Bel Air Town Commissioners, Aberdeen City Council elections certified

Nov. 21—The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners swore in three new members to the five-person board on Monday, while the Aberdeen City Council will return three incumbents along with incoming Harford Community College professor Bill Montgomery.

Bel Air and Aberdeen held municipal elections on Nov. 7. Results were certified on Nov. 10 for Aberdeen and Nov. 17 for Bel Air.

The three new town commissioners — Steven T. Chizmar, Jakob D. Taylor and James B. Rutledge III — will serve with current commissioners Mary Chance and Paula Etting, whose four-year terms end in 2025. Etting was elected as chair of the board, which comes with the honorary title of mayor, and Chizmar was elected vice chair.

With four candidates vying for three commissioners seats, Chizmar earned 1,011 votes, Taylor 940, Rutledge 938 and defeated incumbent Erin S. Hughes finished with 288 votes.

Chizmar is a Bel Air native who worked for more than 40 years at the Aberdeen Proving Ground before retiring. He has served on the town's historic preservation commission and ethics board.

Taylor, who is 20, was the youngest candidate in this year's race. He is a political science student at Loyola University and works as a legislative aide for Republican state Sen. Jason Gallion. Taylor said he decided to run after the town denied a citizens' petition for referendum regarding the development of five downtown properties.

"Truly, it has been the honor of a lifetime to walk every street in our town and hear from the people who live, work, and raise their families here," Taylor said in a Facebook post. "Overwhelmingly, they have the same vision for Bel Air that I do. A charming, thriving, safe, neighborly Small Town with a government that, above all, listens to and implements the desires of its constituents."

Rutledge is a Harford County native whose law firm is in downtown Bel Air. He is a member of the Harford County Historical Society.

"I am honored to be elected to represent my neighbors in Town Hall," Rutledge said in an email. "The voters rejected the policies of the prior government by an overwhelming margin. The voters have issued a mandate to set the course for commonsense revitalization and conservation of our Town without compounding the stress on our schools."

Hughes, who served one term as a town commissioner, had said she was looking to continue her work and addressing issues such as increasing the town's revenue.

In Aberdeen, Mayor Patrick McGrady ran unopposed, while there were nine candidates running for four City Council seats. Three of four incumbents were reelected.

City Council President Adam Hiob received the most votes with 679 and will serve another four-year term. Hiob works for the Harford Community Action Agency and also served as a legislative director in the Maryland General Assembly.

"Thank you Aberdeen for placing your confidence in me again," Hiob said in a Facebook post. " Your support means such a great deal and I'm overwhelmed about the level of support you gave me! I look forward to working with everyone for the betterment of all parts of the city."

Tandra Ridgley, will serve her first full term in office after being appointed last year to finish the term of Jason Kolligs, who moved out of state. In the recent election, Ridgley earned 621 votes. She said she intends to prioritize boosting opportunities for business owners and revitalizing the east side of the city.

"Thank you to all who allowed signage on their property, donated to the campaign and voted for me," Ridgley said in a Facebook post. "I don't take any vote for granted and my prayer is to serve the people of Aberdeen and help to increase the quality of life in our city for all its residents."

Incumbent Timothy Lindecamp, athletic director at Aberdeen High School, earned a third term on the council with 538 votes. Lindecamp earned a two-year term on the council without taking donations from anybody and being a proponent of smart growth for the city.

Bill Montgomery, who ran unsuccessfully for a Harford County Council seat last year, earned a two-year term on City Council with 340 votes. Montgomery is an Army veteran and adjunct professor at Harford Community College who wants to prioritize economic development.

Council members will take the oath of office at 7 p.m. on Nov. 27 in the council chambers.