Cady now unsure whether he’ll run for re-election

Assumptions about Reeder’s retirement unfounded, for now

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Frederick County Commissioner Michael L. Cady said this week he has every intention of seeking re-election this fall, but said nothing is set in stone.

‘‘This is a decision that will be made collectively with my wife,” Cady (R) said in an interview with The Gazette. ‘‘I certainly will sit down and consider everything ... My intention is to continue and I have every intention of running, but I’m still making sure it’s the right thing to do.”

Cady made this revelation a year after he announced to supporters at the Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont that he would not seek the office of Frederick city mayor, but instead seek re-election as county commissioner.

‘‘My gut feelings have always been to continue serving as a county commissioner,” Cady said in May 2005.

Cady now says he held the ‘‘Celebrate the Past and Plan the Future,” banquet last year only to officially announce that he was not running for mayor of the City of Frederick.

‘‘That announcement was to clear the path for those running for mayor,” he said.

Though he has yet to register his candidacy for county commissioner, Cady has been raising money. In March 2005, his supporters formed the Committee to Elect Mike Cady. Committee members sent one-page letters to Cady’s supporters and friends asking for financial contributions to help with his re-election campaign.

‘‘The committee was formed so I could run for governor, lieutenant governor and state or county office,” Cady said.

Cady also confirms that he recently told the Worman’s Mill Civic Association that the headaches of the job of commissioner are weighing heavily on his decision to seek re-election.

During his four-year term, Cady was found to have violated the county’s ethics ordinance by using his position on the board to solicit donations for the 2004 World Weightlifting Championships from builders that donated to his campaign.

He resigned from the county’s Parks and Recreation Commission due to controversy surrounding an employee who refused to remove his hat during the Pledge of Allegiance at a commissioner meeting.

Most recently, he has been accused of taking campaign donations from developers asking for land rezoning in the New Market Region Plan update. Cady said he does not read his campaign finance reports, so he is unaware of who is donating to his campaign.

These issues, on top of the regular demands of the job, including long hours studying county issues, attending meetings and working cohesively with four other board members, are making Cady think twice about re-election.

The demands of the job are also weighing heavily on Cady’s colleague, Commissioner Bruce L. Reeder (D). He said this week that his re-election intentions are also unclear, despite speculation in two published reports that he would retire.

Reeder said Monday that he has yet to decide on his election plans. He recently battled with some health issues.

Reeder first served as commissioner from 1990-1998 and was re-elected in 2002.

The date for candidates to file for the Sept. 12 primary election is July 3.