Every candidate talks about "economic development."But there’s an important follow-up question that never gets asked: Economic development for whom?
Land is one of Baltimore County's most valuable—and most limited—resources. We’ve been protecting it for as long as we’ve been a county – 368 years.Once we pave it over, we don't get it back. Every acre we dedicate to one purpose is an acre we can never use for something better.
That's why I'm a hard no on large-scale data centers in Baltimore County.
Not because I'm anti-technology.But because I'm pro-common sense.
Here's what most people don't realize.
Data centers generate enormous tax revenue, but they generate remarkably few permanent jobs.
·A hundred-acre office campus can employ 10,000 to 20,000 people.
·A hundred-acre shopping district can support 4,000 to 8,000 jobs.
·Even warehouses—hardly known as employment powerhouses—typically employ far more people per acre than a data center.
A hyperscale data center campus?
·Perhaps a few hundred permanent employees.
Think about that for a moment.
We're being asked to dedicate vast amounts of developable land—land that could support thousands of jobs, local businesses, research facilities, housing, or mixed-use communities—to one of the least job-intensive commercial uses imaginable.
That's not economic development.
That's land consumption.
And jobs aren't the only concern.
Modern data centers require enormous amounts of electricity. Many also consume tremendous quantities of water for cooling—sometimes enough to rival the needs of entire neighborhoods—while creating relatively few permanent jobs in return.
If Baltimore County is going to dedicate land, water, and infrastructure to a project, we should expect something more than a handful of permanent positions.
We should expect an investment that strengthens our communities, supports local businesses, creates opportunity for our residents, and leaves the next generation better off than we found it.
Data centers simply don't clear that bar.
Some will argue that they expand the tax base.They're right.But tax revenue alone isn't enough.
By that logic, we'd fill every remaining open space with whatever generates the highest assessment.
That's not planning.That's accounting.
Good planning asks a different question:
What is the highest and best use of this land—for the people who live here?
When I look at Baltimore County, I don't see vacant land waiting for data centers.
I see opportunities for innovation, research, manufacturing, mixed-use communities, parks, local businesses, and employers that create thousands of careers instead of hundreds.
I've also been clear that I oppose changing the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line, and I've opposed projects like the Piedmont Reliability Project that would fundamentally reshape our rural communities to serve the explosive energy demands of data centers elsewhere.
Those positions aren't separate.They're connected.
Baltimore County has spent generations protecting its farms, forests, and open spaces. We shouldn't sacrifice them now for a land use that consumes enormous resources while producing comparatively little opportunity for our residents.
I don't believe our future should be dictated by whichever developer shows up with the biggest checkbook.
I believe we should ask a harder question:
What kind of county are we trying to build?
I know my answer: One that creates jobs.One that protects our natural resources.One that preserves the character of our communities.And one that puts people before developers.
If you agree, I need your help.
Maryland law requires me to collect nearly 6,000 petition signatures just to earn a place on the ballot. Signing my petition is not a vote for me. It simply gives Baltimore County voters another choice this November.
I'm willing to stand up to powerful interests and say "no" when the answer is wrong for Baltimore County.
But I can't do it without your help.
Please sign my petition and let's build a county that works for people—not just the next developer in line.
