Office Sought:   Harford County Council District F

Name:   Mary Ann Lisanti

Age:    38

Marriage Status:   Single

Website:  www.IsupportMaryAnn.com                                                            

Education:                 

Graduate of Havre de Grace High School, BA in Political Science; College of Notre Dame of Maryland; and Masters of Science in Public Administration from Central Michigan University.

Work Experience: 

My professional experience includes working for the Maryland General Assembly, Harford County Government and the City of Havre de Grace.  My years in the Office of the County Executive , Department of Planning and Zoning and as the Havre de Grace City Manager have uniquely prepared me with the tools to effectively serve.

Political Offices Held: 

I was elected to serve two consecutive terms on the Harford County Democratic Central Committee and served the final four years as Chairman.

Brief Biography: 

I am a life resident of Harford County where my family has lived for the past  140 years. I am the Executive Director of the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, a heritage tourism organization building recreational trails along the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay . 

I regularly attend St Patrick’s Catholic Church and volunteer in the community.  I enjoy travel and photography.

1.   Why are you running for this office? 

Good government is serious business and requires participation.  As a former professional government manager I have the skills, education and experience to be an effective legislator and problem solver.  I believe the County has serious issues to face and therefore the public should have confidence in their leadership to provide services and protect their resources.

I am running for office to make a positive difference for my community and to ensure that good decisions about the future of Harford County are made.

2.   If you are elected, what do you intend to do to improve the quality of education in Harford County ?

Preparing our youth to be competitive in a global workforce should be a top priority of local government therefore requiring accountability all levels is a necessary.   As the daughter of a public school administrator, I recognize the complexity of challenges our schools are facing, however in order to promote excellence, we must first demand excellence of ourselves and in our community.  Students learn by example.   The status-quo and mediocrity should not be an option; therefore it is necessary to begin by de-centralizing management and reassigning authority to the classroom teacher and local administrator.

3.  What do you intend to do to prepare Harford County for the influx of 30000 new jobs from BRAC?

There are several immediate steps that need to be taken to prepare for the largest influx in population to the County we have ever seen in a short period of time.  We need to do all of the following:

a. Conduct an analysis of current and future need for school capacity, roads, water and sewer, transportation, recreation and public safety resources. 

b. Review and update our master land use, water / sewer master and capitol project plans immediately.  These plans must be coordinated with each of the municipalities to promote consistency. 

c. Develop and implement a funding strategy that includes public private partnerships. 

d. Work closely with State and Federal officials to access all available resources to assist in closing the gap between what we have and what we need.

e. Provide numerous opportunities for public input and take care of our existing residents as they must always be our priority. 

4.         What in your mind is the biggest problem facing Harford County as it enters the twenty first century and how do you expect to correct this problem? 

Our most significant challenge in the next four years is to accommodate and plan for new growth while maintaining a high level of service to our citizens and preserving our unique culture and quality of life.

This challenge can be met by developing long-term plans, policies and programs to support our vision at all levels of government.  It is necessary for our leaders to understand that outside influences can impact our future but it truly the responsibility of our citizens set high standards and expect nothing short.