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A Washington Suburban Sanitary Commissioner and former delegate, Juanita Miller of Clinton, has announced her candidacy for the District 9 County Council seat in 2010.

Miller said she hopes to bring her leadership as a former delegate (D-Dist. 25) to the County Council race, in which five new council members will be elected.

The District 9 seat, currently held by Council Chairwoman Marilynn Bland, encompasses parts of the rural tier, such as Brandywine and Baden, as well as more developed areas, including Clinton.

Other candidates include former Metropolitan Police Department officer Catherine Taggart-Ross of Clinton, Maryland assistant attorney general Mel Franklin of Marlton and Clinton attorney Tamara Davis Brown.

Tiffany Hollinger of Upper Marlboro, who chairs the board for the United Way of Prince George's County, which Miller joined two years ago, said she would like to see Miller emphasize the needs of the less fortunate in the county.

Hollinger said many residents recommended Miller for the job while the board looked for community leaders to fill its seats.

"Although she had a lot going on and had a lot on her calendar, she definitely saw a great need and made herself available," Hollinger said. "She was more than happy to jump on board."

Miller said her priorities include infrastructure, smart growth and development, schools and education, and public safety.

Miller said she hopes to examine the quality of service that public safety workers are able to provide under budget constraints and furloughs.

"We need to assure that we have sufficient services to minimize as much [crime] as possible," she said.

County officials approved Tuesday a second round of 10-day furloughs for all county workers.

Miller said that while furloughs are sometimes necessary, they should be a last resort, and that other alternatives should be exhausted.

"I'm always opposed to something that impacts someone's income in that way," she said.

Miller has lived in Prince George's County for 36 years after moving to the area in 1973.

While Miller, a mother of two and a grandmother of two, said her family is grown, education remains a priority for the Prince George's County special education administrator, overseeing special education programs throughout the county.

As housing developments continue to expand, parents have complained that schools have become overcrowded.

Miller agreed and said south county has been neglected and is in need of a new school, as well as major renovations to school facilities.

"Schools have become overcrowded … or they are old and crumbling," she said, adding that many south county schools use temporary trailers to house students when schools become overcrowded.

Upper Marlboro resident Joy Norman said that like Miller, her own children are also adults, but she also believes education should be a top priority in the county.

Norman, who has known Miller for 30 years, said the two met through their then-school-age daughters.

"Education is something that needs to be continuously addressed," Norman said. "It needs to be high on the agenda."

Miller said that recreational facilities also need to be expanded to give students a place to play sports or other activities after school.

She suggested recreational facilities be constructed on school property to give students pedestrian access to recreation.