From the City of Aberdeen
Aberdeen Mayor Patrick McGrady announced his intent to nominate Jason Kolligs, a highly-qualified Aberdeen resident, to fill the vacancy on the Aberdeen City Council.
Jason Kolligs is a US Naval Academy Graduate, former US Navy Officer, and engineer who is ready to serve the people of Aberdeen starting as soon as the Council approves the nomination.
Mayor McGrady followed up the declaration of intent to nominate Kolligs with a message to the people of Aberdeen, asking “Contact the City Council and ask this Council to vote to approve Jason Kolligs, a highly-qualified citizen of Aberdeen, so we can get down to business with all the important work of City Government.”
At the next meeting of the Aberdeen City Council on January 25, 2016, per the Aberdeen Charter, Mayor McGrady will nominate Kolligs to fill the vacancy on the City Council. Three votes are required to confirm the nomination and seat Kolligs on the Council.
Regarding Jason Kolligs, Mayor McGrady said “I am personally proud to know Jason Kolligs and can tell you that he is prepared to hit the ground running to make Aberdeen a better place to live and work.”
The vacancy on the Aberdeen City Council exists because of a tie in the election results of the November 2015 Aberdeen City Municipal Election. The electoral tie created a vacancy on the Aberdeen City Council, and the Aberdeen City Charter instructs that a vacancy is to be filled by a nomination by the Mayor, and confirmation by the Council.
Brief Biography of Jason Kolligs:
A Naval Academy graduate and veteran, Jason Kolligs is seeking to apply his leadership and problem solving skills to Aberdeen City Council to make Aberdeen a better place to live, work, and play. Jason is married with two young boys, and a little girl on the way. He is a systems engineer at MITRE supporting Army programs on APG. He currently serves the community as a mentor to an Aberdeen High School Senior in the Science and Mathematics Academy
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Good Call Mayor. I believe he will fill that position better than the normal election process would have.
I know Jason Kolligs — he is a fair-minded, highly-intelligent individual who will work well with this council.
Mayor Patrick McGrady opposed a democratic run-off election to resolve the city council tie-vote. But now he wants to propose an undemocratic random popularity poll to appoint his second nominee—a Tea Party crony who came in eighth place in the November election. Is the Mayor saying “To hell with the election and the Aberdeen voters????
Who care’s? It’s a change and that’s what Aberdeen needs. Talk to any developer and ask them how “hot” Aberdeen is, and yes, that is sarcasm.
Half a generation of democratic rule in Baltimore city has worked wonders hasn’t it? LOL
I believe the Mayor could have simply named the replacement and the other three council members could have done nothing more than suck their thumbs and cried about it.
Was not a big vote getter, so it’s apparent to me that he would would not serve in the best interest of the citizens. I remember getting a door knock from Mr. Kolligs during campaign time and thought that he had some really stupid ideas that he was trying to push. I blamed it on first election excitement, not thinking before speaking, but some of it was not understanding the town charter and thinking that it is as simple as waving a magic wand.
Nominate the other candidate that tied for the fourth council seat. The councl’s purpose is to break the tie-vote, not choose an alternative candidate. DeBonis lost the council run-off vote, Give Stephen Smith a chance in the council run-off vote. This is about democracy and respecting the will of the voters.Thats what they did in New Windsor, Md.
So you want the Bennett crony instead? If its really about democracy and the will of the voters, then a run off is the way to go, then neither side can complain about the outcome.
The will of the voters voted for Bennett’s ticket on the council. They are the majority that represents the majority of the voters. That’s the definition of democracy. Stephen Smith according to the voters deserves a council run off vote as did Sean DeBonis. DeBonis was rejected. The democratic way is to nominate Stephen Smith. Follow the law and the will of the people.
The voters want Aberdeen not to be a derelict dead zone that it is.
The biggest activity is the Route 22/SHA lane wideneing project.
The voters see everything that’s (not) going on.
How did that nomination work out? Aberdeen has a vacant seat and no city manager, what’s next? I guess the next thing will be no reduction in the water bill because of mandates that are out of Aberdeen’s hands, maybe a raise in taxes to offset the cost of all of the potholes thanks to the blizzard. I think Patrick has noble intentions but didn’t do his homework. All that I see is a stagnant government with no hope of reaching a conclusion unless Patrick gives in and makes a concession for the greater good. Landbeck is going to stand her ground, Taylor will be a good soldier and follow her lead, and Lindecamp is his own man but is going to listen and take in what supporters are saying, basically siding with the voters. Aberdeen is the shiny sports car in the driveway with a dead battery.