Shawn Ali sees outreach as key to fighting crime

Council candidate to be advocate for older neighborhoods

‘‘They just need a focus of attention,” he said. ‘‘Not just building new communities, it’s also having focus on the old communities and if I’m elected, I want to make sure those older communities have representation. That they’re at least not ignored.”

Ali, 33, an unmarried information technology consultant, is one of seven newcomers vying for three spots on City Council to be vacated in November by incumbents Stanley J. Alster, Geri Edens and John B. Schlichting.

‘‘I think a lot of people have gotten very comfortable in their jobs and their positions and things need to be shaken up,” Ali said. ‘‘I want to go out and meet people and hear their concerns and I think that hasn’t been done in a long time.”

He is not related to Ahmed Ali, another council candidate, but he is a cousin of Del. Saqib Ali (D-Dist. 39) of Gaithersburg. Shawn Ali made an unsuccessful bid for that state seat in 2002.

Ali, a 12-year resident of Woodland Hills, said the city has neglected to resolve traffic issues, and encourages expanding Midcounty Highway and Route 355. He also supports extending the Metro’s Red Line from Shady Grove to Germantown.

‘‘If we’re going to have a city that’s growing, we need to meet the needs of it. We can’t be at a standstill, say, ‘Yes, we’re going to attract this growth,’ but ignore how people get to and from this city,” he said.

He applauded the design of the Kentlands and the upcoming Watkins Mill Town Center, which he said demonstrate a balance between commercial, retail and residential needs.

But that growth should also be turned to urban renewal, as with the Olde Towne revitalization effort, Ali said.

The city also must be mindful of growth triggering school overcrowding, which Ali said he plans to address through development fees to ensure adequate infrastructure.

Regarding illegal immigration, the city should enact legislation to crack down on employers hiring illegal immigrants, but the police should not handle immigration enforcement, Ali said.

Ali said he supports the city’s homeownership assistance program to help those displaced by redevelopment. However, the city should do more to ensure low-income families are cared for in the longterm.

Ali is a member of the city’s Technology and Innovations Committee, which gathers ideas on technological improvements in the city, such as possibly creating a wireless Internet hub.

Ali moved to Montgomery County with his family from Pakistan in 1984.

He graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville in 1992 and later received a bachelor’s in geographic information systems from Salisbury State University and a master’s in information technology from the University of Maryland.

Shawn Ali

Gaithersburg City Council

Age: 33

Experience: Gaithersburg Technology and Innovations Committee member since 2003

Top Issues: Crime, transportation, smart growth

For more: shawn.shawnali@gmail.com