Hadley Kicks Off Rockville City Council Campaign Sunday at Dawson’s Market

Rockville City Council hopeful Don Hadley kicked off his campaign Sunday at Dawson’s Market at Rockville Town Square.

Hadley is chairman of the city’s Planning Commission and has been a lawyer for more than 40 years. On Sunday had the support of Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilman John Hall Jr. and Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton, who’s running for mayor. Planning Commissioners John Tyner II, Anne Goodman and Jack Leiderman also attended.

Hadley said if he were elected, taking a more critical approach to growth and development would be one of his priorities.

He accused the current council of pushing “intensive urbanization” and, without naming names, said there was a “show of people” favoring new development too quickly and pushing for making Rockville the next regional and commercial area with out considering the costs—the possibility of higher taxes, more city debt and leeching off the character of the city’s neighborhoods.

“It’s bad thinking because it doesn't take into account all the steps to get there,” Hadley told Patch prior to giving his speech. “I think the vast majority of the members of this community—including the business community—does not want that.”

Hadley was one of the last-minute filers to enter the race on the Sept. 9 deadline.  Before then, the four council candidates running as part of the Team Rockville slate had no challengers. He said and he and his wife were planning to retire but, instead had an “epiphany” in the days leading up to the filing deadline.

“Four seats on the council unopposed?” Hadley asked rhetorically. “We literally had an epiphany the Wednesday morning prior to the Friday deadline. This wrecks our personal life—this was not what we wanted to do—but we've been here a long time. The people need to speak. All we're asking for is a seat at the table, some chance to express different ideas so that the people have a different input than four people on a slate. That's not Democracy. It's as principled as that. We're running on principal.”

Claire Marcuccio Whitaker, who attended Hadley’s kick off event, also filed last-minute as a City Council candidate. Whitaker told Patch on Sunday that she entered the race because the four Team Rockville slate candidates were running unopposed.

There are eight people running for elected office in Rockville. Council members Bridget Donnell Newton and Mark Pierzchala—leader of the Team Rockville slate— are vying for mayor.

Hadley, Whitaker and the rest of the Team Rockville slate—Julie Palakovich Carr, Beryl L. Feinberg, Virginia Onley, and incumbent Councilman Tom Moore—are vying for four council seats.

Current Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Whitaker’s sister, is not running for re-election.