The Grove has a mayoral race

Incumbent Compton to face challenger, town’s first in years

Marida Hines and former mayor Charlie Challstrom also are on the ballot for two uncontested Town Council seats.

In another first, the town’s election is being held in spring instead of summer to bring Washington Grove in compliance with state law, said Mary Kay Du Bois, a supervisor of town elections.

Election Day is May 12; traditionally it has been held in June.

Incumbent mayor Compton, 58, is co-president of Gaithersburg-based biomedical company GeneDx. Prior to being elected mayor, he was a Town Council member for three years, and has lived in the town for about 17 years.

If re-elected, Compton said he anticipates finishing some business that began shortly after he was first elected, including hiring a part-time code inspector and encouraging volunteer participation.

Pursuing a legal foothold to protect the Casey Field from development is another key issue, Compton said.

The embattled, 12-acre meadow adjacent to the town has long been a sticking point as developers have sought to build on the land while many town residents prefer it remain untouched to be more compatible with Washington Grove’s low-key atmosphere.

‘‘We had to do a fair amount of lobbying and screaming about it,” Compton said. ‘‘The bottom line is they could still [develop] it.”

Compton also said he is a three-year board member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, and will next year assume the role of chamber president.

Compton said he was unaware anyone else had filed to run for mayor until after the application deadline, but said he anticipates a positive campaign.

His challenger, Tomlin, 61, retired in 2004 from his job as human resources director for the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

Tomlin said he’s lived in the area for 28 years, though his subdivision was formally annexed into Washington Grove about 10 years ago. He served on the Town Council from 2002 to 2005.

Tomlin said helping the town manage and assimilate to change is one of his goals. Washington Grove can be perceived as having a negative attitude towards change, such as when deliberating with county planning officials about the Humpback Bridge on Oakmont Avenue, Tomlin said.

Residents focused primarily on not removing the bridge, instead of forging a compromise to repair a county road that desperately needs working, he said.

‘‘I’m not exactly a fan of change for the sake of change, but like so much else in our society, change is inevitable,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin said he intends to bolster communication with other mid-county cities, and to increase dialogue with residents by hosting open hours at town hall to hear their concerns. He also said traffic calming measures and tools to deal with ‘‘the mansionalization phenomenon” are key issues.

Challstrom, 56, is a 28-year town resident and in 2006 retired as the director of the National Geodetic Survey.

He was mayor from 1985 to 1987, and served on the council for 12 years total in the 80s and early 90s.

Challstrom said he hopes to improve the town’s communication with other Maryland cities through the Maryland Municipal League. While on council, he aims to focus on planning issues, such as the Legacy Open Space program, and increasing volunteer involvement in administrative support and sharing information.

‘‘We need to turn our attention back the volunteer resources we have,” Challstrom said.

Hines, 51, is a 15-year town resident and works from her home as a graphic designer for Dog Days Communications LLC.She’s served on the Maple Lake Committee for two years. She said traffic calming measures, pedestrian safety and smart growth to maintain the town’s distinct ‘‘small town” quality of life are her key issues.

‘‘I think it’s a national treasure, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration,” Hines said of Washington Grove. ‘‘It’s important not just for the people that live here but for the people around Washington Grove that we preserve this beautiful gem of a town.”

The mayor is elected for a one-year term, while the six council positions are held on staggered, three-year terms. Both positions are unpaid.

Washington Grove has a population of 483, with about 22 percent of residents below the voting age, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Meet The Candidates

A meet-and-greet with the candidates is planned for 7:30 p.m. April 18 at McCathran Hall, 300 Grove Ave.