Rockville’s elections board is asking Piotr Gajewski to account for $700 in campaign contributions related to a building that the former mayoral candidate used for his campaign headquarters. The board voted unanimously on Thursday to ask Gajewski for documentation detailing the nature of the contributions, which were used to rent the building under a licensing agreement. Gajewski will have three weeks from the date of the letter to provide the documentation. The documentation does not exist, Gajewski said in a telephone interview on Friday. “There are no documents that exist presently that I …
Editor's note: Read Roald Schrack's detailed analysis of Rockville's 2011 election results by clicking the PDF at the right of this note. Schrack analyzes voter turnout and voting patterns in the 2011 polling and draws his own conclusions about what they say about candidate slates, negative campaigning, money and the literacy of the electorate. On Monday, Schrack was one of seven residents recognized by the City of Rockville with a Good Neighbor Award. He was recognized "for his intellectual, political, and financial contributions to all Rockville residents." Schrack formerly contributed …
Even before the final vote tallies were announced on Tuesday night, Councilman Piotr Gajewski was all but conceding defeat in the Rockville mayoral election and reflecting on the campaign. “I think those of you that are present here know that there’s a lot at stake,” Gajewski said to supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters on Rockville Pike. Based on early results reported by his poll watchers Gajewski said that he expected Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Netwon and former Councilman John Hall to be elected. They were. “So this will be a very different council …
Rockville voters sent two incumbents, a former councilman and the chairman of the city’s Compensation Commission to victory in Tuesday’s election. It’s a mix of experience and what council members-elect said they hope will be a working relationship that allows officials to tackle several big issues. Candidates and voters throughout the 2011 election season said that they would like to see more civility in their City Council after a term marked by disagreements and division that sometimes devolved into bickering at council meetings. The question is “How can we be nicer to each other, discuss …
Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio said that she believes that voters who re-elected her on Tuesday appreciate her efforts to increase citizen input in Rockville government. “I think people probably responded to the fact that I am a ‘people mayor.’ I am a person who listens to our citizens, I care a great deal [about] what happens to the city, from their point of view,” she said. “That’s been my mantle. I reflect, I think, citizen input. I want so much for them to be a part of what kind of decision-making goes on in the city. And I think that message was pretty clear to the voters.” Marcuccio won a …
Update, 11:25 p.m., Nov. 8: Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio won re-election to a second term on Tuesday as Rockville voters supported four familiar faces on the council—and one new one. Council members Bridget Donnell Newton and Mark Pierzchala also won re-election. John Hall, who served on the City Council from 2001 to 2005, before stepping away to spend time with his family, will return to the council. Tom Moore, the chairman of the city's Compensation Commission who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2009, will be the council's only newcomer. Candidate Votes Percentage Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio 3…
Update, 5:20 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 8: As the Rockville election moved into the final three hours of polling and election officials prepared for the evening rush, things appeared to be running smoothly at the city’s 10 polling places, city spokeswoman JoAnn Grbach said. “We haven’t received any reports of any problems,” Grbach said. Candidates who staked out the polls at the Rockville Swim and Fitness Center on Tuesday were experimenting with a relatively new polling place for District 2 voters. The District 2 polls were at Beall Elementary School just two elections ago, in 2007. While West End …
It’s Election Day in the City of Rockville. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 10 polling places around the city. Rockville has more than 62,000 residents, including 37,000 registered voters. The city offers same-day voter registration at City Hall. For more information, click here or call the City Clerk's office at 240-314-8280. The city holds nonpartisan elections in odd-numbered years for the four seats on the City Council and for mayor. Click here for an election fact sheet from the city. Meet the candidates There are two candidates for mayor: Councilman Piotr Gajewski Mayor Phyllis …
Mark Pierzchala, a first-term city councilman, is running for re-election to the Rockville City Council. Pierzchala announced in January’s “Rockville Reports” that he was seeking re-election. “I am running for re-election because Rockville faces huge economic and budget challenges,” Pierzchala says on his campaign website. “Sustainable budgets are my passion. Rockville is strong financially and this Council has achieved balanced budgets. But we know that Federal, State, and County budget cuts, along with prolonged economic stagnation, give us unprecedented challenges.” The city holds …
The city election’s board cleared Councilman Piotr Gajewski of one campaign finance violation allegation and its chairman said last week that it would not act on another allegation until after Tuesday’s election. The board reviewed a complaint by Rockville resident Drew Powell and eight others that focused on two “in-kind” contributions of $600 each covering rent for Gajewski’s mayoral campaign headquarters at 718 Rockville Pike. The complaint alleges that the contributions are from a single source and therefore violate the $1,000-per-donor contribution limit spelled out in the city’s …
A proposed green building tax incentive, Rockville’s economic development and the deal to bring Choice Hotels to Town Center were among the topics discussed by candidates for Rockville City Council during a forum sponsored by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday at the Best Western Rockville. It was the last of seven forums held this campaign season. Rockville voters will go to the polls between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Eight candidates are running for City Council. (A ninth, Joseph Jordan, withdrew from the race last month, though his name will appear on the ballot.) Here's what…
The deal to bring Choice Hotels to Town Center, changes to commercial signage rules and Rockville Pike were among the topics discussed by candidates for Rockville mayor during a forum sponsored by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday at the Best Western Rockville. It was the last of seven forums held this campaign season. Rockville voters will go to the polls between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday. In the mayoral election, Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio faces a challenge from Councilman Piotr Gajewski. Here's what the mayoral candidates said on a few of the issues covered by the forum: Choice …
Dear Rockville neighbor, The most recent campaign finance reports for the Rockville city election were just filed. Councilmember Piotr Gajewski’s (click on the third photo to the right of this letter) reveals he accepted large contributions from two owners of companies which benefited directly from his votes in favor of their development projects: Mark Silverwood―On Oct. 1, Silverwood contributed $500 to Gajewski’s campaign. Just 10 days later on Oct. 10, Gajewski voted to approve the massive 417 residential unit development project proposed by Silverwood’s development company, Silverwood/…
My voluntary withdrawal from the daily machinations of local politics does not diminish my knowledge of and intense interest in the issues that the candidates have addressed throughout the campaign. Of particular importance and concern are the capital improvement/infrastructure projects approved this past term, and the mechanisms for their funding. Although there are numerous capital projects set out in the budget, I will address here two projects that seem to have made the discussion in most if not all of the candidate forums and one of which is the subject of recently posted comments to an …
Senior issues and talk of a city tax credit for homeowners dominated a forum for candidates for Rockville Mayor and City Council hosted by the Rockville Senior Citizens Commission on Tuesday at the Rockville Senior Center. The forum was the seventh of eight held this campaign season leading up to Tuesday’s city election. Candidates were asked questions from the audience and questions that they received before the forum. Among the questions received in advance, candidates were asked how they would make Rockville a community for “aging in place” by Baby Boomers after they retire. Seniors are …
I think it is time Rockville gets serious about campaign finance reporting. At a recent Citizens Forum, I asked if anyone from the City Clerk's office or Board of Supervisors of Elections is responsible for checking the reports for accuracy, conforming to election laws, etc. I never got an answer, but I suspect the answer is no, no one in a position of authority checks reports. That puts the onus on us, citizens who want to see everyone play by the same rules and who believe something as straightforward as a campaign fund report can be a reflection of the candidates that stand behind them. …
West End Citizen's Association hosted a forum for candidates for Rockville Mayor and City Council on Thursday at Rockville City Hall. Rockville 11 carried the forum live and posted the video above to the city's YouTube channel. The forum was the fifth of seven forums scheduled before Election Day, Nov. 8. The final two forums of the campaign season will be held Tuesday: The Rockville Senior Citizens Commission will sponsor a forum at 1 p.m. at the Rockville Senior Center (Carnation Room
), 1150 Carnation Drive. The Rockville Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a forum at 6 p.m. at the Best …
A letter to the city’s elections board alleges that Councilman Piotr Gajewski, a candidate for mayor, exceeded the $1,000-per-donor contribution limit spelled out in the city’s election code. The complaint, filed Friday by Rockville resident Drew Powell, focuses on Gajewski’s Sept. 30 campaign fund report, which shows that Gajewski accepted two “in-kind” contributions of $600 each covering rent for his campaign headquarters at 718 Rockville Pike. “This contribution appears to be from a single source and therefore is in violation of Rockville election code, in that it exceeds the $1,000.00 …
The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County hosted a forum for candidates for Rockville Mayor and City Council on Tuesday at Rockville City Hall. Rockville 11 carried the forum live and posted the video above to the city's YouTube channel. The forum was the fourth of seven forums scheduled before Election Day, Nov. 8. The fifth forum of the series will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday at City Hall. It is sponsored by the West End Citizen's Association and will be carried live by Rockville 11.
The Woodley Gardens Civic Association, College Gardens Civic Association and Plymouth Woods
Homeowners Association hosted a forum for candidates for Rockville Mayor and City Council on Saturday at the Rockville Senior Center. The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County is hosting a forum at 7 tonight at Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave. It will be carried live by Rockville 11. Tonight's forum is one of four more forums scheduled before Election Day, Nov. 8.
