On November 4th, Frederick County will be electing its first county executive. In 2012, citizens voted to change the county government from a board of commissioners to a council led by an executive. Both candidates, Democrat Jan Gardner and Republican Blaine Young believe that this election will have a big impact on Frederick County, especially on young people.

“Our long-term quality of life will be defined by who is elected. The election will determine how the county grows,” said Gardner.

The teens of today will be tomorrow’s taxpayers. “The election for County Executive will impact the price of the house you buy, the taxes you pay, and the quality of the roads you drive on,” Young said.

When it comes to issues facing teens in Frederick County, job creation and availability are a concern for both Young and Gardner. Other important topics include education and the economy.

“The biggest issue I hear from young people is the economy and jobs,” said Young. “I want Frederick County to be a place where young people can afford to purchase a home and have a good job.”

According to the Maryland Department of Labor, Frederick County’s unemployment rate is below the state and national averages, hovering around 5.6%.  It has the third highest employment rate, behind Howard and Montgomery Counties.

On education, Gardner says, “Students need to take advantage of all the opportunities available to them in high school to prepare for higher education or to enter the workforce. . . Jobs of the future will change rapidly as technology changes, and students will need to be prepared to compete globally not just locally and regionally.”

Gardner has said she supports expanding programs like Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and early childhood education, and making technology accessible to all students.

Young is committed to preventing school overcrowding and increasing education funding. Among his achievements, he cites the approval of building campaigns.  “We approved a record $34.5 million in repairs to aging schools, completed an addition to Oakdale Elementary, built a new North Frederick Elementary, started an addition to Urbana Middle, added an additional elementary school for Urbana, and moved up Frederick High School’s renovations.”

While voting is a large part of participating in the upcoming election, there are other ways to get involved.  “Young people can always volunteer on campaigns,” said Young.

Students can volunteer to work on the Young campaign.

“Young people can get involved in campaigns in lots of way including helping campaigns with social media, canvassing or going door to door, and phone banking,” suggests Gardner.

Students who want experience in a political campaign can also volunteer to support Gardner.

Gardner previously served as a County Commissioner and has also worked as State Director for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski. She says she is running for County Executive “to restore trust in government, manage growth responsibly, support education to make sure we have world-class schools, and to manage county government well.”

Young is currently the President of the County Commissioners and has worked in communications and business. He says, “We are the best county in the state hands down. We have the best schools, beautiful scenery from the mountains to the farms, and we have a great job market.”