Harford County Executive Candidate Profile: Bob Cassilly

BEL AIR, MD — Maryland's primary is July 19. Locally, two Republican candidates are vying for the chance to run for county executive in Harford County.

Patch sent out questionnaires to local candidates who were running in contested primary elections. Below are candidate Bob Cassilly's answers. We are also posting those of his challenger, Billy Boniface.

Name: Bob Cassilly

Town of residence: Bel Air

Office sought: Harford County Executive

Party affiliation: Republican

Education: Law Degree from University of Baltimore, with honors; B.A. from Johns Hopkins University; Bel Air High School

Occupation: Attorney with 30 years experience; State Senator for the past 8 years.

Family: Dan is married with 2 children and lives in Lexington, Virginia; Gabe is married with 4 children and lives in Forest Hill; Sam is married with one child and lives in Level; Ellie is married, she is a member of the Maryland Army National Guard, and lives in Annapolis; Julia is married with one child and lives in Towson. All five attended Harford County Public Schools and graduated from universities in Maryland.

Public offices held: I have been the Maryland Senator for District 34 (Harford) since 2014. I served on the Harford County Council (District C) from 2002 until I was deployed to Iraq in January 2006. I served on the Bel Air Town Council from 1997 to 2001, including a term as Mayor. I was elected to the Republican Central Committee in 1992.

Age: 64

Reasons for running: Harford County stands at an intersection of dynamic change and I'm concerned about the future of the County that I love, that I was born in, and that my family has been an active part in for over 200 years. We need a leader with the experience, integrity, commitment, and vision to bridge our traditional values and our progress for the future.

I feel that I have demonstrated the level of commitment to our community that our citizens expect and deserve in their county leaders. Growing up, I worked summers on farms throughout the county, canoed Deer Creek, played football at Bel Air High. I then married Deb, a high school classmate, and we raised our five children, all of who attended Harford County Public Schools, and I served as a Harford County Councilman and mayor of Bel Air.

Later, with Deb's support, I served three years in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star. Since returning from Iraq, I have served as a two term State Senator.

The Cassilly family has been an active part of Harford County for more than 200 years and I want to ensure that we can maintain the high quality we all love about our county so that all of our citizens can have the opportunity to raise their families, work, and even retire in beautiful Harford County. My conservative Republican principles will create more opportunities for all while preserving the character of the county’s heritage.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: The rapidly declining levels of public safety and responsible government in Baltimore City and the surrounding jurisdictions are placing serious burdens on our law enforcement, schools, roads, and neighborhoods as people move to Harford to escape Baltimore problems. To meet these challenges, Harford County needs to govern smarter; make better use of technology to aid in public safety, traffic control, and public services; hold the line on excessive development and not allow our heritage and natural beauty to be exploited in the interest of rewarding political cronies; govern with the utmost integrity; support law enforcement; and maintain quality schools.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? The rapidly declining levels of public safety and responsible government in Baltimore City and the surrounding jurisdictions are placing serious burdens on our law enforcement, schools, roads, and neighborhoods as people move to Harford to escape Baltimore problems. To meet these challenges, Harford County needs to govern smarter; make better use of technology to aid in public safety, traffic control, and public services; hold the line on excessive development and not allow our heritage and natural beauty to be exploited in the interest of rewarding political cronies; govern with the utmost integrity; support law enforcement; and maintain quality schools.

All of the candidates have experience in budgeting. LEADERSHIP - I am, however, the only candidate with considerable leadership, management, and strategic planning experience at the national, state, county, and municipal levels, including as a military officer, a State Department senior strategic planner, State Senator, chairman of the Harford County Senate Delegation, Mayor, County Councilman, chairman of the Harford Republican Central Committee, and attorney. INTEGRITY - Having served three years in Iraq, been trained as a leader in the Army's Infantry Officer's School, Ranger course, and Airborne school, and served as a member of the Maryland Bar, I have also demonstrated a level of uncompromising integrity that our County needs to ensure that our government functions for the benefit of our citizens, without special favors to political insiders and friends. EDUCATION - I have a great appreciation for the challenges facing our public schools as my grandchildren are now attending Harford County Public Schools and my family members include teachers in those schools. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - I am unique in my level of understanding two of the largest sectors of Harford's economy, Aberdeen Proving Ground and our Farms. I have worked on family farms for my entire life and I have also served the Defense Department as a soldier, at war and peace, and as a contractor. GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE - Harford is a blend of national, state, county, and municipal government and all need to work in harmony to maximize our quality of life. I am the only candidate who has served successfully at senior levels in the national, state, county, and municipal government.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community? Incumbent is term limited.

What other issues do you plan to address? Keeping taxes low, eliminating wasteful government spending, ensuring the safety of our families and communities, maintaining high-quality schools,
retaining and recruiting quality jobs, preserving open space and our agricultural heritage, and making traffic move effectively and safely.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? As a State Senator for the past 8 years, I have served as the chairman of the Harford County Senate Delegation and Ranking Member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, was named as legislator of the year by the State's Attorneys' Association and Med Chi (the association of medical doctors), awarded honors by the Maryland Chief's and Sheriffs' Association for my leadership role in opposing the anti-police and defund the police legislation, and was responsible for bringing millions of dollars in state grants to preserve Harford open space, preserve our historical structures, and enhance educational opportunities. As mayor of Bel Air, I led the Main Street redevelopment. As a Harford County Council member, I was a sponsor of the Adequate Public Facilities legislation that was responsible for reducing the overcrowding of our schools and funding new schools throughout the county. As a military officer, I have led soldiers in war and peace, worked successfully with people of varied backgrounds in extremely challenging situations, and served at the senior level. As a senior advisor with the U.S. State Department, I developed and implemented transition strategies at the national level. As an attorney, I have argued appeals and tried cases on complex matters statewide in federal and state courts up through the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Through 41 yeas of marriage, my wife, Deb, and I have raised 5 children through college, marriage, and grandchildren.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? Always do the right thing.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I will at all times serve the citizens of Harford County to the best of my ability, with absolute integrity, and with complete transparency. I appreciate how hard our citizens work for the money they pay in taxes and I will carefully guard those monies and do all in my power to govern efficiently and return tax dollars to the taxpayers whenever possible.