Get Real With SOMD Politics: Brandon Russell Focuses On Government Transparency, Housing And Community Engagement

ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. — Candidate Brandon Russell says improving transparency, increasing public involvement and addressing affordability challenges are among the priorities driving his campaign for St. Mary’s County commissioner District 2, according to a recent appearance on The BayNet’s podcast “Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics,” hosted by Chris Hill.

Russell, founder of Informed St. Mary’s and a previous candidate for commissioner, said his decision to run again came after seeing a disconnect between local government and residents.

“I’m running because I want to kind of bridge the gap between local community involvement and local government,” Russell said.

After an unsuccessful campaign in 2022, Russell launched Informed St. Mary’s, a website aimed at increasing awareness of county government decisions and issues.

“What I discovered is that there are people who don’t feel like their voices are being heard,” Russell said. “They don’t feel like they’re involved as much as they want to be.”

According to his campaign website, Russell’s platform centers on land use, education, affordability and public safety.

Transparency And Public Involvement Remain Central Themes

Russell said one of the biggest lessons learned since his previous campaign is how much county government activity happens behind the scenes and how difficult it can be for residents to stay informed.

“There’s a lot more going on in local government than even I realized,” Russell said.

He said greater community awareness can improve accountability and help residents participate in decisions affecting long-term growth.

Housing Affordability Requires Long-Term Planning

Housing availability and affordability became a major topic during the discussion.

Russell acknowledged many local residents struggle to find homes within their budgets, citing examples of young families remaining with relatives due to limited options.

“There are a lot of people within the county that are looking for housing options,” Russell said.

Rather than focusing only on immediate solutions, Russell pointed to the county’s comprehensive plan and future zoning updates as opportunities to shape development over the coming decades.

“The comprehensive zoning ordinance … is really where the work can get done to help maybe improve the housing situation here,” he said.

Russell emphasized that residents had multiple opportunities to participate in planning discussions and encouraged continued engagement.

Economic Growth Should Be More Diverse

The conversation also explored economic development and the county’s long-standing reliance on Naval Air Station Patuxent River as a major economic driver.

Russell said St. Mary’s County should consider attracting industries connected to defense work while broadening economic opportunities overall.

“We do need to look at diversifying our local economy so we’re not so reliant on the base,” Russell said.

He questioned whether local policies should encourage a wider variety of businesses rather than concentrations of similar commercial uses.

“Should we try to look at incentivizing a little bit more business diversity?” Russell said.

Ideas For Workforce Housing And Tax Relief

Russell discussed several ideas aimed at improving housing access, including reevaluating workforce housing definitions and exploring targeted tax relief.

“We should look at ways in our tax code that we can give a break to first-time homebuyers,” Russell said.

He suggested reviewing taxes connected to housing transactions and examining whether relief programs could assist seniors downsizing or younger residents purchasing first homes.

Russell also raised questions about fees affecting mobile home communities and whether eliminating some costs could support affordability.

Those discussions, he said, require “out-of-the-box thinking” and alternative perspectives.

Budget Challenges Ahead For Future Commissioners

Toward the end of the interview, Russell identified education funding, state mandates and county budgeting as likely challenges for the next board of commissioners.

“I think the economy overall is a challenge right now,” Russell said.

He pointed specifically to uncertainty around education funding and implementation of Maryland’s Blueprint reforms.

Russell said county budgets should reflect community priorities.

“It is a policy document,” Russell said of county budgets. “It’s not just about the numbers, it’s about where those numbers are going.”

He added that the local government must balance quality-of-life investments with long-term financial sustainability.

“We don’t want to bankrupt ourselves doing it,” Russell said.

Campaign Focused On Four Priorities

Closing the interview, Russell summarized the issues at the center of his campaign.

“I’m running on four different things: land use, education, affordability and public safety,” he said.

Russell encouraged residents to reach out directly, share concerns and engage with the local government.

He added that his goal is to earn both trust and support from voters in upcoming elections.

About Brandon Russell

According to his campaign website, Russell is a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident, operations manager and founder of Informed St. Mary’s, a local government information platform created to improve transparency and civic engagement. His campaign focuses on land use, education, affordability and public safety.

Watch the full interview below:

About Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics

The interview is part of The BayNet’s new candidate video podcast series, “Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics,” which features conversations with Southern Maryland candidates running for county commissioner, state delegate and state senator.

Upcoming election coverage can be found at https://thebaynet.com/elections.

Chris Hill