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Candidates in the County Council District 7 race said economic development, employment and youth recreation are on the minds of voters in their district.

Angela Childs, Eugene Grant, Darrell Miller, Natasha Shamone-Gilmore, Charles Thomas and Karen Toles are candidates in the District 7 race that includes Capitol Heights, Hillcrest Heights, Seat Pleasant, Suitland and Temple Hills.

Primary elections are Tuesday and the general election is Nov. 2.

Shamone-Gilmore said residents she has talked with have more of an issue with access to recreation activities rather than the number of opportunities available and affordability. Shamone-Gilmore said parents would like to see a bus that could transport children to and from Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning recreation centers.

Shamone-Gilmore said she was responsible for building connections between the Brooke Road-Rollins Avenue-Walker Mill Road Civic Association, where she was president from 1995 to 2008, and the county and state government, and that she could continue to do that as a County Council member.

"I want to start some partnerships with Park and Planning to decide what can we do to keep the interest of the citizens and encourage them to use the services," Shamone-Gilmore said. "Maybe we can come up with a sibling coupon. Maybe if Jane has five children, maybe one child would have to pay the regular and the other children could go free."

Miller, former mayor of Capitol Heights, said there should be more opportunities for youth to be exposed to the county government, such as training young adults in county code enforcement. He proposes doing this by seeking grant funding and through hiring someone to write and monitor for available grant money.

"I think we need to have a greater internship program," Miller said. "We've got to look at bringing in additional funds from businesses in the community to help our youth get more involved."

Thomas said the County Council needs to expand its relationship with the county's Board of Education to move the school system up the state ladder and that the first step to economic revitalization in District 7 is property upkeep. He wants to see property code standards enforced for businesses and for the county to identify abandoned businesses. Thomas said his connections as a county health inspector for 23 years gives him a familiarity with the community and its needs.

"Nobody is going to want to put a business somewhere that doesn't look nice," Thomas said. "I would contact the state to mow grass on our state roads and we need trash pick ups."

Grant, mayor of Seat Pleasant since 2004, said jobs and economic development are among the main concerns of voters in his district. He said what he can deliver is his integrity and his six years of experience as an elected official and that he will not be controlled by anyone other than the voters in his district.

"Everybody keeps talking about what they're going to do," Grant said. "You're not going to do anything by yourself. As a county council member you are only one of nine votes. You don't deliver anything. So what do you deliver? You have to deliver your name, your hard work ethic. The belief in others that you are going to come prepared to meetings having done your research on behalf of your constituency."

In a Sept. 5 e-mail to The Gazette, Toles said she will be an advocate for District 7 and form working relationships with the state and federal government to bring in resources that will boost the county school system; promote mixed use development around the county's Metro stations, including Suitland, that will bring in additional jobs; and provide money for infrastructure such as continuous sidewalks

"I have attended many forums and I am the only candidate that understands that we can't do the same thing and expect different results and I understand that we can't attempt to tax our way to prosperity," Toles wrote.

nmcgill@gazette.net