2022 Voter Guide: Opel Jones, candidate for Howard County Council District 2

Why are you running for office?

I am running for re-election to continue to advocate for education, public and personal safety, and community vibrancy.

What do you see as the most pressing issue the county faces and how would you address it?

As Howard County is one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in the state of Maryland, one of the most pressing issues is to ensure we have the facilities we need, and the County Executive, Dr. Calvin Ball, and his administration, are doing an exceptional job at that.

Is the county doing everything it could to reduce flooding in Ellicott City? If not, what more should be done?

The County Executive, Dr. Calvin Ball, along with state legislators Delegate Courtney Watson and Senator Katie Fry Hester, are doing an outstanding job to reduce flooding in Ellicott City!

What would you do to increase affordable housing? Where does affordable housing rank on your priorities for the county?

I do believe Howard County needs more affordable housing, especially as the housing market continues to rise and having a competitive down payment can be a challenge. Possibly increasing the fee-in-lieu, working with state legislators, and re-evaluating MIHU and LIHU percentages are all action items I an working on. Affordable housing ranks high, and my hope is if I’m fortunate enough to be re-elected, I have fellow Councilmembers to work with to actually increase affordable housing by voting in favor of projects with affordable housing, instead of voting against it whenever they are given the opportunity to do so.

What are your plans for increasing or improving public transportation in the county?

I want to continue to work with our State Delegation and the Howard County Department of Transportation to advocate for more public transportation.

What plans do you have to help the county and its businesses successfully emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Working with small businesses has been an absolute joy during my tenure on the County Council, and continuing to work with the administration and responsibly funds for small businesses is crucial.

What are your views on the future growth and economic development in the county?

Howard County is an amazing place to call home; the economic development and growth we currently experience is right on pace with what our General Plan calls for. My hope is, as I stated earlier, that we continue to have appropriate facilities for more residents and businesses coming into the county.

What role can the county government play to improve education in county schools?

Continuing to approve appropriate funding to our education system, specifically HCPSS schools, is paramount to our duty as County Councilpersons. This most recent budget set forth by the County Executive has several line items of record funding!

What efforts do the county schools need to make to address systemic racism in education and society?

Great question; firstly schools need not be afraid to teach the truth about system racism in education and our society, secondly, yearly racial equity training should occur amongst faculty and staff, and thirdly, make a concentrated effort to hire more people of color as educators and staff, and work to retain them, just to name a few.

What steps must the county take to improve public safety?

I believe that Howard County is one of the safest jurisdictions in the state of Maryland and has one of the safest city in the entire country. The Howard County Police Department and the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services are doing an exceptional job on keeping Howard County amazingly safe, and I look forward to continue working with them.

How is climate change impacting the county and what can be done locally to address the effects?

Climate change is affecting not only Howard County, but the entire United States of America! Thankfully, former County Executive Ken Ulman in 2007, and current County Executive, Dr. Calvin Ball, have made amazing strides to curb the effects of climate change, taking a national lead on those endeavors. I was proud to do my part my co-sponsoring legislation to help environmental clean-up, single-use plastic reduction, and raise funds for education and clean-up.