starting off the new yearwith a dynamic young man who
happens to be the mayor ofForest Heights, Mr.
Troy Barrington Lilly.
(00:24):
We are so excited to have him.
He is going to tell you a lotabout himself, so I'm not gonna
do much more than introduce himbecause he's gonna give us a
full bio.
But one of the reasons that Iwanted to invite him as guest
speakers, well, obviously weknow that we're in an election
season with at least Congress,that is.
(00:45):
This is the year that all theseats uh for the House of
Representatives are up forelection.
And there will be severalSenate seats, including one seat
here in Maryland, because ourSenator, Mr.
Ben Cardinal, has decided thathe's not going to run for office
again.
He's going to retire.
We have several people running,including our county executive
(01:07):
for Prince George's County,Angela Also Brooks, running for
that seat.
Mayor Troy Barrington Lilly isthe mayor of the town of Forest
Heights.
And he's going to tell you alittle bit more about where that
is and all the good things thatare going on under his
leadership as the new mayor.
So, welcome, Mayor Lilly.
Thank you for joining us todayon All Politics is local.
(01:30):
I'm so glad to have you.
Troy Barrington Lilly (01:32):
Good morning, and thank you, Taylor,
for having me.
It's good to see you.
Happy New Year to you.
And it's great to be a guest onthe show today.
Thank you.
Tamara Davis Brown (01:40):
Very good.
So we're just going to jumpright in and tell the listeners
to, you know, give them a littlebit of bio about who you are.
Did you grow up in the town ofForest Heights?
How you came to the town?
Just give us a little bit ofbackground about your history
and how you came to become mayorof Forest Heights.
Troy Barrington Lil (02:02):
Absolutely.
So I moved to Forest Heightsabout seven years ago.
So I wasn't born and raisedhere.
However, um I grew up inAnorino County, so in Maryland.
My dad was in the army, and wemoved around a little bit, you
know, the beginning, earlyperiod of my life.
But I grew up in Maryland, andso Maryland is home.
And I've always had familymembers in Prince Rogers County.
(02:23):
One of my mom's best friendsused to live off of Branch Ave
in Temple Hills.
My uncle lived in Bladensburg.
My aunt and uncle still live inuh Springdale, and they've been
there for 30 plus years.
So Prince Rogers County wasalways like my second home.
Uh, and then for probably areason similar to a lot of
folks, you know, wanted to be asclose to DC as possible.
But in Maryland, where it's alittle bit more affordable to
(02:45):
live, we landed in Forsyth aboutseven years ago.
It's a small little town.
It's what I like to call abrief reprieve from the hustle
and bustle of the city on yourway out to the exurbs and some
of the more rural areas.
Um, so it's like the best ofeverything, convenient.
Um, you've got trees and you'vegot neighbors who've been here
30 plus years, 40 years, some ofthem.
(03:06):
And that's what really drew mehere.
Tamara Davis Brown (03:08):
Excellent.
Um, so if you uh were born andraised or lived in Anna Rondo,
did you go to Anna Rondo HighSchool?
Where did you go to college?
Uh talk about your education.
Troy Barrington Lilly (03:19):
Yeah, so I graduated from Rundle High
School back in 2000 something.
I'll let folks do that out ontheir own.
Uh, and I actually was one ofthe kids who was trying to find
what is my bath gonna be.
I was really interested in thearts and creativity, but I
wasn't able to hone in rightaway on what I wanted to do.
So I spent um a brief period inthe Maryland Army National
(03:41):
Guard Reserves.
As I said, my dad was in theArmy.
So he was kind of like this isa way for you to kind of figure
out, you know, if this is foryou and what you want to do
afterwards.
After serving that time, um, Iworked for 13 years as a DOD
contractor.
And I worked on a really,really important project, worked
in the office of the JointStack Writer program office, uh,
(04:03):
which is located in Arlington,Virginia.
And that was, I would say,really a light-shaving
experience.
Kind of worked my way up therungs doing some asset
management in the beginning, butI, you know, eventually was
doing photography and design forthat program office.
And if it if you know anythingabout that, they're building the
fifth generation fighter jetfor a lot of the U.S.'s allies
(04:26):
uh and the three services.
And so I got to meet a lot offolks who were pretty high
ranking.
We had engagements that I wascovering with ministers of
defense from Denmark and from uhother nations that wanted to
join the program.
So that was what I would callcharacter building, right?
Learning from very uhsuccessful leaders and then
(04:48):
interacting with folks who wereleaders from other nations,
seeing how people are able towork together in high-pressure
environments to deliver resultsand to manage a lot of
expectations, both external andinternal.
Uh, from there, I moved on andnow I work for Accenture Federal
Services doing product designand development uh for the
(05:08):
national security portfolio.
So that's kind of my bio.
I'm what I like to call anautodidact, right?
Learning on my own and takingexperiences and putting them
together to build my story.
Tamara Davis Brown (05:18):
That's interesting.
That's something that I did notknow about you.
So I'm learning more about youmyself.
I'm gonna get a little bit ofpersonal and ask you, because I
was telling our producer that Ithought you were the youngest
mayor to ever serve, not onlymayor of Forest Heights, but
maybe currently in the state ofMaryland, that I could be wrong.
(05:41):
Uh you said 2000 something, soum, I could be wrong.
But um, if you don't mind, ifyou don't want to share your
age, share whether that fact istrue that you are the youngest
mayor in the town of ForestHeights and perhaps the youngest
mayor in the state of Maryland,if not in this DMV area.
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:02):
Well, look, so now you made me, now I
have to go back and do some uhlook at the records and see what
what's on the books.
But I don't mind sharing myage.
Not no, not at all.
I'm 37.
I am told I was the youngestmayor in Forest Height's
history.
We've had 15 mayors total, withme being the 15.
So I'm told I'm the youngest uhat 37.
Now, the other places, I gottalook this up.
(06:24):
We gotta see uh what otherhistory maybe that we made.
I'd be interested to know.
So thank you for asking.
Okay, very good.
Tamara Davis Brown (06:30):
Now, are you married?
Do you have any children?
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:32):
Or I am married.
My husband and I have beenmarried since uh earlier last
year.
So um, yes, I am marriedhappily, and we don't have any
children.
No, we don't, but we'rethinking about it.
So we'll see.
Ask me that question in acouple years, and we'll see
where we are.
Tamara Davis Brown (06:49):
Okay, very good.
All right.
So you've lived in ForestHeights for 70 years.
Uh, tell the listeners exactlywhere Forest Heights is located
in Maryland.
Troy Barrington Lilly (06:59):
Yes, I can tell you absolutely.
Yeah.
So you come into Forest Heightsuh one of two ways.
If you're leaving DC and you'reon South Capitol Street, where
one side is southwest and oneside is southeast, as soon as
you come across Southern Avenueand you pass the East Over
Shockland Center, when you getto Livingston Road and you see
Henry's on one side and theMcDonald's on the other side,
(07:20):
that is the beginning of theresidential area of four sites.
And once you get to 495, you'releaving it, right?
But if you take Oxenhill Roadand you go past MGM and you're
near Oxenhill Manor, that'sstill four sites.
We've got some of that roadway,and Oxenhill Manor is actually
entirely within our municipalbounds.
Coming to the head highway inthat area, to the left and the
(07:43):
right, we see those houses,that's all full safe.
Yeah.
Tamara Davis Brown (07:46):
Okay.
Now, how far?
So if you go down LivingstonRoad, and for those of you don't
know, he mentioned a famous uhrestaurant landmark, Henry Soul
Food Cafe, which is the home ofsweet potato pies.
I buy a several pies everyThanksgiving.
Um, but if you're going downLivingston Road where the you
(08:06):
like you said, you had theMcDonald's on one side and now
the the office building whichhas the dialysis uh center in it
right now.
How far down Livingston Road doyou go all the way up to Oxen
Hill Road where you're now atthe Aldi and you know all of
that?
How far down Livingston Road doyou go?
Troy Barrington Lilly (08:26):
I'm glad you mentioned the office
building because that officebuilding with the dialysis
center and Mountway BaptistChurch that recently came into
the town's boundaries.
So that is foresight.
The businesses and the gasstations to your right are
within the town.
And as you drive up Livingston,what's on your left is not in
the town, and virtuallyeverything that's on your right
is within the town.
(08:47):
So let me make that a littleclear.
Birchwood City and Clearvieware on one side, right?
Birchwood City and Clearvieware on one side.
You actually see their civicassociation signs.
Livingston Terrace, thatapartment complex, that's not in
the town, but things to theright are in the town.
Like there's a couple churches,Shaka Ministries, Abundant
Life, there's a barber shop.
Uh but once you pass a streetthat's called Comanche, which
(09:13):
runs into Livingston Road,before you get to that overpass
of 495, you've already left foursites currently.
Tamara Davis Brown (09:19):
Okay, gotcha, gotcha.
Okay.
But a lot of people don't knowthat if you turn on that street
to right by McDonald's, whereyou get you can turn left and
enter into the themunicipality's actual building,
there's a whole community backthere.
unknown (09:36):
Yeah.
Tamara Davis Brown (09:37):
A lot of people don't don't don't realize
that there's a a bunch of filesbecause you can't really see it
from um 210.
Yeah.
But you can kind of you can seemaybe one or two right at the
the new light that they built umwhen they were reconstructing
all of the that intersection forMGM, right?
For what what have you, butthere's a couple houses you see,
(09:59):
but it's a whole community.
How many um households does itthe town cover?
Troy Barrington Lilly (10:04):
Right now we've got about 950.
So there's around a thousandhouseholds within the town.
Tamara Davis Brown (10:12):
Would you say I heard you say that you had
some residents that have livedthere for 30 or 40 years?
So is it multifamily?
I mean multi-generational.
Do you have a lot of seniors?
Do you have some youngfamilies?
Because, you know, you and yourhusband, you you guys are
young.
Are there young families withchildren?
Is it multi-generational ormore kind of a retired,
(10:33):
laid-back uh community?
Troy Barrington Lilly (10:36):
You know, it's a really good blend of
both of those things.
We have two elementary schools,Forsyth Elementary, which is on
the Henry side.
We've got FlintstoneElementary, which is on the side
with the municipal building,that road you were just talking
about, which is tucked away.
So we've got a really goodblend.
I'm just thinking about thethree houses to the right of me.
They've all been owned by thesame people for more than 30
(10:57):
years, more than 32 years.
So there's a lot of stability,but then we've got a lot of, you
know, new families that havemoved in recently, some families
that have moved in since I'vebeen here and have kids going to
one of the schools or theMontessori school, uh, John
Hansen or National ChristianAcademy on Bach Road.
So we've got a nice blend ofeverything.
Everything is here.
Everyone is here.
Tamara Davis Brown (11:19):
Right.
So I know I have a little bitof history about Flintstone
because our children attendedJohn Hanson Montessori.
Okay.
But um, our children are, Iguess, old enough now that the
Montessori program was part ofFlintstone at one point before
it had its own separatebuilding, and the Montessori
parents advocated for uh aseparate building and were able
(11:44):
to be housed at John HansenMontessori.
So when I first looked into theprogram, I went to Flintstone
Elementary to look into theMontessori program for our both
our son and daughter.
And uh I decided to wait untilthey actually moved to a
separate building to put theminto the program.
But they both started at pre-Kor K through eighth grade for
(12:08):
the most part.
Yep.
So that's a little bit.
I I know a little bit aboutForest Heights.
Troy Barrington Lilly (12:14):
But with it to be inside knowledge, you
taught me something.
unknown (12:17):
Yes, yes.
Tamara Davis Brown (12:18):
Let's uh pivot a little bit and talk
about your public servicecareer.
How did you get involved?
Correct me if I'm wrong, youwere first a city uh town
council person before beingelected to um mayor.
And so talk talk to me a littlebit about how that all came to
(12:39):
be in terms of being on the thetown council, what made you
decide to run, what got you, youknow, your juices flowing and
getting active and involved.
Troy Barrington Lilly (12:51):
So during the pandemic, I was home and I
was able to join all themeetings virtually.
And so I started jumping onevery meeting about everything
that was happening in Forsyth.
I had done it a little bitprior to the pandemic, but it
was harder, you know, to getthere in person on certain
nights after working and youknow, juggling other
responsibilities.
(13:11):
But once we went virtual, thatwas really the key.
And so about a year in, ourmayor actually passed away
unexpectedly in 2021.
Mayor Mohammed, she had justbeen re-elected in March of that
year.
She passed away in Augustunexpectedly.
So we had to elect a new mayor,which opened up a seat on the
council.
Uh, I was actually appointed tothat seat because I had been
(13:32):
talking to council about someideas and things uh that I
thought maybe we could try tomake improvements in the town.
And so they appointed me to theseat.
I was on the seat for a fewmonths and then I had to run for
re-election.
I was re-elected, which was uha great experience after meeting
residents and knocking hundredsof doors in the town.
And so a couple months afterthat, was chosen as council
(13:55):
president.
And a year later, May 2023,which would have been just last
year, our previous mayor wasironed.
Uh, he had some personalresponsibilities and he, you
know, wanted to just take somemore time for himself.
So uh I became acting mayor,ran for the full seat, and we
had a lot of support.
I was, you know, honestly kindof surprised.
But in the community, folkswere really asking me to run,
(14:19):
and I looked at work we hadstarted.
I wanted to continue that work.
And so after some very seriousconsideration, I decided to put
myself forward, and we had a lotof support.
I think we had 94% of the vote.
Uh, so that's kind of the storyabout getting into the mayor's
seat.
Tamara Davis Brown (14:34):
Okay, very good.
So that's that's interesting toknow.
I I think I I knew a little bituh about that.
And honestly, I had not heardof you uh for our listeners.
The way that I met uh Troy isuh it was time for the South
County Democratic Club to haveelections.
(14:56):
And I had served as presidentfor quite some time, probably
about eight years.
Then I was secretary, then Ibecame vice president, and I was
like, it's time for some newblood, some young people to get
in here.
And I was so excited that Troystepped up to the plate to take
my place as vice president ofthe South County Democratic
(15:18):
Club.
So thank you very much.
We need some fresh blood, newideas, and you guys are doing a
wonderful job with uh my soror,uh Courtney.
Yeah, um Finkley Green.
And um, so I'm so proud of youguys and what you're doing, and
then you're taking it to thenext level.
And like I said, one of thethings that we really want to do
(15:40):
is to really encourage youngergeneration like yourself to be
more active and engaged in thecivic process.
Now you talked about uh whenyou were listening to some of
the town meetings online andthere were some ideas and some
things that you wanted toimplement.
Can you kind of talk aboutthose things?
(16:01):
And now that you are mayor,what are some of your
initiatives and what you aretrying to implement in the town?
Troy Barrington Lilly (16:09):
Oh, great question, Tara.
So one of the things that Ihelped to do while I was on
council was we started a Youthand Community Bureau, which was
a partnership between our townand uh our district for our
county council member's office.
And so we've been able to uhget someone on board to help us
(16:31):
to connect the dots withorganizations and opportunities
in the community for youth andcommunity folks of all ages.
So we are in the process of uhexpanding our offering for our
youth.
We're going to have them in fora vision boarding session so we
can hear from them and gettheir feedback about what will
be valuable to them.
And then we have some ideasabout areas to target.
(16:53):
So, for example, uh we'replanning an economic empowerment
series that is going to betotally centered around young
folks, and we want to make itinteractive.
So, as opposed to having apresenter come in and you know
do slides for two or threehours, we're going to create a
format where they would get tocome up with their own idea
about either business orsomething they'd like to do, and
(17:13):
then they can share and presenton that.
So you think communityengagement is definitely one of
the big pillars of what I wantedto bring.
But as mayor, there's fivethings I'm working on.
Uh, the first thing, and thefirst ones are kind of the
basics that you always have toget right.
So we need infrastructureimprovements and upgrades.
And we already started some ofthose projects in my first seven
months in office.
We got a project done where werepaired streets at multiple
(17:36):
places in the town and haveupgraded some of the stormwater
management.
Uh, another pillar is digitaltransformation.
We had to get a lot ofprocesses online, right?
So that the knowledge basedoesn't leave when a person
leaves.
And then also we're catching upwith financial reporting so
that we can provide transparencyto our residents and comply
with regulations across thestate and county.
(17:56):
Uh the other two items arebeautiful.
I'm sure if you've been toHenry's, right, you've seen that
while foresight is beautiful,everyone doesn't treat it that
way.
And so we are partnering withthe state uh highway
administration to get access totwo tents so that we can
beautify it with trees andevergreens and things that will
show that we really care aboutthis place.
(18:17):
This is a beautiful place and aplace to be respected by all
that come uh into and out of thetown.
And uh the last portion isplanning for the future.
I'm not sure if you know, butuh one of those topics that was
being discussed when I wasjumping on the virtual meetings
during the pandemic was that wehave a 20-acre mixed-use
(18:37):
development called National Viewthat is coming to town.
It's gonna be at the verybottom of town.
So if you are getting off 495to get on 210, Bald Eagle Road
is a side road which leads youto Oxen Hill Road.
It snakes next to 495, it's onthe opposite side of MGM.
There's gonna be uh an entirenew development in addition to
(18:58):
our town that's built there.
And so we are engaging withthat team and we're having
public meetings and deliveringresident feedback so that we can
bring the two sides of thecommunity together and unite
them.
So when that project comesonline, residents who've been
here feel included.
And also, uh lastly, I'll justadd, I think that it's hard to
(19:20):
get things done, big things donewhen you don't have a plan.
And so one of the things I planto deliver before I leave
office is a capital improvementplan to prioritize what we're
gonna do, where in town, and andgive residents feedback, and
then also a strategic plan,which looks at years down the
line, what are the the mainthings that we're gonna focus on
doing, because we can't do 100things at once, but we can focus
(19:43):
on a handful of things anddrive results uh to those
initiatives to get them acrossthe line.
Tamara Davis Brown (19:50):
Well, that's very good, very aspirational,
and I am so excited for yourinitiatives, and I know that you
guys will do a great job withthat, with you as mayor of the
town of Forest Heights.
I know about beautificationbecause I I remember when I was
running for state senate forthat district, we chose the area
(20:14):
along 210 to kind of helpbeautify and pick up trash along
the way.
So I know that that is a greatpriority to keep it beautiful
because you have some beautifulmonument signs to tell you
welcome to the town of ForestHeights.
And we want to definitely keepthat area very nice and
(20:34):
beautiful as you exit the DC uhline and come into the town and
you want it to present well.
I'm a little excited about uhthe new project that you
mentioned.
I guess both excited andcurious, a little sad too,
because our daughter, when shewas in Girl Scout, she was a
(20:55):
brownie, and that is the OxenHill farm area.
And they have live animals.
And I have this picture that Ilove of her.
She was a brownie at the time,and they were in front of this
huge cow, this big brown cow,her and her Girl Scout troop.
And it says, uh, her t-shirtsays brownies can do anything.
(21:16):
And that was the one of thefirst trips they did, uh,
father, daughter uh type tripsthere.
So it brings back goodmemories.
So I'm kind of gonna miss thatarea for the educational piece
that they had for young childrenthere.
But I'm also excited about thismixed use uh project.
(21:38):
And when you say mixed use,it'll be residential and
commercial, to your knowledge.
I know you and I havepersonally talked about it
offline about what's coming, buttell us a little bit more about
that project and and what thedevelopers are planning.
And I know, isn't that the samespot that at one point they
were looking at maybe possiblyputting the commander's stadium
(21:58):
as well?
Troy Barrington Lilly (22:00):
Oh, you're asking all good
questions.
So let me reassure you, farm isgoing nowhere.
The farm is National ParkService land.
And in fact, in addition to thefarm itself, there's 330 acres
of parkland that is a part ofthat whole site.
And um some of it actuallyfronts Ox and Run, which runs
(22:20):
into the Potomac River, andthere's a bike trail and a
running trail back here.
All of that is gonna stay.
If anyone from CongressmanGlenn Ivey's office is
listening, or uh Senator VanHolland, who I'll see next week,
or our future senatorlistening, anything we can do to
protect that parkland we wantto do.
I never want to see that landbe used for anything else except
(22:42):
for preservation for residentsin the area to enjoy.
That is the land that you knowour former governor was trying
to do a land swap with.
He was trying to give that landto the state of Maryland, and
he was going to uh give land toFrederick, to the uh National
Park Service or to the you knowthe federal government.
So he wanted to do a land swapand propose building the Redskin
(23:03):
Stadium there, but that is notthe site for something like
that.
That is a historic place thatwe need to keep uh as green
space.
So on to National View.
Nashmallie was actually builton a thin sliver of land that's
beside the farm and closest tothe uh the end of the
residential portion of Forsitesas it exists.
(23:25):
Okay, I know exactly where youtalk about that.
Right off of uh Bald EagleRoad.
So it is gonna have an entrancethough that's only from Bald
Eagle Road.
There won't be an entrance forvehicular traffic from the town.
There'll be a pedestrianwalkway from one of our streets
where it dead ends, wherethere'll be a trail so residents
can get in and out, which Ithink is a nice uh compromise.
(23:46):
Um, it's going to haveresidential.
So the plan is for condominiumsfor uh apartments for senior
housing and for low-income andmoderately priced housing as a
part of that component.
Also, there's supposed to besome office space and a full
service grocer and otherbusinesses.
So it's supposed to be amixture of everything,
basically, at that one site.
(24:07):
You could live there and nothave to leave, basically.
Tamara Davis Brown (24:09):
Okay, excellent.
Well, thank you for clarifyingthat.
But uh, I'm so glad thatpreservation of that green space
and and the beautiful parkthere and the the river view and
all of that is gonna bemaintained.
So hats off to you for uhfighting for that and including
that and making sure thatresidents continue to enjoy that
(24:32):
space.
Thank you, thank you.
All right, so we've talkedabout your initiatives.
Now we're gonna pivot a littlebit because we kind of talked
about the fact not only thatyou've run, but that now you're
actively involved as vicepresident of the South County
Democratic Club.
And because this podcast isreally trying to encourage the
(24:52):
next generation, themillennials, the gins, whatever,
whatever they're called now, Ican't keep up with them.
Generation now, let's call themnow.
The gym generation now, yes.
Well, first of all, why shouldthey be involved and actively
engaged in local government persh?
Let's answer that first.
(25:13):
What's what what's yourrationale um as to if you were
talking to someone your age oryounger, uh, what would you tell
them why it's important to beinvolved in civics and local
government?
Troy Barrington Lilly (25:29):
Well, I would say that you want to have
a stake.
Meaning if something happens,even if it's not exactly what
you want, at least you influenceit.
And influence is reallyimportant in my in my mind.
And so make your voice heard.
You know, a closed mouthdoesn't get fed.
And if you don't share an idea,even if you don't know if it's
(25:51):
good or if you're fearful aboutit, you can get feedback, right?
And you can start to be part ofthe process.
And I also think that I wouldsay political experience comes
in all shapes and sizes andbuckets.
Your lived experience isimportant because it informs
policy and it informs empathy.
And I think everyone's livedexperience is relatable to the
(26:13):
problems that we're trying tosolve.
You don't have to have a polysci degree or be a lawyer or
have even looked at legislation.
You know, I'd like to tell ajoke.
Uh before I got involved in thecouncil, I didn't know a
proclamation from a resolution,from an ordinance, from
anything.
But if you are willing to thinkabout what problems need to be
(26:36):
solved and then to proposesolutions and have
conversations, even with peopleyou disagree with, to form uh
solid policy, all those otherthings will come into line.
So whatever experience youhave, whether you've been a
college student, worked in thecorporate world, or whether
you've been a business owner, orwhether you've been a
tradesman, all of that knowledgeand experience is valuable in
(26:57):
shaping policy.
So bring your ideas forth, trythem on precise, let other
people uh give feedback, hearwhat other people are thinking,
and then that's the way that theprocess works, best in my
opinion.
Tamara Davis Brown (27:10):
Excellent.
And I I agree.
I found this quote from Platoof all people that says your
lack of engagement basicallymeans that you're gonna be ruled
by people inferior to you.
Wow.
(27:30):
And I thought that was verypowerful.
So I start now that I send outemails, I start putting that
quote down at the bottom of allof the the emails just to say,
hey, you need to be active andinvolved.
And I loved how you said thatyour own personal experiences
(27:51):
bring about empathy, brings a alevel of knowledge base that
maybe the policymakers don'tknow or don't understand.
And I think that's why I getinvolved.
It's like you guys are aremaking high-level decisions up
here, but this is how it impactsme down right where I live.
This is how it impacts me on mystreet in my neighborhood.
(28:14):
And so if you want to be ableto influence that, you've got to
be involved.
And I appreciate thosecomments.
So thank you about for that.
So if a young person who'sliving in the town of Forest
Heights wanted to be in moreinvolved and wanted to uh be
able to participate besides theinitiative, what are some of the
(28:39):
the committees that the townhas that if someone that does
live in the town want to findout more information, how could
they become more engaged?
Troy Barrington Lilly (28:50):
So we meet twice a month at a minimum.
We meet the first Monday ofevery month at 7:30, and we meet
the third Wednesday of everymonth at 8 p.m.
Uh if there's a holiday, we'llshift it one day to the next
business day.
So sometimes, you know, theMonday meetings on a Tuesday.
The Wednesday meeting normallyis not interrupted.
Uh those meetings are hybrid,so we stream live on YouTube,
(29:14):
Facebook, and we hold thosemeetings in person at the Town
Hall Chamber.
And I love to see people comein person.
And in fact, we started servingrefreshments at a lot of the
meetings because we know it'sdinner time for a lot of people,
but we want to have folks comeout, we want to hear from you.
And I personally, and I thinkthe council would agree, we are
feedback people.
We want to hear what we aregetting right, where do we need
(29:38):
to make some changes orimprovement?
I like to hear feedback, and sofor a young person, I
understand that maybe a meeting,you know, with all of us at the
table and the gavel andRobert's rules is a little bit
intimidating.
So outside of meetings, I'malways trying to talk to and
listen to young folks, right?
If I see you walking up thestreet.
(29:59):
As I'm driving by, or if I'mriding my bike or walking
around, I see you, or if you'revolunteering at one of our
events, I'm gonna strike aconversation with you, and I
want you to talk back to me.
And I want to build aconnection, meaning, like, let's
exchange phone numbers, emailme, send me a message on
Instagram, which I have donewith some of the kids, you know.
(30:20):
Um for our harvest day back inOctober, we had a lot of kids
from Potomac and Occidental HighSchool volunteer, and we
brought them back to a meetingafter that and thanked them, uh,
gave them a certificate.
But more so, I just wanted themto know we want to hear from
you, we want your involvement,we want to see your face.
We want you to, we want to letyou know you have you know the
(30:41):
opportunity to take up spacehere and to ask questions.
And so there's actually acouple young people I've been in
regular communication with whowere like, Well, what is your
job entail?
Or how can I learn how to dosome of what you're doing?
Or will you take me to some ofthe places you're going to meet
people and see things happen?
And I'm like, when I hear that,that's excellent.
My my uh light bulb is goingoff, and I'm like, Yes, I want
(31:04):
to pull you in because if you'reeager and you're excited and
you're willing, I will bring youwhere we're going so that you
can get exposed because we needyou to be in line to take the
rings.
Tamara Davis Brown (31:15):
Excellent.
And you mentioned activities,and so we're gonna kind of close
on that.
Uh, heard you talk about aharvest fest, but although we're
in the the heat of winter orthe the the cold of winter right
now, what are some of theactivities and events that the
town has, or there's somethingthat's coming up that you may
want to publicize in addition toyour normal council and town
(31:39):
meetings?
What are some of the thingsthat you're working on right now
that you and the councilmembers to prepare and plan for
for the resident of town ofForest Heights?
Troy Barrington Lilly (31:50):
Well, this is a really big year for
Forest Heights.
I'm glad you asked thatquestion.
We are celebrating 75 years ofincorporation.
On April 20th, we're gonna havea 75th Diamond Jubilee
celebration banquet and dinnerthat evening, April the 20th,
2024.
And we want everyone that'slistening, and this includes you
and your husband and folks thatyou know, we want to invite you
(32:12):
all out to come celebrate withus.
We're gonna have some specialguests.
We're gonna tell the town'shistory, and we're going to set
the tone for the next 75 years.
Tamara Davis Brown (32:21):
That sounds great.
I did not know that the townwas soon to be 75 years is since
its incorporation.
That is that is great.
Well, I have thoroughly enjoyedlearning more about you, uh,
Mr.
Mayor, learning more about thetown of Forest Height, some of
the new projects that arecoming, some of the new
initiatives that you are doing,and now the 75th uh Jubilee
(32:47):
anniversary of itsincorporation.
So it's been a pleasure havingyou.
Thank you for spending timewith me this morning.
I know that you are a busy man,not only with your job, but as
mayor of the town of ForestHeights.
So I thank you for your timeand for coming on to talk about
the local things because allpolitics is local.
(33:11):
And so thank you for joiningus.
We appreciate you and to ourlisteners.
We want you to subscribe, like,share with all of your friends
and neighbors about what's goingon in the town of Forest
Heights.
And remember, all politics islocal.
Thanks for joining us.
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