FOREST HILL, MD — Billy Boniface has entered the race for Harford County President of the County Council. Patch posed questions to each candidate running for office.
Below you will find Boniface's responses, verbatim:
Name: Billy Boniface
Age on Election Day: 62
Political Affiliation: Republican
Email address: billy@billyboniface.com
Campaign website: www.billyboniface.com
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected.
I was Harford County Council President from 2006 to 2014. I am proud of my record of cutting taxes, of creating true accountability and transparency, of providing unwavering support for law enforcement, and of advocating for land preservation rather than development. If elected in 2026, I will build upon this proven conservative record and fight against new threats to our county such as data centers, commercial solar, battery storage, and other reckless development.
What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you're looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?
Development is by far the most critical issue. Whether it is high-density residential development, large scale commercial projects like data centers and warehouses, or energy complexes like commercial solar farms and battery storage systems, these projects can have detrimental impacts on the surrounding area and on our county as a whole. As Council President I will work locally by fixing our zoning code to ban these uses, as well as at the state level by working with officials from Harford and other counties to fight state legislative efforts to overrule local authority over land use.
How do you differ from other candidates running against you? I do not agree with the votes to accelerate development in the county, and in particular in the congested Route 22 corridor. I do not agree with the vote to allow new gas stations to be built in areas served by well water. I do not agree that County Council members should be allowed to serve up to 24 years consecutively. I wholeheartedly support our Sheriff's Deputies and appreciate what they do to keep us safe.
How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you've outlined in your campaign and/or the office you're seeking?
Running a farm and small business provides a unique perspective. We have to deal with the challenges of meeting payroll, of paying bills and taxes, of maintaining buildings and equipment, of contending with the weather, of caring for animals, and of marketing to customers, among many other challenges. Like all agricultural businesses, we want our local government to keep taxes low, to use government resources efficiently, to not bog us down with unnecessary red tape, and to protect our agricultural economy by preserving farmland. I am happy to say that my family's farm is permanently preserved as a working farm and can never be developed. As Council President I will continue to be a strong supporter of land preservation as an alternative to development.
What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If that is you - how do you plan to continue improving upon what you've already accomplished?
As a former Council President myself, I would much rather run on my own record from 2006 to 2014 of lowering taxes three times and doubling the Homestead Tax credit to save taxpayers over $200 million, of creating the Office of the County Auditor to provide oversight of county finances and operations, of surpassing 47,000 acres of permanently preserved farmland, and of holding the line against reckless overdevelopment.
One thing that has been frustrating now as an outsider watching all of our current elected officials is the level of disunity in our own Republican Party. I intend to change that, because we need to be working together on behalf of our residents to push back against the awful policies coming out of Annapolis.
How do you feel about the school system in your area and what improvements would you like to see be made?
Our teachers, special educators, and school based personnel do a great job. Too often, it is decisions by the central office or from the state bureaucracy that have detrimental effects on the quality of our children's education and on the work environment for school employees.
As Council President I will only support nominees to the Board of Education who have the background to provide true oversight and who will uphold the conservative values of our county.
How do you feel about crime in your area and what steps can be taken to reduce it?
We are lucky to have a Sheriff's Office that is one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the state. Unfortunately decisions are being made not in Harford County, but in Annapolis, that will make us less safe. Most recently the General Assembly limited the ability of local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE in the effort to get criminal illegals off our streets. And the Governor let the bill pass without his veto. Unfortunately I fear we will see more of this type of thing. Harford County is the largest Republican county in the state, and we need our elected officials working together to push back against these policies, and not wasting time fighting among ourselves. As Council President I intend to take a leadership role in bringing us together as a county.
What do you think about the economic climate and business sector in your community, and what initiatives could propel it forward?
It is a common misconception that the county can either be pro-business or anti-development, but it can't be both. In fact, businesses want to locate and expand in areas where their leadership and employees want to live. And people want to live in places with open space, preserved farmland and forests, vibrant communities, and low taxes.
They don't want to locate in areas with uncontrolled sprawl, section 8 housing, high crime rates, vacant strip malls, high taxes, and wasteful government. We as a county need to be smarter about when and how we grow. I do not agree with many recent decisions to accelerate residential growth or to permit commercial solar and similar projects that provide comparatively little in the way of economic benefit while being a blight on our landscape.
How do you feel about transportation options in the area and what, if anything, should be improved upon?
I do not think that the county should be in the bus business, so I would like the administration to look into options for privatizing the bus service. The demand response service provides an important link for elderly and disabled county residents, and the in-county bus routes are useful to county residents with limited mobility. There are models out there for services that are run by the private sector using federal and state grant funding that would be explored. I do NOT support any county bus link to Baltimore City/County, and if any funding depends on creating those links, then it is not worth it and the funds should be declined.
What else would you like voters to know about you?
I am a lifelong Harford County resident and a lifelong Republican. My wife Barb and I raised our three kids on the family farm, and now we are thrilled to have two grandchildren. I'm more motivated than ever to ensure that we leave the next generation a Harford County that is not overdeveloped, that has a thriving economy with good jobs, that has good schools and services, and is a safe place to raise a family.
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