Westminster, MD, Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Today, at the annual State of the County event, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners delivered their individual assessments on the state of Carroll County.  This is the first year of the current 62nd Board of Carroll County Commissioners.

The Commissioners from each of the five districts addressed the audience at the Carroll Arts Center to highlight successes from the past year, challenges facing the county, and important opportunities and priorities moving forward. A passion and commitment to the residents and a love and appreciation of all things Carroll County resonated throughout the speeches as well as common themes of preserving the community’s quality of life.

Commissioner Joseph Vigliotti, District 1, started with stating that although the county faces ongoing challenges, it will work to find a path that emphasizes county as “home” and the importance of our values. The commissioner spoke about the significance of agriculture in the county as the heart of preserving our rural heritage and as an economic powerhouse. Ag is an important component of preserving the heritage and protecting the history of the county. The commissioner also highlighted the need to provide for safety for the community including the commitment to the new combined Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Several examples were shared of the county working diligently to support the success of this initiative. He looks forward to opportunities, new chances and possibilities to benefit Carroll County.  

Commissioner Kenny Kiler, District 2, began with noting how the first month in office has been busy and the new board is working diligently on county business.  The commissioners serve on 18 boards and commissions and directly oversee or collaborate with more than 50 entities in the county. All these interactions are important as they impact every county neighborhood and community. With a love of Carroll County, he plans to use experiences from private industry and serving on elected, community and industry boards to serve the entire county and its residents.  The financial management and budget development are important roles and although revenue is largely out of the board’s control, he is prepared to enter the process. He then listed various priorities to consider including safety, education, infrastructure, quality of life and others. His emphasis will be to serve the people. 

Commissioner Tom Gordon, District 3, began with noting the new board’s first 35 days already served as a microcosm for its future work as it has experienced opportunities, trials and even loss. The commissioner emphasized the need to look for ways to work together to innovate and improve upon Carroll’s 186-year history. Tourism, with its agricultural, historical, artistic and environmental experiences, is important to residents, businesses and visitors and provides opportunities to showcase some of the county’s gems. This industry highlights the county’s values as well as offers community and economic opportunities. The film industry is a largely untapped engine that may provide an innovative economic benefit.  Pursuing this avenue may provide positive impacts beyond jobs including attracting new tourism opportunities as well as many other economic benefits.  Carroll County is well positioned to fulfill many unique production needs.

Commissioner Mike Guerin, District 4, provided personal background and highlighted why his family lives in Carroll County and many of the reasons it is a great county in which to live, raise a family and own a business. The speech emphasized the importance of preserving our wonderful county while looking for opportunities to improve. The commissioner expounded on the important impact of local government and encouraged public engagement in the process. Residents need to let the board know what needs to be done and help to achieve those goals. The budget will be developed wisely with a comprehensive overview of projects and priorities. There are challenges, but he looks forward to beginning a new chapter in the county’s history and creating a vision for its future. Commissioner Guerin is committed to delivering leadership, a voice for all Carroll County citizens, and sound public policy.

Commissioner Ed Rothstein, District 5, emphasized an overall message that Carroll County remains strong and secure.  The county is effectively and efficiently managing the federal and state COVID funds with a focus on the long-term benefits of the county. Finances are good and the outlook for the county is stable.  The commissioner highlighted a few recent successes including the newly establish and developing Department of Fire/EMS, efforts to establish longer-term landfill development and an award-winning veterans’ program. Through an ever-changing environment, the focus remained on investing in initiatives to ensure safety, security and quality of life for the community. He noted the importance of public input in the process to provide guidance and direction to the commissioners and how no one knows Carroll County better than Carroll Countians.  He concluded with the importance of being part of many premier business and civic organizations, including those specifically in Carroll and that those partnerships make the county stronger.

All commissioners emphasized the importance of serving the community and encouraged communication and feedback from residents.  All are encouraged to reach out to all or one of the commissioners with input and ideas:

Board of Commissioners:                           commissioners@carrollcountymd.gov

Commissioner Vigliotti (District 1):              jvigliotti@carrollcountymd.gov

Commissioner Kiler (District 2):                  kkiler@carrollcountymd.gov

Commissioner Gordon (District 3):              tgordon@carrollcountymd.gov

Commissioner Guerin (District 4):               mguerin@carrollcountymd.gov

Commissioner Rothstein (District 5):           erothstein@carrollcountymd.gov

For more information, the event will be available for viewing on the county’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. In addition, all meetings will be replayed on Comcast Channel 24.