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Robert S. Craig wants to bring his extensive experience in budgeting and finance to the next Frederick Board of County Commissioners.

Craig and his wife, Barbara, have been battling the Frederick County planning staff and Board of Appeals for nearly four years, regarding plans to subdivide their property near Gambrill Park Road in Middletown. But Craig says the battle is not the main reason he is running for county commissioner.

A career accountant, Craig has kept a close eye on the financial decisions made by the county for some time. He believes that commissioners were not conservative enough when cutting programs and services in the fiscal 2011 operating budget.

"They certainly didn't cut enough," he said. "There were a lot of fund transfers and accounting tricks. We have to stay within our means."

If elected to the board, Craig said he would examine the county government's employee retirement plan.

"I would take a hard look at it, to see if it's a reasonable plan," he said. "We have to look at the benefits we're giving employees. We want to make sure it is fully funded, but it needs to be fair [to taxpayers]."

Craig believes the government should not be the preferred employer for residents in the county. County government should not be providing its employees with a bigger and better retirement package than their counterparts in the private sector.

Craig also has reservations about the planned incinerator or what some people call a "waste-to-energy facility," because it burns trash and generates electricity.

"I really don't like the site," he said. "The last thing I want to see when coming over the hill into Frederick is a smokestack."

The county is planning to build the incinerator at the McKinney Industrial Center off Md. Route 85, south of the City of Frederick, near the county's wastewater treatment plant. The county believes it is the most practical place to put the facility, because it is on county-owned land in an industrial area. But the site has also been a problem for some, because of its proximity to the Monocacy National Battlefield.

Craig said traffic in the area of the McKinney Industrial Center is already heavy and adding truck traffic to and from the incinerator would add to the problem. "I would much prefer they find another location," he said.

Craig said he has reviewed the contract that the county signed with the builders of the incinerator, Wheelabrator Technologies of Hampton, N.H., and has concerns about plans to take in trash from nearby counties.

"I'm not satisfied that citizens didn't get to vote on taking in trash from other counties," he said. "... We should have negotiated a better contract."

Finally, Craig would like to make it easier for companies to set up businesses in Frederick County.

"We're not business friendly," he said. "[Businesses] just don't feel they have a partner in Frederick County. I think we should be looking at a better working relationship."

Craig said the county's permitting process is too cumbersome for developers. "It takes a lot of time," he said. "It's very frustrating to some people. [The county keeps] making more requests and more requests. "

-Residence: Frederick

-Age: 50

-Party: Republican

-Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting from Villanova University (1982)

-Work experience: Semi-retired certified public accountant; senior vice president of finance and treasurer and chief financial officer with F&M Bancorp in Frederick (2002-2005); vice president of accounting and finance with First Nationwide Mortgage in Frederick (1999-2002)

-Family: Married, three children

-Top issues: Budget and economic development

-Campaign funds: Not actively trying to raise money

-Previous political experience: None

-Other affiliations: Treasurer of Friends to Elect Meta Nash for Mayor of the City of Frederick; treasurer of Friends to Elect Dick Zimmerman to the Maryland House of Delegates; treasurer for Barbara Craig to the Frederick County Board of Education; president and member of finance committee for Frederick Festival of the Arts (1993-1995).

-E-mail: craigofmd@aol.com.