Myersville voters choose incumbent, newcomer for two council seats

Sylvia Carignan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Myersville voters elected a new council member Monday and re-elected a sitting council member.

Lauren Vandergrift received 258 votes and incumbent Daniel Long received 247 votes as they won the two council seats, according to Town Clerk Kathy Gaver.

Michelle Sweet, another incumbent, received 97 votes and finished third.

Mayor Mark Hinkle, running unopposed, also won another term.

“As a first-time Councilwoman, there will definitely be a lot of listening and learning to do in my first term,” Vandergrift, the director of Frederick County's Office of Risk Management, wrote in an email to The Frederick News-Post Tuesday.

She plans to clarify information about the town’s public meetings to help residents follow and engage with local issues.

“There are many resources that could help bridge connections, alleviate misunderstandings, make information more readily available, and ultimately get residents more excited about participating in the future of the Town,” she wrote in an email.

Long echoed Vandergrift’s concerns about communicating with residents in an email to the News-Post about his plans for his next term.

“I will continue to listen, learn and work to improve areas of need in the Town. There is a general need of always looking for ways to get information about the Town to the citizens that want it in a timely manner,” he wrote.

“I am not surprised by the results," Sweet wrote in an email to the News-Post. "I tend to say things as I see them, I don’t beat around the bush, and I’m not just going to say what someone wants to hear. Over the years I think that has turned people off."

Hinkle ran unopposed and received 264 votes.

He campaigned at community events over the past two months and talked to residents while walking his dog, he told the News-Post.

"I try and take time for citizens all the time, not just during the election cycle," he said.

According to Gaver, 321 voters cast their ballots in person Monday and the town received eight absentee ballots.