Newcomer Pakulniewicz-Chidiac enters race

She was one of the last council hopefuls to file her candidacy with the city by the Sept. 7 deadline.

‘‘I support Susan and it would be remiss if we didn’t talk about things,” she said. ‘‘Of course, I do what I can to help her, but I make sure there’s not a conflict of interest in what I’m trying to accomplish here.”

One of the things she would like to accomplish is a tamer council.

‘‘This council has gotten mired down in conflict and I think that’s evident by the candidate pool that other people are tired of it as well,” Pakulniewicz-Chidiac said.

The ongoing controversy over a change in the city’s refuse and recycling program is an example of that, she said.

She said the residents who participated in the once-weekly pick-up pilot program should have more say on the issue.

‘‘Ignoring what they’re saying is ignoring their voice,” she said. ‘‘Some of the council members that are running on experience want people to look at their experience and not disregard it. The irony is, they disregarded the pilot experience.”

Incumbents Robert E. Dorsey, Phyllis R. Marcuccio and Anne M. Robbins support retaining twice-weekly pick-up in the city.

Pakulniewicz-Chidiac, a first-generation American, moved to Rockville five years ago and lives in Twinbrook with her husband Jean and 21-month-old daughter Leila.

In the years she has lived in Rockville, Pakulniewicz-Chidiac has served on the board of the Cambridge Walk I Homeowners’ Association and as president for the last four years.

As president, she helped bring the association out of near-bankruptcy and successfully negotiated with contractors of the proposed Twinbrook Station mixed-use development to address residents’ concerns.

Other issues she hopes to address as a City Council member are managing the city’s growth, rebuilding the infrastructure to keep up with the increasing population, increasing the city’s police force and offering incentives to retain officers, and making the city a bit greener.

Pakulniewicz-Chidiac is most proud of her work in the White House Office of Communications and U.S. Department of Defense under the Clinton Administration.

She earned a master’s degree in international relations from George Washington University and has studied in Siena, Italy, and Kobe, Japan.

Tracy Pakulniewicz-chidiac

Age: 33

Experience: President of Cambridge Walk I Homeowner’s Association, 2003-present; public relations consultant for Councilwoman Susan R. Hoffmann, 2005-present; protocol officer to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1999-2001; special assistant to the director of communications, White House, 1996-1999

Top Issues: Public safety, fiscal responsibility, leadership, growth management, rebuilding infrastructure, environment.

For more: www.tracyforcouncil.com or ElectTracy@gmail.com