Forest Heights hopes elections bring peace

Candidates say they want to make the town respected again

Residents of wards 1, 2 and 3 will fill five seats in the elections, which are held every four years. Lynn Smith Barnes was elected Monday during a special election in Ward 1 to fill a seat left vacant when Alice Hoskins resigned in September. Residents will elect a second council member for Ward 1 and two council members for wards 2 and 3.

The candidates all say they want to bring the community together.

In Ward 1, Jackie Goodall is running uncontested.

Ward 2 incumbent Clifton Atkinson faces challenges by George E. McDermott and former councilwoman Anne K. Reifsneider.

Atkinson, who has been a town resident more than 20 years, said three cars were added to the police force during his tenure as chairperson of the Forest Heights Police Department.

Reifsneider vowed to promote efficiency and bring stable government.

‘‘It starts with improving the budget for the town. The administration overspent allocated funds and had a poorly planned budget to begin with,” Reifsneider claimed.

McDermott, who has lived in the town for 43 years, charged that the current Forest Heights government has shown an ‘‘arrogant disregard of the citizen’s right to input and right to question rule changes affecting not only the town charter, but the voting rights of the citizens of Forest Heights.”

In Ward 3, Doris Stephens, William E. Clarke and Taunya L. Hines are contesting the seat.

Stephens, who has lived in Forest Heights for 13 years, has been involved in community activities such as the neighborhood watch committee.

She said she’d like to bring unity to the town.

‘‘I think that Forest Heights has a bright future. I believe in unity within the community,” Stephens said.

Clarke has lived in the town for 34 years, and has worked with the Forest Heights Public Works Department for 20 years. He said neighbors might recognize him driving a white pickup truck through the town picking up trash and glass on the roads in the morning.

‘‘I believe the Town Council needs to come together instead of all this infighting to solve the problems we have at the present time,” Clarke said.

Hines said she could offer a new perspective and help stop the town’s political bickering. She would also like to implement programs for children and the elderly.

‘‘Most importantly, we need to take back our community,” Hines said. ‘‘We need to get everyone involved and work together.”

Forest Heights has had a tumultuous period over the past two years with the ousting of two mayors.

In January 2006, former Mayor Joyce Beck was forced to step down as mayor after the Town Council voted to dismiss her. She was succeeded by Spires. The Town Council suspended Spires in September amid allegations that he misused and mishandled town funds. Spires was charged with embezzling public funds and was indicted on Feb. 22.

Forest Heights residents will not elect a mayor next week due to the January ruling of Prince George’s County Circuit Court Judge Philip Nichols, which stated that a previous ouster of Spires as mayor was illegal because of the number of council members to vote.

Winners of the town council elections will be sworn in at a town meeting on March 21 at the Forest Heights Municipal Building.

E-mail Carla Peay at cpeay@gazette.net.

Where to vote

Elections are scheduled to be held from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Municipal Building, 5508 Arapahoe, Forest Heights.