Newcomer Anderson sets sights on council seat

The retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant says he wants to ratchet up the level of community outreach conducted by the city, with an eye toward greater participation.

Anderson, 43, thinks his chances are good to get one of four available council slots in the November election.

‘‘This last couple of years has been trying on Rockville just because there have been so many issues that the mayor and council butted heads on,” he said.

Anderson’s platform calls for a greener city, with more affordable housing and a government reflective of its diverse population.

If elected, he promises to work to make all levels of Rockville more diversely represented, be it the council, city staff or among citizen volunteers who serve on the many boards committees.

‘‘I definitely want to change the faces,” he said. ‘‘Absolutely.”

Chairman of the Rockville Human Rights Commission, Anderson said he stands for balanced growth that considers both economic development and what he calls community development.

Council members need to attend more community meetings ‘‘and really begin to legislate for the people,” he said. ‘‘And I don’t think that’s being done. That’s how people fall through the cracks.”

Take the mixed-use Twinbrook Station development project, formerly known as Twinbrook Commons, as an example.

‘‘The citizens in those communities just feel that they are not getting any say whatsoever, that big business is driving the determination of what the neighborhoods will be for the next 20 to 30 years,” he said.

Instead of approaching large-scale developments with the idea of accommodating profit needs of developers, the community interests should be better represented, he added.

Anderson supports making Rockville a model for energy conservation.

‘‘Let’s go green. Let’s have Rockville be one of the first cities to truly go green — that means green energy, renewable energy,” he said.

Anderson works as the chief of the Detention Standards and Compliance Division for the U.S. Department of Justice. The division oversees the conditions of confinement in which federal pretrial detainees are housed.

The Hungerford resident has lived in Rockville for three years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from the University of Maryland, University College.

Theodric ‘‘Theo” Anderson

Age: 43

Experience: Human Rights Commission chair; retired U.S. Air Force; chief of Detention Standards and Compliance Division for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Top Issues: environment, affordable housing, community building.

For more: www.vote4anderson.com