Rosemont burgess, commissioners pledge to preserve village identity in next term

April 18--ROSEMONT -- The village isn't likely to see much change in the next two years, including the faces on the village commission.

The incumbent burgess and four commissioners are running for re-election unopposed. Across the board, all five pledged to preserve Rosemont's status quo in their next term.

Ahead of the May 6 election, The Frederick News-Post interviewed each of the candidates.

Burgess Tom Watson

Burgess Tom Watson has made a career out of public service. Watson, 72, first worked for the U.S. Park Police -- the only time he lived somewhere other than Rosemont.

Watson spent the next 30 years with Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department, from which he retired as a battalion chief.

It was during this time, in the 1980s, that the then-burgess asked him to run for the village commission. Watson agreed, and served two terms, one as commissioner and one as burgess.

"It just made sense," he said of his decision to serve on the commission. "I grew up here. I knew everyone in town."

It was also something of a family legacy. His father served on the first village commission after Rosemont was incorporated in 1953, Watson said.

Though promotions at work forced him to take a decades-long hiatus from public office, Watson ran again after retirement. He named the village water project as the most challenging problem he's faced since returning to office in 2005.

First as commissioner and later as burgess, Watson played a central role in outfitting the village with a new public water system. He was also involved in the village's legal dispute with Brunswick over who was responsible for replacing the crumbling, rusty pipes.

With the lawsuit resolved and the new water system in place, Watson aimed to preserve the status quo in his next term.

"That's what the people really want," he said.

He also emphasized the benefit of limited government, reflecting the registered Republican's philosophy in Rosemont and on a national scale.

Commissioner David Blackmon

Commissioner David Blackmon is a businessman, first and foremost.

Blackmon, 52, owns the recently opened Smoketown Brewing Station in Brunswick.

He supports business-friendly policies, both on the local and national levels. He liked the idea of a businessman as president, too, although he said didn't think Donald Trump was the right man for the job.

Despite his pro-business perspective, he doesn't think businesses belong in Rosemont.

"We were created as a bedroom community," he said, adding that the residential-only zoning "makes sense."

The village was incorporated to keep out commercial development.

It was the close-knit, small-town feel that drew him and his family to Rosemont 15 years ago, he said. It's a far cry from the urban environment of Albuquerque, New Mexico -- where his family lived previously -- but reminds him of where he grew up in a small Vermont town.

He named preserving the village's identity as his primary goal in his third term as commissioner.

Commissioner Steve Harshman

With 27 years of elected office under his belt, Commissioner Steve Harshman is the most senior of the group.

But when Harshman, 65, made his first bid for elected office, he was the "new kid on the block."

Harshman, who worked as a research scientist in the biomedical field, moved to Rosemont with his family in part because of its proximity to the Brunswick MARC train station, which he used to commute to work in Montgomery County. He started attending village meetings as a way to learn about the community, and saw the opening on the commission as a chance to get more involved.

"I was actually surprised when I won," he said of his first election, adding that he secured a spot on the commission by a single vote.

He would later lose a bid for re-election, but ended up back on the commission after then-Commissioner Tom Watson stepped up to fill the vacant burgess seat midterm.

The village hasn't changed much during his tenure on the commission, which is a good thing, he said. He named maintaining the feel of the community as his greatest accomplishment.

This same goal will remain for his next term, he said.

Commissioner John Leach

Commissioner John Leach doesn't like politicians.

Leach, 57, who works in the equipment processing department of a Gaithersburg vaccine company, doesn't consider himself one, either.

"Lord, no," he responded when asked that question.

Leach, who has served two terms on the commission, instead described his role as "someone involved in the community."

It hasn't always been smooth sailing. He noted that replacing the town's water system, including a dispute with Brunswick over who owned the lines, was a challenge.

"Half the town felt like they should have gotten it for free," he said, referring to the cost for the new pipes and hookup to the county system.

He was happy with how it worked out, noting that the cost would have only risen if the village put off the payment.

Fiscal responsibility is at the top of his political priorities. Leach, a registered Republican, described himself as more of a "social libertarian."

"I don't care what you personally do, as long as it doesn't cost me or any other person," he explained.

He hoped to continue this hands-off approach to maintain the status quo in his third term.

Commissioner Joe Wiles

This year might be the last time Commissioner Joe Wiles seeks re-election.

After 20 years on the commission, Wiles, 69, said he's "not to the point where I'm tired of it yet."

Wiles, who retired after 30 years as a grants administrator for the National Institutes of Health, has faced some health problems that might make him decide against another term in 2019, he said.

"I don't know if I'll run again," he said. "I've certainly enjoyed the experience, though."

Wiles named resolving the village's water system dispute with Brunswick as one of his proudest accomplishments in his 10 terms. Aside from that, most of his service was simply a matter of maintaining the status quo, he said.

Not much has changed since the Rosemont native was a child, he said.

The one thing that's different?

"I used to know a lot more people," he said. "Probably because my job as a kid was to mow the grass."

Follow Nancy Lavin on Twitter: @NancyKLavin.

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