Shannon Leadbetter Runs For Anne Arundel County Council In District 7

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD —It's election season in Maryland. Early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 27 through Thursday, Nov. 3. General Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters can also return their ballot by mail or place it in a dropbox.

Residents can learn when, where and how to can vote by clicking here. Voters can see which districts they live in and view their sample ballot by using this tool. Patch's full voter guide is posted here.

Patch asked County Council and county executive candidates to complete a questionnaire outlining their priorities. Anne Arundel County Council District 7 candidate Shannon Leadbetter participated in our survey. Leadbetter's unedited responses are posted below.

Name

Shannon Leadbetter

Campaign website

https://www.shannonleadbetter....

City or town of residence

Crofton

Office sought

County Council District 7

Party affiliation

Republican

Education

Bachelor of Arts, cume laude, Bucknell University

Occupation

Self Employeed, Sales

Family

My husband Wyland and I have been married for 19 years in October. We have 2 teenage sons both enrolled in public school. My husband is a retired United States Marine and it was my honor to serve by his side, raising our boys and volunteering to lead fellow USMC families through 5 deployments, including 2 combat tours. We enjoyed the many places we have lived, but 'home' has always been here in District 7 where I grew up and where my parents and Nana still live (in Harwood and Edgewater respectively).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None

Age

46

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No

Why are you seeking this office?

This is my hometown. I grew up here, graduating from South River in 1994. Through all my husband's time in the Marine Corps we made a point to return to my parents every summer between our moves. Though we lived out of state during my husband's Marine Corps career - this has always been home. My parents live in Harwood. My Nana still lives in Edgewater just a couple miles from where she used to live when I was a little girl. I am seeking this office because I care passionately about our community and the people who live here. I spent my husband's entire Marine Corps career developing my leadership skills - trial by fire under some of the most unimaginable circumstances. I want to use those skills to make a difference in my hometown.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Cost of living, and I will fight to lower income and property taxes to help make Anne Arundel County a more affordable place to live.

What do you plan to do to address traffic and overcrowding in Anne Arundel County?

The challenge with population growth and development is protecting the quality of life of our residents – existing and new. Traffic- your ability to get where you need and want to go, water and sewer infrastructure and aquifer capacities, proper storm water management, school capacities, the ability for EMS, Fire and Police to reach you within acceptable timelines and the ability of our 911 center to handle call volumes – this all needs to be considered so that our infrastructure supports any future development and our residents’ quality of life is protected. We also need to consider the areas where re-development makes sense. How to encourage the repurposing of existing infrastructure that is currently not being used, or is underutilized, so that we grow responsibility with minimal negative impacts on the environment and the communities in which we reside. Protecting our quality of life and responsible repurposing. THESE are 2 of the issues that need to be understood and clearly examined before the Comprehensive Re-Zoning takes place. As your next County Councilwoman in District 7, I will work to bring all stakeholders to the table to find common sense solutions that meet the needs of our growing community without sacrificing our quality of life.

What do you plan to do to address the ongoing school bus driver shortage?

I will encourage AACPS to consider the possibility of outside the box ideas such as double routes, usage of vans, hiring interested bus drivers to fill support staff vacancies within schools to provide a full workday’s wages, and altering the school day schedule to stem the number of children missing first period academic subjects due to arriving late to school caused by lack of transportation. I support the idea of rolling outages so parents/guardians can better plan for their child’s school transportation and making it easier for individuals who have had CDLs in the past to obtain them again and come back to drive a bus. As the funding authority of our County, the County Council can have an impact on our County’s funding priorities. I support the funding of additional vans to service the bus routes currently lacking drivers.

What does campaign finance say about your race?

I have worked incredibly hard to connect with residents and community and business leaders within District 7 and our County at large to understand their challenges, goals and viewpoints and give them the opportunity to get to know me and the type of woman and leader that I am. Campaign finance says that I have been extremely successful in connecting with our community. They understand that I am committed to working incredibly hard for the benefit of all of our residents, that I value bringing all stakeholders to the table to find solutions, and that I am willing to make the right decisions to protect our quality of life, even if those decisions are sometimes hard. My success in campaign finance reflects the confidence I have earned from others through my consistent efforts during my campaign and my lifetime track record of demonstrating successful leadership in service to others.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only Mom running for this office. 50% of our County's budget is spent on funding Anne Arundel County Public Schools. It is of vital importance that County Council Members understand first hand the challenges and opportunities facing our school system and know what questions to ask before voting to spend tax payer dollars on a budget for AACPS. I am the only military spouse candidate and offer a unique set of leadership skills having advocated for the needs of Marines and their families through the challenges of active duty service. I am the only self employed candidate and will only be answerable to the people of Anne Arundel County County.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

n/a

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Supporting our police in putting criminals in jail, bringing back the 287G Program to Anne Arundel County, a federal partnership with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement designed to remove criminal illegal aliens from our County and supporting parents rights to be involved in their child's education while funding fundamental educational curriculums in the classroom.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was the leader of the Reopen AACPS parent group that successfully worked to reopen Anne Arundel County public schools for in person education. I served as a USMC Key Volunteer and Command Team Advisor at different stages of my husband's Marine Corps Career, serving the interests of Marines and families by planning, guiding and executing the Family Readiness Program within tight budgetary and legal constraints. In my business, within 3 years of starting, I rose to the top 1% of salespersons.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I have ever been given was the day before my wedding from my Great Aunt and Uncle, Rosamond and Col. Joe Jackson, USAF, retired, Medal of Honor Recipient . Aunt Rosamond told me to expect life as a Marine Corps pilots wife to test every part of me, but that I should embrace it because it would make me stronger. Uncle Joe told me not to be afraid, because the sacrifice is worth it. Their wise words carried me through some of the most challenging and heartbreaking moments of my Marine Corps Spouse experience.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Serving the families of the United States Marine Corps as a Marine Corps Spouse during the course of my husband's career has been the honor of my life. Only topped by being the mother of our two sons. I am humbled by, and grateful for, the opportunity to serve our community with the same hard work, dedication and compassion which I have brought to my roles as Marine Corps Spouse, Family Readiness Volunteer, self employed saleswoman, and most of all - Mom.