October 20, 2025 • 41 mins
In this episode of the Hot Topix Podcast, host Psycho4081 sits down with Mark Brewster, candidate for Baltimore County Council's newly redrawn Third District. As the county faces rapid changes and growing challenges, Brewster shares his vision for a more responsive, transparent, and community-centered local government. Tune in as they dive into:
- What the new 3rd District means for residents
- Brewster’s top priorities if elected
- His stance on development, education, and public safety
- How he plans to bring accountability to the council
- And why he believes now is the time for bold leadership
Whether you're a resident of the district or just interested in local politics, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. 📍 Stay informed. Stay engaged. Stay real—with Hot Topix Podcast. 🔊 Available now on all major platforms.
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- What the new 3rd District means for residents
- Brewster’s top priorities if elected
- His stance on development, education, and public safety
- How he plans to bring accountability to the council
- And why he believes now is the time for bold leadership
Whether you're a resident of the district or just interested in local politics, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. 📍 Stay informed. Stay engaged. Stay real—with Hot Topix Podcast. 🔊 Available now on all major platforms.
Follow us on your favorite platforms:
YouTube, Apple Podcast, Podfriend, Overcast, Spotify, Spreaker, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Podchaser, Goodpods, Jio Saavn, Podcast Addict, Castbox, Pocket Cast and more...
Become an exclusive supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
You're listening to the Hot Topics podcast Psycho forty one,
the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop, and the fabulous Felonious Feather.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome everyone to another episode of the Hot Topics podcast.
This is your host, Psycho forty eighty one and I'm
going solo today. Lamb Chop cannot be here or she
might be joined us a little bit later, and Felonious
Feather has disappeared as usual. I think Ice got her,
but we don't know. We'll we'll find out later. So
(00:36):
today we have a special guest and I'm gonna let
him introduce himself. And as you know, this is the
Baltimore County, Maryland. The council racist heating up and we
have a new third district for Baltimore County. So we're
gonna talk to one of the candidates, one of the
(00:58):
candidates today and it's going to give us an overview
of what he plans to do if he is elected
as District three council. So how are you doing, sir.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. I'm
so glad to be with you today. I appreciate the.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Opportunity always always, so tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Sure. So, my name is Mark Brewster. I'm a native
of baltimorean I still live right down the street in
Owens Mills from the same house I grew up in
as a kid. Graduated from Baltimore County Public Schools, Newtown Elementary, Sunbrook,
Magnet Middle, Carver Center. I went on to get an
undergraduate undergraduate degree in business, then a master's in public administration,
(01:42):
and I'm currently a doctoral student at UMBC. But I
also believe very deeply in public service. So growing up,
my parents taught me two very important values, the value
of faith and the value of service, and those values
have led me to where I am today. So I
started off my career in public service working for former
(02:03):
Congressman Dutch Roopersberger in his DC office, doing constituent services
and helping make sure our front office was running smoothly.
And then came to work for the Baltimore County Health Department,
where I am today, and I lead large scale projects.
For example, a few years ago, there was a program where,
(02:23):
under my leadership, over thirty five hundred free chromebook laptops
to umblies that received benefits like snap Wick and Medicaid,
so that baltimorean. I know this kind of this area,
and public service is really runs in my blood and
(02:44):
that's why I want to jump in this race.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Outstanding, and you know, that was a good program, the
Chromebook program. I actually went out there to the East
Side and helped out real Yes, missus w Risper was
out there, friend of mine. So I had the opportunity
to go out there. You're good, you know, help out
a little bit. But that's a that was a great person.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
My colleagues. Oh okay, my colleague Yekay So.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I've known her for years. He's a great woman.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So right next to me at work.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Actually, oh really, well tell it? I said, hello, Yes.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yes, I talked. I talked to w Health. I don't
want to make this the Deabie Show, but I will
hopefully i'll see you tomorrow, but I will.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Okay, Okay, So what inspired you to run, specifically, uh
for council person for District three and how have your
life experience prepared you to represent this diverse district.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah? So, as I said, for me, public service is
something that's always been hammered into my head. And what's
really inspired me is taking the fact that again I'm
from here, I was born here, I was raised here.
I have a deep personal connection to the area. But
I also want to raise my own family here, so
I have a vested in and making this area the
best it can possibly be, but taking it a step further.
(04:05):
I also see and feel many of the challenges that
our neighbors and our residents face. So whether we're talking
about a lack of affordable housing, a lack of public transit,
the need for economic mobility along the Liberty Road, many
of these challenges really resonate with me because I'm a
winter and I one day dream of home ownership, and
(04:25):
I one day dream of having a family, But for
too many people all across our district, that is something
that is simply unattainable because of how unaffordable it is
to do so in Baltimore County. So what's really inspired
me is my roots here in the district and seeing
the challenges that we face and relating to them. And
what's prepared me, I think, is my experience in government.
(04:47):
As I mentioned, I have experienced doing constituent services at
the federal level, and I have experienced running programs here
at the local level, and local government because a very
different from working in local government. So when we talk
about the people behind the scenes who are making government work,
that's what my job is. And in twenty twenty six,
(05:07):
we're going to have between five to seven new council
members and a brand new county executive. And from my perspective,
it's more important now than ever that we have leadership
at the local level that is experienced and knows how
to get things done at the county level, as I've
proven throughout my career thus far.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Okay, I was standing, So you have that hometown connection,
You've lived your whole life here, You've obviously you've invested
in the community as far as you know every level. Okay,
it's pretty good. So I know you mentioned affordable housing.
So what do you see as the most urgent issue
facing District three and what's your first step to address it?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Well, overall, I have to say affordability, and that's ranging
from affordable housing to transportation to the cost of living.
I mean, the past three or four years, we have
had population law here in Baltimore County, and I think
it's largely because people just can't afford to live here.
I mean, I have friends I grew up with. We
used to talk all the time about how we're going
to stay here raise our kids together. But they've moved
to different states where they can actually do that because
(06:13):
they just can't do here. We seeing families and young
people leave because of that. So what I'd like to
do is launch and create a comprehensive plan in program
around housing and infrastructure that works to stabilize rent and
expand affordable home ownership that involves mixed use development, and
really get programs and initiatives up and running that make
(06:36):
life more affordable here. I think many people have this
idea that affordability has to be a state or federal issue,
but there are things we can do with the local level.
We just have to be creative and really have someone
and who wants to make these things happen.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Okay, very good, And I apologize to the listeners that
some things might come in and out because my internet's
week and we're actually joining through zoom, So just give
you a little update on that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So I'm a former law enforcement officer, right and I've
interacted with a lot of people in regards to crime,
crime prevention that nature so many residents have raised concerns
about crime and communities like Randallstown, wood Lawn and some
of the other ones that was in preaching two and
precinc I guess you would be precing three or four.
(07:28):
What is your strategy for improving public safety in a
way that's both effective and equitable.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, So public safety I think has to be both
proactive and also community driven. So for me, what I
want to do is make sure we're fully staffing our police,
our fire and our ems while also investing in prevention
programs like you've programmed a mental health crisis. I mean,
I work for the Department of Health and Human Services,
so I know how important it is to fund these
(08:00):
programs that give people who are having a mental health
crisis an opportunity to have their issue addressed without necessarily
the need of a law enforcement officer. I think community
policing also builds trust, so I'd work to really expand
and build upon these real relationships with the community and
law enforcement. We have a number of great initiatives going
(08:21):
on right now, like National Night Out, which is that
yearly event we do in August, and so looking at
doing more programs like that and really making sure that
the community's voices are heard, and that the police know
the neighborhoods and the people that they're policing, and people
know the people who are keeping them safe. So bridging
that gap and building that connection is very important to me.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Very good. I agree one percent. And I did work
in community outreach, so I do have a connection.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Great, So that's good.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
So you mentioned community policing. Do you support the expansion
of community policing or alternative like violence interruption programs.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, so I do believe in and support community policing.
I think that, as I just mentioned, in community policing
really does build relationships between officers and the neighborhoods that
they serve, which is so important. And I think that
both strategies violence interruption programs in community policing have been
proven to reduce violence. I'm more on the side of
(09:20):
community engagement, community involvement. So it's for me really because again,
a lot of my job, a lot of the work
that I've done and I do, it's with the community.
It's with constituent services. So that's where my real focus
area is and that's where I know I'd be able
to be effective. So making sure we're expanding these programs
that really connect people with the law enforcement officers that
(09:42):
protect them is very important, and that's what I certainly
advocate for expanding.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Okay, Okay, very good. So I'm gonna shift into education
and youth development. Recently, I'm always all over the place,
so I'm driving by and I'm seeing the trees being
knocked down for new development and things like that. In
regards to education and youth development, the schools in District three,
the iagin just District three the county face overcrowding, aging infrastructure,
(10:10):
and I know they're building new schools and there's disparities
and resources. How would you advocate a better investment in
the local schools, particularly in District three.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, So it's really interesting that the role of a
council person. While we don't oversee the day to day
operations of the school system, of course that's up to
the school board and the superintendent, we do oversee the
funding for it. So one thing I would really like
to do is work with our state legislative partners in
the House of Delegates in the state Senate to bring
back those capital dollars for things like improving our infrastructure,
(10:44):
for things like making sure we're getting the necessary upgrades
we need in our schools, and overcrowding is a real
big issue, and I think one of the new schools
you might be referring to is the new Deer Park
Elementary School that's being built. So I'm very glad to
see that new school is propping up and it's going
to be coming soon, but I think we do need
to take it a step further. One thing I'd also
really like to do with education is get a Northwest
(11:07):
CTE or Career Technology Education Center built. Now. It's been
in the budget for BCPs from as far back as
twenty twenty three or twenty twenty four, as I recall,
but I haven't really seen or heard much movement on
it since. So getting that school built will be a
priority of mine as well, because not only are we
addressing our overcrowding issue, but now we're also giving students
(11:30):
an opportunity to really learn and grow and develop in
a career that they want to go into. So it
really kills two birds with one stone. But the main
way to advocate, in my perspective, when it comes to
government is through partnership. It's through going to the people
in Annapolis and the people in local level and explaining
what you need and try to come up with a
(11:50):
plant to get those results.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, okay, So would you support funding after school programs?
Are you mentorship initiatives to reduce crime and increase opportunity?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Absolutely? Absolutely, And I think that is so critical because
normally with young people, I mean, most of the crime
we hear about, it's either juveniles or they're very young adults,
and sometimes it might be doing these things because they
don't have really anything else to do. But if we
give them something to do, we give them a program
after school, we give them an opportunity to engage in
(12:23):
these activities, we'll see crime drop. I mean, I think
we've seen that already happen right in Baltimore City with
Mayor Scott and those youth programs he did in the city.
I mean, he implemented those and we've seen crime start
to drop in the city as a result of that
because these juveniles now have something to do. It's not
that completely zero, but progress is being made. And something
(12:45):
like these after school programs of mentorship initiatives, they do
give young people an opportunity to do something productive and
something other than commit a crime, and that's something I
would certainly support and advocate for. Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And I also had some experience with PAL, which I
thought was a great program and I guess now is
under the recon parts programs.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Okay, yes, okay.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So another thing with this particular community which I love
about that district is the new builds they have. You know,
you look at the it's called Mill Station and some
of the other new builds. So how do you plan
to manage new development in your district while preventing displacement
(13:30):
of longtime residents?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Sure? Well, I do believe in smart growth, and smart
growth has to have protections for those who are already there.
So one thing I'd really advocate for is inclusionary zoning,
and I talked earlier about rent stabilization measures and also
targeted property tax relief for seniors and longtime homeowners. But
development I think should prioritize mixed income housing and also
(13:54):
local hiring because the reality is we have people here,
like I mentioned earlier, my friends who want to stay,
but they can't because they're getting priced out. So if
we focus our development on doing it in a way
that is smart, that is community centered, I think will
be in a much better spot. One thing I'll just
add too, So I talked a lot about how big
(14:14):
community is to me, how big constituent services are to me.
One thing that I think is very important for a
council member in particular is to listen to what the
community wants when you're at the local level. Is ironic,
the local level is the level that people tend to
pay attention to the least, but it impacts them the most.
I mean, we look at what's happening in DC, but
(14:36):
the local level is the level where you get a
lot of the things that happen in your day today.
So I think it's very important for a council person
to be engaged with the community and getting their input
when they make decisions as it relates to development or
zoning or what have you. So that's something I would
do to help ensure that my community's needs are being
met while also getting the results we need as relates
(14:58):
to development.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Now, getting into development, and I know you are a
big proponent of affordable housing, right, yes, sir, So how
would you ensure that they are fairly distributed and well
integrated Taken into the account of eliminating the poverty pockets
that exist in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah. So I do support affordable housing, and we do
need to do it responsibly, and I think that means
ensuring that projects are well designed, they're supported by strong infrastructure,
and distributed equitably along or across our community and our district.
And one thing that I think would really help us
in addressing that is I'm really big on dashboards and
(15:41):
public facing information. We in Baltimore County don't really have
too many dashboards, at least not that I can find,
So I think having dashboards that show you know where
or what the average rent prices are, or where opportunity exists,
or things like that, I think having that will also
help us determine where and how we can go about
creating some of these housing projects, because I think oftentimes
(16:03):
our elected officials get in this position where they have
an idea, they want to do it, but there might
not be the data to back it up, and the
community might not even have that data either. So given
the community that data and showing as you mentioned, those
sort of poverty pockets, showing where the need is in
demonstrating that we can do something here is very important.
So again I think it all has to be balanced,
(16:26):
it has to be done responsibly, it has to be
done with community input.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Okay, okay. Now, in regards to the new development and
those type of things, what's your vision for reducing traffic
congestion and improven real safety in the area. Considering that
many of your constituents have expressed unfavorable views of the
(16:54):
traffic hazards, speeding, blowing through red lights, stop signs, the
whole nine, So what is your vision on that reducing.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely so, we definitely do need some more
traffic calming measures, whether those are speed camera, speed bumps,
I think, looking at again, going back to the dashboard piece,
I think creating a system where we can see where
some of these accidents are, where some of these reckless
driving instances might be taking place, and going to these
locations and putting these traffic calming measures in will be helpful.
(17:29):
But to the point you made about transportation, expanding that,
I'm a really big proponent of public transportation, and I'm
a really big proponent of getting a Northwest circulator system.
So if you're familiar with the Towson Loop, I think
that's great. I remember when it first opened. I was
working in the count Executive's office back in twenty twenty
one when it was first coming to Fruition, and I
(17:50):
remember going to the ribbon cutting and we had a whole, big,
big event for it. Having something like that over here
in northwest Baltimore County would be great too, to connect Yndalstown,
Owings Mills, Riser's Town so folks can get around without
necessarily needing car because reality is many people too might
not even have a vehicle, so they have to rely
(18:10):
on public transit. But we need to give them an
opportunity to lean into that and take advantage of it.
And I certainly advocate for bringing that system here along
with those traffic calming measures we talked about.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
And also do you think that would actually improve job opportunities?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I do. I do, because now people are going to
be able to get some more places. And if we
do it strategically, we can place the roots of this
Northwest circulator system along business corridors along maybe the Liberty
Road corridor you mentioned the Mill Station Owings Mills earlier.
There's a number of businesses and small businesses there. If
we do it or put a route in that area
(18:47):
as well. So yeah, I think again, doing it in
a way that is smart and that is looking at
where it exists, we can certainly make it an opportunity
to increase job opportunities and allow peace people to get
to and from work safely.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Okay, now, speaking of job opportunities parts of District three,
and I'm not too familiar with the district how it's
going to be, but I'm assuming that's Randal's town Owns, Mills,
Rice's Towns.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Okay, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
How would you support local businesses and attract sustainable development?
I know you touched on the sustainable development before, but
how would you attract and support more local businesses?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah? So local businesses really are I think the backgroone
of our local economy and they contribute a lot. And
if we look at Liberty Road, which is a really
big part of the district that I hope to represent,
it's no secret Liberty Road needs some attention. Liberty Road
needs some investment in. Liberty Road needs some revitalization. So
for me, it's partnering with the community groups that are
(19:54):
working with in along Liberty Road to revitalize it and
also creating programs for new business owners. So one thing
in particular I'd really like to explore in terms of
small businesses is creating a new grant fund for young entrepreneurs.
And these are young people, let's say, age twenty or
twenty one to their mid thirties. Because you know that
(20:14):
if you want to start a business, you need some capital.
Most of these young folks, they don't have the capital
to do that. So the way I envisioned this going
is we have this program, this grant program run by
the Department of Economic Workforce Development. Of course, applicants will
submit a business plan, et cetera, and the department will
monitor their progress and we'll give them the funds and
we can work out the details of it. But creating
(20:36):
programs like that that just expand opportunity. Looking at what
that would be able to do for a new entrepreneur
who wants to start a business but doesn't have the
capital to do so, and attracting businesses here is also
a big priority of mine too. I think we are
in a prime opportunity, a prime spot to really invest
(20:58):
in industries like technology, like biotech. I mean, AI is
taking over. So if we don't learn how to leverage
these things we're going to be left behind. So trying
to get these businesses to come here to show them
what Baltimore County is about, to tell them our story,
and to demonstrate if you invest here, you invest in
our people, you invest in our community, you'll be having
(21:18):
an opportunity to make an impact here, not only for
our community, but for yourself as well. And just to
tie that back really quickly to the Northwest CTE Center, right,
suppose at that center we have engineering as one of
the CTE programs there and we get this big biotech
engineering firm that comes here. Well after the students graduate
(21:39):
high school, they get the core skills they need to
go right to that engineering company. And even while they're
in school, they can do internships, they can do workforce
development things, they can partner with these businesses. So I'm sorry,
I get very passionate about this because it's all really connected.
So we have an opportunity to really connect our students
to good paying jobs. So we're telling businesses, if you
(22:01):
come here, we already have people for you, young students
who you can mold and develop after they graduate. So
it really is a comprehensive approach. But again, I think
everything does need to be done smartly with community input.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Okay, Okay, now this is something that's passionate as a
passion for me, environmental justice. Yes, Okay, District three and
the former District four has dealt with flooding and stormwater
runoff in certain neighborhoods. How would you ensure the county
invest in environmental resilience in these communities.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Yeah, So, environmental resilience is very important, especially as we
continue to see the impacts of climate change affect us everywhere,
and typically as relates to flooding. So I think that
flooding really does require long term planning and investment. So
I really push for storm water infrastructure upgrades and plans
that prioritize the hardest hit neighborhoods. And again, this is
(23:00):
where I think data really can be handy to show
us where those neighborhoods are. In addition to that, I
believe in upgrading outdated drainage systems and expanding green infrastructure
like rain gardens and things of that nature. So, and
although at the federal level, things obviously are a little
topsy turvy right now, exploring whatever federal grants or whatever
(23:22):
federal programs we'd be able to tap into. I think
would also be worth looking at at least to see
what we can do to help protect our environment, protect
our communities, and ensure that we are doing all we
can to keep Northwest Baltimore County not only safe, but
green and livable for all of our residents.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Okay, now, just a follow up question of that one.
Since you mentioned the federal government. This particular administration is
known to be let's see, anti science, anti environment. How
do you how big of a challenge you think it
would be for someone on the local level even work
up with the state to bring some funds or even
(24:03):
keeping those programs available to help you out on that end.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I think it'd be a tremendous challenge. I will be
very honest with you, and I'll even tell you we've
seen many of those challenges. Just to deviate for a second,
where I work at the health Department. I mean, many
of these federal grants and federal programs that the Federal
Health Department was running were cut, and I had a
number of colleagues who had their last day the June
thirtieth or back over the summer, so we are already
(24:29):
feeling the effects here at the local level. But I
do think it really does all boil down to partnership,
and it boils down to working together with our state
and our federal partners to see where does the opportunity exist.
So as much as I'd love the federal resources, I'm
not too naive to think that we can just get
them by asking for them, but certainly by looking for
(24:51):
and exploring them, and even if they're not coming from
the federal level, again, working with our state elected officials,
our state legislators, looking at what state programs are opportunity
the exist. I think that's also an option something I'd
be willing to explore most definitely.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Okay, now you mentioned green space. How do you balance
the growth, balance growth with green space preservation and environmental
environmental sustainability.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, so one thing that I'd really like to advocate
for our stronger environmental review standards and studies. Whenever we
do something like new development, it really does hurt my
heart to see when you know, a new plot of
trees is knocked down, a new green space is taken
over by X, Y or Z. So for me, what
it really boils down to you is looking at again
(25:38):
I'll go back to what I've been saying repeatedly, what
the community wants. And if the community is saying that
they want this year, they want that, there will work
on it. But if we get an environmental review that says, well,
if we do that, that might impact some of our
climate resilience, some of our environmental resilience, then we might
have to reconsider it. So for me, it's really just
(26:00):
a balance of figuring out, excuse me, where we can
continue to put things and where we can continue to
develop and also not touch some of the green spaces
that we have because we do need them. They are
important for not only just aesthetic reasons like beautification reasons,
but they're also great for us as human beings. I mean,
(26:23):
we need these spaces, and these green spaces I think
are part of the reason why some people might even
want to move here, because they're beautiful and they have
nice parks to go to. So preserving that while also
doing new things it is a balance act, but I
think we can accomplish it.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Okay. One of the things I was worried about. I
had a colleague of mine who was from California, and
he said this was years ago. He said, Hey, I
can see Baltimore County looking like Los Angeles County soon
in the future. And we do see a lot of
development in some places when I first came here that
(27:01):
were wooded or green has now been built up. So
I think that that was a big concern, not just
for me, but for other people. So thank you for
that response.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Sure, and.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
You mentioned constituent services, which is very big now. I
was also a community association president for some odd years,
probably twelve years, fourteen whatever. It was one of the
things that I heard from many communities was their lack
(27:34):
of response when it came to the community of not
the community the county level on certain things. So how
will you ensure your office is accessible to all communities
in your district, especially those who feel disconnected from local government.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Well, part of it, I think is meeting people where
they are. So one thing that I really like to
do is hold at the very least quarterly town halls
all across the district and going directly to community centers,
to neighborhoods, to community associations and meeting with them and
hearing what their concerns, aren't working with them and just
(28:11):
to say to the point of constituent services and how
important it is to me. So I mentioned I used
to work for a congressman Dutch Roopers Burger, and the
congressman really did impress on us, particularly me as a
junior staffer, very heavily. He would say all the time
that politics is the business of customer service. And we
had a rule. We had a rule in his office
(28:31):
that the phone, the office phone does not ring more
than one time. I never let the phone ring more
than once. I was afraid of what might happen. But
I always made sure that I was responsive to people,
and that value really carried with me as I went
to work for the local government, so much so that
people that I met when I worked for the congressman
they still call me to this day because they know
(28:54):
if I need something, Mark will answer. If I need something,
Mark will respond, If I need something, Mark will do
can to help me out. So I think bringing that
sort of tenacity and that dedication to constituent services is
very important and that helps get the council member involved
with their with their constituents, with their community. Again, I've
(29:15):
said many many times, community input for me is really
number one. That is my north guiding star. So and
I can't know what the community wants if I'm not
engaging with them. So yeah, quarterly town halls is a
really important thing for me. And also just being responsive.
That's the other thing, being responsive to any need.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
So one of the and the town halls are great.
That is the one opportunity for people to come out
there and actually learn how, you know, the county government works.
What about community walkthroughs, We've had a few of those
in the past. I think more on the agency level.
Would you commit to doing something close to that?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Absolutely? Absolutely? I mean I think as I've said before too,
I mean the local level, this is really the level
of government that's closest to the people. As the congressman
used to say, it's where rubber literally meets the road,
and you don't really know what's going on in your community,
or you don't really know what's happening unless you get
out front to see it yourself. Now, I get it.
(30:14):
When you're in Congress, the House, and the Senate you
have millions of constituents, it's a little different. But at
the local level, you've got tens of thousands. You can
make that extra effort to take a community walk. You
can make that extra effort to visit with the community
groups and hear what issues they're seeing and to address
the challenges that they're facing. So yes, I would absolutely
(30:36):
commit to doing community walkthroughs, quarterly town halls, and even
newsletters as well, just so that we are informing our
constituents on what we're doing as it relates to constituent services,
council bills, projects, programs, initiatives, really just educating the community.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Okay, excellent, excellent. And what I found is a lot
of people won't go to those community meetings and they
just they just stay just connected from government. But the walkthroughs,
newsletters or whatever, that's the opportunity to see, hear people
and come into them where they won't come to you.
That's I like that. Now I'm gonna ask you a
(31:14):
very controversial question. Oh boy, Now you've heard the recent
controversy over the Inspector General position in Baltimore County. Okay, yes,
So what is your position on the inspector general position
and that hiring process. Do you support giving the and
this is a two part question, and do you support
(31:36):
giving the inspector general more autonomous power?
Speaker 2 (31:41):
So I do think that the Inspector General just blanket statements.
Should be independent, they should be well resourced, and they
should be free from any in all political influence. I,
like many other county residents, did not particularly enjoy the
way the process recently played out with Kelly Madigan and
Cadiju walk Walker. I think it could have been done better.
(32:02):
I think that there were certainly methods for improvement. But
the way I envision the IG's office operating is one
that does not necessarily report to a politician, but that
reports to an independent board. And I think there are
some best practices we can look to, like in Baltimore
City and even other jurisdictions. So it's really taking pieces
(32:27):
of what works in applying them to us here because
this last process, again it sadly, it was very political.
From my perspective, it was very political, and it should
not have been political. It should never come down to that.
But we do have work to do with the IG,
and I would certainly look at strengthening the office and
again making sure they are independent and free from any
(32:49):
and all political influence, whether that be from a council
member or account executive.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Okay, so I guess you have some work to do
to convince your other council members to get on board
with that.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yes. Well, like I said, I think in twenty six
we'll have a great opportunity because we'll have again between
five to seven new council members, so we'll have an
almost brand new county council. And my hope is that
the people coming onto the County Council, I'm hoping that
I'm one of them, But my hope is that my
future colleagues share that same vision and perspective that we
(33:21):
need an independent ig free of political pressure, free of
political influence, and we can work together to make sure
we actually get that up and running.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Okay, Okay, So now let's you mentioned influence, so we
want to segue into that part. What's your stance on
transparency in the zoning decisions, developer contributions which is the
big one, and political accountability.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yes, I believe in full transparency with zoning and campaign contributions.
And I'll tell you I believe in it so much
so that I'm actually running as a publicly financed candidate
here in Baltimore County, one of the first in our
county's history, because I do believe that people want candidates
that are not even taking the question of am I
(34:07):
getting money from special interests or developers? So I'm not
taking money from developers, from corporations, from PACs. All of
my donations are coming from Baltimore County residents capped at
two hundred and fifty dollars. So yes, I do believe
that if there's nothing to hide, transparency should not be
an issue. I'm happy to put myself out there with it,
(34:27):
and I would hope that others would as well. But
the reality is, I believe residents deserve to know who's
influencing land used decisions, and I'd advocate for stronger initiatives
and stronger transparency around that, because again, it's important that
the people know who is who are cropping up the
(34:48):
people that wish to represent them.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
So would you be in favor of a prohibit not
saying that it's legal, but for a prohibition on corporate
financing and just have every care and that it county funded.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Well, I think it's a great idea. What I will
say though, is, although I am a publicly financed candidate,
and I'm doing it because I do believe very strongly
in the message that it sends, I will say at
the same time that I don't know if I necessarily
believe that just because someone gives you, you know, a
large check of corporate check, that means that you're a
quote unquote bought So I think you have to look
(35:24):
at what the person does when they're in office, and
if you can draw a connection to that contribution from there,
then absolutely that's the problem. But I don't think Maybe
this is me being too optimistic, but I don't believe
that every single candidate that does take that corporate money
is again quote unquote bought of the old and a
special winterer. So I don't believe I would support that.
But I am a strong supporter of public financing and
(35:48):
of people taking small dollar donations.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Okay, okay, fair enough. So that two last questions for you,
what do you hope District three looks like four years
from now? Few are elected?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Wow? So I hope that we will have gotten a
lot of work done, from getting our Northwest circulator system
up and running, from getting our Northwest CTE school up
and running, from attracting new businesses in again these emerging industries,
biotech like medical like AI, I would hope that we
(36:24):
have completely revitalized Liberty Road. We've cleaned it up. My
main goal is to make this district the way I
see it years from now is one that is actually affordable,
is one that's revitalized. It's one that people want to
not only live in, but people want to come to.
They want to stay here, they want to be here.
And I think we get there really by working with
(36:45):
our neighbors, working with our county, state, and federal partners,
and really just doing the work. But I do think
we have a great deal of potential here at northwest
Baltimore County, and I think twenty twenty six will be
an excellent time for us to really start to tap
into that potential.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Okay, thank you very good. So final question, why should
this is a big one. You're ready for it?
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Okay, yes?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Why should voters trust you to represent their interests over
the other candidates in this race? And I only know
of two candidates so far, But why should they trust
you over the other candidates?
Speaker 2 (37:24):
I think just very simply because I've already spent my
career serving this community. I haven't been talking about change,
I've been doing it. I have never left Baltimore County,
went to college for four years, but I've never left
this area. I've dedicated my career to this area. I've
worked in both the federal and county government. I've led
community initiatives. I have deep personal roots here in this neighborhood. Again,
(37:48):
I want to start my own family here. I want
to raise my own family here. So it's really personal
to me. When I drive by Newtown Elementary School, I
remember going to school there. I drive by a Northwest
Regional Park, I remember to play Liberty Road Baseball there,
And these are things that I want my children to
be able to do. So when I think about what
we have in front of us in twenty twenty six,
(38:10):
we have an opportunity to create a government where we
have people in office who are deeply invested in the
betterment of our community and they have a track record
of showing it. And I think that through again partnership
with community members and partnership with our local, state, and
federal officials, we can do great things. And I have
the skill set, perspective, and I think the temperament to
(38:33):
get all these things done that we need to get done.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Okay, very good, I'll standing out standing now. I know
that was my last question, but just thought about something.
Would you ever agree to? And I I said, I
only know of you two, you and the other candidate.
Would you ever agree to a debate?
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Absolutely? I think debate. In fact, I hope we have
a lot of debates throughout the campaign process. As I
mentioned earlier, how I thing is very important for residents
to know who is donating to their candidates. I think
it's also important for residents to hear directly from their candidates,
side by side, to do a compare and contrast. So, yes,
I would love to debate. I'm happy to talk about
(39:14):
the issues in a civil, productive way, and if we
can ever make that happen, as I hope we will,
I am one thousand percent on board for that.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Okay, all right, So I want to thank you for
taking out here. I know you have a busy schedule,
so I want to thank you for coming out with
relatively short notice. I want to add and I'm pretty
sure the people who listen, and I'll make sure that
this gets out to as many people as I can
(39:42):
get to they'll appreciate getting to know of the candidates
that they're going to have to vote for. Come is
it June?
Speaker 2 (39:51):
June? Okay?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
June of twenty twenty six. Yes, okay, yes, but a primary. Okay,
thank you, and this is mister Mark Brust, I get
it right, Yes, you got it right. I was scared
of invite. Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
I was gonna say if I could add to es.
If if folks want to learn more or know anything
else about me, read more about my platform, my bio,
or get involved, they can go to Mark Brewster dot org.
That's where you will be able to learn more about me.
And I'm also proud to say, just as another brief aside,
I'm very proud to be supported in this race by
Speaker pro Tem Delegate Dana Stein. And I think that's
(40:28):
because he knows that I will be a strong partner
with him on the council, as you know he does
his work in the state House, because we will share constituents.
And yeah, I'm just I'm very grateful for the support
we've received so far, and I look forward to connecting
with more people.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Okay, thank you, and it's Mark M A R K
B R E W S T E R dot org.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'll standing Mark Brewster dot org. Thank you for coming.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Of course, thank you, sir, I appreciate the time. Thank
you family for listening to the latest episode of Hot
Topics as usual, listen, like, share, subscribe, time
You're listening to the Hot Topics podcast Psycho forty one,
the Lovely Lady Lamb Chop, and the fabulous Felonious Feather.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome everyone to another episode of the Hot Topics podcast.
This is your host, Psycho forty eighty one and I'm
going solo today. Lamb Chop cannot be here or she
might be joined us a little bit later, and Felonious
Feather has disappeared as usual. I think Ice got her,
but we don't know. We'll we'll find out later. So
(00:36):
today we have a special guest and I'm gonna let
him introduce himself. And as you know, this is the
Baltimore County, Maryland. The council racist heating up and we
have a new third district for Baltimore County. So we're
gonna talk to one of the candidates, one of the
(00:58):
candidates today and it's going to give us an overview
of what he plans to do if he is elected
as District three council. So how are you doing, sir.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. I'm
so glad to be with you today. I appreciate the.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Opportunity always always, so tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Sure. So, my name is Mark Brewster. I'm a native
of baltimorean I still live right down the street in
Owens Mills from the same house I grew up in
as a kid. Graduated from Baltimore County Public Schools, Newtown Elementary, Sunbrook,
Magnet Middle, Carver Center. I went on to get an
undergraduate undergraduate degree in business, then a master's in public administration,
(01:42):
and I'm currently a doctoral student at UMBC. But I
also believe very deeply in public service. So growing up,
my parents taught me two very important values, the value
of faith and the value of service, and those values
have led me to where I am today. So I
started off my career in public service working for former
(02:03):
Congressman Dutch Roopersberger in his DC office, doing constituent services
and helping make sure our front office was running smoothly.
And then came to work for the Baltimore County Health Department,
where I am today, and I lead large scale projects.
For example, a few years ago, there was a program where,
(02:23):
under my leadership, over thirty five hundred free chromebook laptops
to umblies that received benefits like snap Wick and Medicaid,
so that baltimorean. I know this kind of this area,
and public service is really runs in my blood and
(02:44):
that's why I want to jump in this race.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Outstanding, and you know, that was a good program, the
Chromebook program. I actually went out there to the East
Side and helped out real Yes, missus w Risper was
out there, friend of mine. So I had the opportunity
to go out there. You're good, you know, help out
a little bit. But that's a that was a great person.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
My colleagues. Oh okay, my colleague Yekay So.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I've known her for years. He's a great woman.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So right next to me at work.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Actually, oh really, well tell it? I said, hello, Yes.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yes, I talked. I talked to w Health. I don't
want to make this the Deabie Show, but I will
hopefully i'll see you tomorrow, but I will.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Okay, Okay, So what inspired you to run, specifically, uh
for council person for District three and how have your
life experience prepared you to represent this diverse district.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah? So, as I said, for me, public service is
something that's always been hammered into my head. And what's
really inspired me is taking the fact that again I'm
from here, I was born here, I was raised here.
I have a deep personal connection to the area. But
I also want to raise my own family here, so
I have a vested in and making this area the
best it can possibly be, but taking it a step further.
(04:05):
I also see and feel many of the challenges that
our neighbors and our residents face. So whether we're talking
about a lack of affordable housing, a lack of public transit,
the need for economic mobility along the Liberty Road, many
of these challenges really resonate with me because I'm a
winter and I one day dream of home ownership, and
(04:25):
I one day dream of having a family, But for
too many people all across our district, that is something
that is simply unattainable because of how unaffordable it is
to do so in Baltimore County. So what's really inspired
me is my roots here in the district and seeing
the challenges that we face and relating to them. And
what's prepared me, I think, is my experience in government.
(04:47):
As I mentioned, I have experienced doing constituent services at
the federal level, and I have experienced running programs here
at the local level, and local government because a very
different from working in local government. So when we talk
about the people behind the scenes who are making government work,
that's what my job is. And in twenty twenty six,
(05:07):
we're going to have between five to seven new council
members and a brand new county executive. And from my perspective,
it's more important now than ever that we have leadership
at the local level that is experienced and knows how
to get things done at the county level, as I've
proven throughout my career thus far.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Okay, I was standing, So you have that hometown connection,
You've lived your whole life here, You've obviously you've invested
in the community as far as you know every level. Okay,
it's pretty good. So I know you mentioned affordable housing.
So what do you see as the most urgent issue
facing District three and what's your first step to address it?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Well, overall, I have to say affordability, and that's ranging
from affordable housing to transportation to the cost of living.
I mean, the past three or four years, we have
had population law here in Baltimore County, and I think
it's largely because people just can't afford to live here.
I mean, I have friends I grew up with. We
used to talk all the time about how we're going
to stay here raise our kids together. But they've moved
to different states where they can actually do that because
(06:13):
they just can't do here. We seeing families and young
people leave because of that. So what I'd like to
do is launch and create a comprehensive plan in program
around housing and infrastructure that works to stabilize rent and
expand affordable home ownership that involves mixed use development, and
really get programs and initiatives up and running that make
(06:36):
life more affordable here. I think many people have this
idea that affordability has to be a state or federal issue,
but there are things we can do with the local level.
We just have to be creative and really have someone
and who wants to make these things happen.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Okay, very good, And I apologize to the listeners that
some things might come in and out because my internet's
week and we're actually joining through zoom, So just give
you a little update on that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So I'm a former law enforcement officer, right and I've
interacted with a lot of people in regards to crime,
crime prevention that nature so many residents have raised concerns
about crime and communities like Randallstown, wood Lawn and some
of the other ones that was in preaching two and
precinc I guess you would be precing three or four.
(07:28):
What is your strategy for improving public safety in a
way that's both effective and equitable.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, So public safety I think has to be both
proactive and also community driven. So for me, what I
want to do is make sure we're fully staffing our police,
our fire and our ems while also investing in prevention
programs like you've programmed a mental health crisis. I mean,
I work for the Department of Health and Human Services,
so I know how important it is to fund these
(08:00):
programs that give people who are having a mental health
crisis an opportunity to have their issue addressed without necessarily
the need of a law enforcement officer. I think community
policing also builds trust, so I'd work to really expand
and build upon these real relationships with the community and
law enforcement. We have a number of great initiatives going
(08:21):
on right now, like National Night Out, which is that
yearly event we do in August, and so looking at
doing more programs like that and really making sure that
the community's voices are heard, and that the police know
the neighborhoods and the people that they're policing, and people
know the people who are keeping them safe. So bridging
that gap and building that connection is very important to me.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Very good. I agree one percent. And I did work
in community outreach, so I do have a connection.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Great, So that's good.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
So you mentioned community policing. Do you support the expansion
of community policing or alternative like violence interruption programs.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, so I do believe in and support community policing.
I think that, as I just mentioned, in community policing
really does build relationships between officers and the neighborhoods that
they serve, which is so important. And I think that
both strategies violence interruption programs in community policing have been
proven to reduce violence. I'm more on the side of
(09:20):
community engagement, community involvement. So it's for me really because again,
a lot of my job, a lot of the work
that I've done and I do, it's with the community.
It's with constituent services. So that's where my real focus
area is and that's where I know I'd be able
to be effective. So making sure we're expanding these programs
that really connect people with the law enforcement officers that
(09:42):
protect them is very important, and that's what I certainly
advocate for expanding.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Okay, Okay, very good. So I'm gonna shift into education
and youth development. Recently, I'm always all over the place,
so I'm driving by and I'm seeing the trees being
knocked down for new development and things like that. In
regards to education and youth development, the schools in District three,
the iagin just District three the county face overcrowding, aging infrastructure,
(10:10):
and I know they're building new schools and there's disparities
and resources. How would you advocate a better investment in
the local schools, particularly in District three.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, So it's really interesting that the role of a
council person. While we don't oversee the day to day
operations of the school system, of course that's up to
the school board and the superintendent, we do oversee the
funding for it. So one thing I would really like
to do is work with our state legislative partners in
the House of Delegates in the state Senate to bring
back those capital dollars for things like improving our infrastructure,
(10:44):
for things like making sure we're getting the necessary upgrades
we need in our schools, and overcrowding is a real
big issue, and I think one of the new schools
you might be referring to is the new Deer Park
Elementary School that's being built. So I'm very glad to
see that new school is propping up and it's going
to be coming soon, but I think we do need
to take it a step further. One thing I'd also
really like to do with education is get a Northwest
(11:07):
CTE or Career Technology Education Center built. Now. It's been
in the budget for BCPs from as far back as
twenty twenty three or twenty twenty four, as I recall,
but I haven't really seen or heard much movement on
it since. So getting that school built will be a
priority of mine as well, because not only are we
addressing our overcrowding issue, but now we're also giving students
(11:30):
an opportunity to really learn and grow and develop in
a career that they want to go into. So it
really kills two birds with one stone. But the main
way to advocate, in my perspective, when it comes to
government is through partnership. It's through going to the people
in Annapolis and the people in local level and explaining
what you need and try to come up with a
(11:50):
plant to get those results.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, okay, So would you support funding after school programs?
Are you mentorship initiatives to reduce crime and increase opportunity?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Absolutely? Absolutely, And I think that is so critical because
normally with young people, I mean, most of the crime
we hear about, it's either juveniles or they're very young adults,
and sometimes it might be doing these things because they
don't have really anything else to do. But if we
give them something to do, we give them a program
after school, we give them an opportunity to engage in
(12:23):
these activities, we'll see crime drop. I mean, I think
we've seen that already happen right in Baltimore City with
Mayor Scott and those youth programs he did in the city.
I mean, he implemented those and we've seen crime start
to drop in the city as a result of that
because these juveniles now have something to do. It's not
that completely zero, but progress is being made. And something
(12:45):
like these after school programs of mentorship initiatives, they do
give young people an opportunity to do something productive and
something other than commit a crime, and that's something I
would certainly support and advocate for. Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And I also had some experience with PAL, which I
thought was a great program and I guess now is
under the recon parts programs.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Okay, yes, okay.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So another thing with this particular community which I love
about that district is the new builds they have. You know,
you look at the it's called Mill Station and some
of the other new builds. So how do you plan
to manage new development in your district while preventing displacement
(13:30):
of longtime residents?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Sure? Well, I do believe in smart growth, and smart
growth has to have protections for those who are already there.
So one thing I'd really advocate for is inclusionary zoning,
and I talked earlier about rent stabilization measures and also
targeted property tax relief for seniors and longtime homeowners. But
development I think should prioritize mixed income housing and also
(13:54):
local hiring because the reality is we have people here,
like I mentioned earlier, my friends who want to stay,
but they can't because they're getting priced out. So if
we focus our development on doing it in a way
that is smart, that is community centered, I think will
be in a much better spot. One thing I'll just
add too, So I talked a lot about how big
(14:14):
community is to me, how big constituent services are to me.
One thing that I think is very important for a
council member in particular is to listen to what the
community wants when you're at the local level. Is ironic,
the local level is the level that people tend to
pay attention to the least, but it impacts them the most.
I mean, we look at what's happening in DC, but
(14:36):
the local level is the level where you get a
lot of the things that happen in your day today.
So I think it's very important for a council person
to be engaged with the community and getting their input
when they make decisions as it relates to development or
zoning or what have you. So that's something I would
do to help ensure that my community's needs are being
met while also getting the results we need as relates
(14:58):
to development.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Now, getting into development, and I know you are a
big proponent of affordable housing, right, yes, sir, So how
would you ensure that they are fairly distributed and well
integrated Taken into the account of eliminating the poverty pockets
that exist in Baltimore County.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah. So I do support affordable housing, and we do
need to do it responsibly, and I think that means
ensuring that projects are well designed, they're supported by strong infrastructure,
and distributed equitably along or across our community and our district.
And one thing that I think would really help us
in addressing that is I'm really big on dashboards and
(15:41):
public facing information. We in Baltimore County don't really have
too many dashboards, at least not that I can find,
So I think having dashboards that show you know where
or what the average rent prices are, or where opportunity exists,
or things like that, I think having that will also
help us determine where and how we can go about
creating some of these housing projects, because I think oftentimes
(16:03):
our elected officials get in this position where they have
an idea, they want to do it, but there might
not be the data to back it up, and the
community might not even have that data either. So given
the community that data and showing as you mentioned, those
sort of poverty pockets, showing where the need is in
demonstrating that we can do something here is very important.
So again I think it all has to be balanced,
(16:26):
it has to be done responsibly, it has to be
done with community input.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Okay, okay. Now, in regards to the new development and
those type of things, what's your vision for reducing traffic
congestion and improven real safety in the area. Considering that
many of your constituents have expressed unfavorable views of the
(16:54):
traffic hazards, speeding, blowing through red lights, stop signs, the
whole nine, So what is your vision on that reducing.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely so, we definitely do need some more
traffic calming measures, whether those are speed camera, speed bumps,
I think, looking at again, going back to the dashboard piece,
I think creating a system where we can see where
some of these accidents are, where some of these reckless
driving instances might be taking place, and going to these
locations and putting these traffic calming measures in will be helpful.
(17:29):
But to the point you made about transportation, expanding that,
I'm a really big proponent of public transportation, and I'm
a really big proponent of getting a Northwest circulator system.
So if you're familiar with the Towson Loop, I think
that's great. I remember when it first opened. I was
working in the count Executive's office back in twenty twenty
one when it was first coming to Fruition, and I
(17:50):
remember going to the ribbon cutting and we had a whole, big,
big event for it. Having something like that over here
in northwest Baltimore County would be great too, to connect Yndalstown,
Owings Mills, Riser's Town so folks can get around without
necessarily needing car because reality is many people too might
not even have a vehicle, so they have to rely
(18:10):
on public transit. But we need to give them an
opportunity to lean into that and take advantage of it.
And I certainly advocate for bringing that system here along
with those traffic calming measures we talked about.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
And also do you think that would actually improve job opportunities?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I do. I do, because now people are going to
be able to get some more places. And if we
do it strategically, we can place the roots of this
Northwest circulator system along business corridors along maybe the Liberty
Road corridor you mentioned the Mill Station Owings Mills earlier.
There's a number of businesses and small businesses there. If
we do it or put a route in that area
(18:47):
as well. So yeah, I think again, doing it in
a way that is smart and that is looking at
where it exists, we can certainly make it an opportunity
to increase job opportunities and allow peace people to get
to and from work safely.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Okay, now, speaking of job opportunities parts of District three,
and I'm not too familiar with the district how it's
going to be, but I'm assuming that's Randal's town Owns, Mills,
Rice's Towns.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Okay, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
How would you support local businesses and attract sustainable development?
I know you touched on the sustainable development before, but
how would you attract and support more local businesses?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah? So local businesses really are I think the backgroone
of our local economy and they contribute a lot. And
if we look at Liberty Road, which is a really
big part of the district that I hope to represent,
it's no secret Liberty Road needs some attention. Liberty Road
needs some investment in. Liberty Road needs some revitalization. So
for me, it's partnering with the community groups that are
(19:54):
working with in along Liberty Road to revitalize it and
also creating programs for new business owners. So one thing
in particular I'd really like to explore in terms of
small businesses is creating a new grant fund for young entrepreneurs.
And these are young people, let's say, age twenty or
twenty one to their mid thirties. Because you know that
(20:14):
if you want to start a business, you need some capital.
Most of these young folks, they don't have the capital
to do that. So the way I envisioned this going
is we have this program, this grant program run by
the Department of Economic Workforce Development. Of course, applicants will
submit a business plan, et cetera, and the department will
monitor their progress and we'll give them the funds and
we can work out the details of it. But creating
(20:36):
programs like that that just expand opportunity. Looking at what
that would be able to do for a new entrepreneur
who wants to start a business but doesn't have the
capital to do so, and attracting businesses here is also
a big priority of mine too. I think we are
in a prime opportunity, a prime spot to really invest
(20:58):
in industries like technology, like biotech. I mean, AI is
taking over. So if we don't learn how to leverage
these things we're going to be left behind. So trying
to get these businesses to come here to show them
what Baltimore County is about, to tell them our story,
and to demonstrate if you invest here, you invest in
our people, you invest in our community, you'll be having
(21:18):
an opportunity to make an impact here, not only for
our community, but for yourself as well. And just to
tie that back really quickly to the Northwest CTE Center, right,
suppose at that center we have engineering as one of
the CTE programs there and we get this big biotech
engineering firm that comes here. Well after the students graduate
(21:39):
high school, they get the core skills they need to
go right to that engineering company. And even while they're
in school, they can do internships, they can do workforce
development things, they can partner with these businesses. So I'm sorry,
I get very passionate about this because it's all really connected.
So we have an opportunity to really connect our students
to good paying jobs. So we're telling businesses, if you
(22:01):
come here, we already have people for you, young students
who you can mold and develop after they graduate. So
it really is a comprehensive approach. But again, I think
everything does need to be done smartly with community input.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Okay, Okay, now this is something that's passionate as a
passion for me, environmental justice. Yes, Okay, District three and
the former District four has dealt with flooding and stormwater
runoff in certain neighborhoods. How would you ensure the county
invest in environmental resilience in these communities.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Yeah, So, environmental resilience is very important, especially as we
continue to see the impacts of climate change affect us everywhere,
and typically as relates to flooding. So I think that
flooding really does require long term planning and investment. So
I really push for storm water infrastructure upgrades and plans
that prioritize the hardest hit neighborhoods. And again, this is
(23:00):
where I think data really can be handy to show
us where those neighborhoods are. In addition to that, I
believe in upgrading outdated drainage systems and expanding green infrastructure
like rain gardens and things of that nature. So, and
although at the federal level, things obviously are a little
topsy turvy right now, exploring whatever federal grants or whatever
(23:22):
federal programs we'd be able to tap into. I think
would also be worth looking at at least to see
what we can do to help protect our environment, protect
our communities, and ensure that we are doing all we
can to keep Northwest Baltimore County not only safe, but
green and livable for all of our residents.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Okay, now, just a follow up question of that one.
Since you mentioned the federal government. This particular administration is
known to be let's see, anti science, anti environment. How
do you how big of a challenge you think it
would be for someone on the local level even work
up with the state to bring some funds or even
(24:03):
keeping those programs available to help you out on that end.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I think it'd be a tremendous challenge. I will be
very honest with you, and I'll even tell you we've
seen many of those challenges. Just to deviate for a second,
where I work at the health Department. I mean, many
of these federal grants and federal programs that the Federal
Health Department was running were cut, and I had a
number of colleagues who had their last day the June
thirtieth or back over the summer, so we are already
(24:29):
feeling the effects here at the local level. But I
do think it really does all boil down to partnership,
and it boils down to working together with our state
and our federal partners to see where does the opportunity exist.
So as much as I'd love the federal resources, I'm
not too naive to think that we can just get
them by asking for them, but certainly by looking for
(24:51):
and exploring them, and even if they're not coming from
the federal level, again, working with our state elected officials,
our state legislators, looking at what state programs are opportunity
the exist. I think that's also an option something I'd
be willing to explore most definitely.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Okay, now you mentioned green space. How do you balance
the growth, balance growth with green space preservation and environmental
environmental sustainability.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, so one thing that I'd really like to advocate
for our stronger environmental review standards and studies. Whenever we
do something like new development, it really does hurt my
heart to see when you know, a new plot of
trees is knocked down, a new green space is taken
over by X, Y or Z. So for me, what
it really boils down to you is looking at again
(25:38):
I'll go back to what I've been saying repeatedly, what
the community wants. And if the community is saying that
they want this year, they want that, there will work
on it. But if we get an environmental review that says, well,
if we do that, that might impact some of our
climate resilience, some of our environmental resilience, then we might
have to reconsider it. So for me, it's really just
(26:00):
a balance of figuring out, excuse me, where we can
continue to put things and where we can continue to
develop and also not touch some of the green spaces
that we have because we do need them. They are
important for not only just aesthetic reasons like beautification reasons,
but they're also great for us as human beings. I mean,
(26:23):
we need these spaces, and these green spaces I think
are part of the reason why some people might even
want to move here, because they're beautiful and they have
nice parks to go to. So preserving that while also
doing new things it is a balance act, but I
think we can accomplish it.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Okay. One of the things I was worried about. I
had a colleague of mine who was from California, and
he said this was years ago. He said, Hey, I
can see Baltimore County looking like Los Angeles County soon
in the future. And we do see a lot of
development in some places when I first came here that
(27:01):
were wooded or green has now been built up. So
I think that that was a big concern, not just
for me, but for other people. So thank you for
that response.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Sure, and.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
You mentioned constituent services, which is very big now. I
was also a community association president for some odd years,
probably twelve years, fourteen whatever. It was one of the
things that I heard from many communities was their lack
(27:34):
of response when it came to the community of not
the community the county level on certain things. So how
will you ensure your office is accessible to all communities
in your district, especially those who feel disconnected from local government.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Well, part of it, I think is meeting people where
they are. So one thing that I really like to
do is hold at the very least quarterly town halls
all across the district and going directly to community centers,
to neighborhoods, to community associations and meeting with them and
hearing what their concerns, aren't working with them and just
(28:11):
to say to the point of constituent services and how
important it is to me. So I mentioned I used
to work for a congressman Dutch Roopers Burger, and the
congressman really did impress on us, particularly me as a
junior staffer, very heavily. He would say all the time
that politics is the business of customer service. And we
had a rule. We had a rule in his office
(28:31):
that the phone, the office phone does not ring more
than one time. I never let the phone ring more
than once. I was afraid of what might happen. But
I always made sure that I was responsive to people,
and that value really carried with me as I went
to work for the local government, so much so that
people that I met when I worked for the congressman
they still call me to this day because they know
(28:54):
if I need something, Mark will answer. If I need something,
Mark will respond, If I need something, Mark will do
can to help me out. So I think bringing that
sort of tenacity and that dedication to constituent services is
very important and that helps get the council member involved
with their with their constituents, with their community. Again, I've
(29:15):
said many many times, community input for me is really
number one. That is my north guiding star. So and
I can't know what the community wants if I'm not
engaging with them. So yeah, quarterly town halls is a
really important thing for me. And also just being responsive.
That's the other thing, being responsive to any need.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
So one of the and the town halls are great.
That is the one opportunity for people to come out
there and actually learn how, you know, the county government works.
What about community walkthroughs, We've had a few of those
in the past. I think more on the agency level.
Would you commit to doing something close to that?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Absolutely? Absolutely? I mean I think as I've said before too,
I mean the local level, this is really the level
of government that's closest to the people. As the congressman
used to say, it's where rubber literally meets the road,
and you don't really know what's going on in your community,
or you don't really know what's happening unless you get
out front to see it yourself. Now, I get it.
(30:14):
When you're in Congress, the House, and the Senate you
have millions of constituents, it's a little different. But at
the local level, you've got tens of thousands. You can
make that extra effort to take a community walk. You
can make that extra effort to visit with the community
groups and hear what issues they're seeing and to address
the challenges that they're facing. So yes, I would absolutely
(30:36):
commit to doing community walkthroughs, quarterly town halls, and even
newsletters as well, just so that we are informing our
constituents on what we're doing as it relates to constituent services,
council bills, projects, programs, initiatives, really just educating the community.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Okay, excellent, excellent. And what I found is a lot
of people won't go to those community meetings and they
just they just stay just connected from government. But the walkthroughs,
newsletters or whatever, that's the opportunity to see, hear people
and come into them where they won't come to you.
That's I like that. Now I'm gonna ask you a
(31:14):
very controversial question. Oh boy, Now you've heard the recent
controversy over the Inspector General position in Baltimore County. Okay, yes,
So what is your position on the inspector general position
and that hiring process. Do you support giving the and
this is a two part question, and do you support
(31:36):
giving the inspector general more autonomous power?
Speaker 2 (31:41):
So I do think that the Inspector General just blanket statements.
Should be independent, they should be well resourced, and they
should be free from any in all political influence. I,
like many other county residents, did not particularly enjoy the
way the process recently played out with Kelly Madigan and
Cadiju walk Walker. I think it could have been done better.
(32:02):
I think that there were certainly methods for improvement. But
the way I envision the IG's office operating is one
that does not necessarily report to a politician, but that
reports to an independent board. And I think there are
some best practices we can look to, like in Baltimore
City and even other jurisdictions. So it's really taking pieces
(32:27):
of what works in applying them to us here because
this last process, again it sadly, it was very political.
From my perspective, it was very political, and it should
not have been political. It should never come down to that.
But we do have work to do with the IG,
and I would certainly look at strengthening the office and
again making sure they are independent and free from any
(32:49):
and all political influence, whether that be from a council
member or account executive.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Okay, so I guess you have some work to do
to convince your other council members to get on board
with that.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yes. Well, like I said, I think in twenty six
we'll have a great opportunity because we'll have again between
five to seven new council members, so we'll have an
almost brand new county council. And my hope is that
the people coming onto the County Council, I'm hoping that
I'm one of them, But my hope is that my
future colleagues share that same vision and perspective that we
(33:21):
need an independent ig free of political pressure, free of
political influence, and we can work together to make sure
we actually get that up and running.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Okay, Okay, So now let's you mentioned influence, so we
want to segue into that part. What's your stance on
transparency in the zoning decisions, developer contributions which is the
big one, and political accountability.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yes, I believe in full transparency with zoning and campaign contributions.
And I'll tell you I believe in it so much
so that I'm actually running as a publicly financed candidate
here in Baltimore County, one of the first in our
county's history, because I do believe that people want candidates
that are not even taking the question of am I
(34:07):
getting money from special interests or developers? So I'm not
taking money from developers, from corporations, from PACs. All of
my donations are coming from Baltimore County residents capped at
two hundred and fifty dollars. So yes, I do believe
that if there's nothing to hide, transparency should not be
an issue. I'm happy to put myself out there with it,
(34:27):
and I would hope that others would as well. But
the reality is, I believe residents deserve to know who's
influencing land used decisions, and I'd advocate for stronger initiatives
and stronger transparency around that, because again, it's important that
the people know who is who are cropping up the
(34:48):
people that wish to represent them.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
So would you be in favor of a prohibit not
saying that it's legal, but for a prohibition on corporate
financing and just have every care and that it county funded.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Well, I think it's a great idea. What I will
say though, is, although I am a publicly financed candidate,
and I'm doing it because I do believe very strongly
in the message that it sends, I will say at
the same time that I don't know if I necessarily
believe that just because someone gives you, you know, a
large check of corporate check, that means that you're a
quote unquote bought So I think you have to look
(35:24):
at what the person does when they're in office, and
if you can draw a connection to that contribution from there,
then absolutely that's the problem. But I don't think Maybe
this is me being too optimistic, but I don't believe
that every single candidate that does take that corporate money
is again quote unquote bought of the old and a
special winterer. So I don't believe I would support that.
But I am a strong supporter of public financing and
(35:48):
of people taking small dollar donations.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Okay, okay, fair enough. So that two last questions for you,
what do you hope District three looks like four years
from now? Few are elected?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Wow? So I hope that we will have gotten a
lot of work done, from getting our Northwest circulator system
up and running, from getting our Northwest CTE school up
and running, from attracting new businesses in again these emerging industries,
biotech like medical like AI, I would hope that we
(36:24):
have completely revitalized Liberty Road. We've cleaned it up. My
main goal is to make this district the way I
see it years from now is one that is actually affordable,
is one that's revitalized. It's one that people want to
not only live in, but people want to come to.
They want to stay here, they want to be here.
And I think we get there really by working with
(36:45):
our neighbors, working with our county, state, and federal partners,
and really just doing the work. But I do think
we have a great deal of potential here at northwest
Baltimore County, and I think twenty twenty six will be
an excellent time for us to really start to tap
into that potential.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Okay, thank you very good. So final question, why should
this is a big one. You're ready for it?
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Okay, yes?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Why should voters trust you to represent their interests over
the other candidates in this race? And I only know
of two candidates so far, But why should they trust
you over the other candidates?
Speaker 2 (37:24):
I think just very simply because I've already spent my
career serving this community. I haven't been talking about change,
I've been doing it. I have never left Baltimore County,
went to college for four years, but I've never left
this area. I've dedicated my career to this area. I've
worked in both the federal and county government. I've led
community initiatives. I have deep personal roots here in this neighborhood. Again,
(37:48):
I want to start my own family here. I want
to raise my own family here. So it's really personal
to me. When I drive by Newtown Elementary School, I
remember going to school there. I drive by a Northwest
Regional Park, I remember to play Liberty Road Baseball there,
And these are things that I want my children to
be able to do. So when I think about what
we have in front of us in twenty twenty six,
(38:10):
we have an opportunity to create a government where we
have people in office who are deeply invested in the
betterment of our community and they have a track record
of showing it. And I think that through again partnership
with community members and partnership with our local, state, and
federal officials, we can do great things. And I have
the skill set, perspective, and I think the temperament to
(38:33):
get all these things done that we need to get done.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Okay, very good, I'll standing out standing now. I know
that was my last question, but just thought about something.
Would you ever agree to? And I I said, I
only know of you two, you and the other candidate.
Would you ever agree to a debate?
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Absolutely? I think debate. In fact, I hope we have
a lot of debates throughout the campaign process. As I
mentioned earlier, how I thing is very important for residents
to know who is donating to their candidates. I think
it's also important for residents to hear directly from their candidates,
side by side, to do a compare and contrast. So, yes,
I would love to debate. I'm happy to talk about
(39:14):
the issues in a civil, productive way, and if we
can ever make that happen, as I hope we will,
I am one thousand percent on board for that.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Okay, all right, So I want to thank you for
taking out here. I know you have a busy schedule,
so I want to thank you for coming out with
relatively short notice. I want to add and I'm pretty
sure the people who listen, and I'll make sure that
this gets out to as many people as I can
(39:42):
get to they'll appreciate getting to know of the candidates
that they're going to have to vote for. Come is
it June?
Speaker 2 (39:51):
June? Okay?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
June of twenty twenty six. Yes, okay, yes, but a primary. Okay,
thank you, and this is mister Mark Brust, I get
it right, Yes, you got it right. I was scared
of invite. Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
I was gonna say if I could add to es.
If if folks want to learn more or know anything
else about me, read more about my platform, my bio,
or get involved, they can go to Mark Brewster dot org.
That's where you will be able to learn more about me.
And I'm also proud to say, just as another brief aside,
I'm very proud to be supported in this race by
Speaker pro Tem Delegate Dana Stein. And I think that's
(40:28):
because he knows that I will be a strong partner
with him on the council, as you know he does
his work in the state House, because we will share constituents.
And yeah, I'm just I'm very grateful for the support
we've received so far, and I look forward to connecting
with more people.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Okay, thank you, and it's Mark M A R K
B R E W S T E R dot org.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'll standing Mark Brewster dot org. Thank you for coming.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Of course, thank you, sir, I appreciate the time. Thank
you family for listening to the latest episode of Hot
Topics as usual, listen, like, share, subscribe, time
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