WHITE PLAINS, Md. — Beating out Charles County Commissioner Bobby Rucci in the Primary Election, Democratic newcomer, Ralph E. Patterson II, is a 47-year-old educator and a member of the Charles County Democratic Central Committee.
Patterson recently spoke with TheBayNet.com about himself and his platform, including his reasons for seeking public office.
“I decided to run for public office because of a deep seeded desire to serve my community and improve the quality of life for all Charles County residents. I will do a great job as County Commissioner because I have taken the time to learn how government works and how government can best serve the community.”
As for his accomplishments in life, Patterson has many that he is proud of.
He has earned a B.A. from The American University and an M.A. from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He also serves as a member of the Charles County Democratic Central Committee and served as a public educator for 15 years.
His most important accomplishment to him, however, is being a father of two daughters.
Patterson believes that Charles County is facing two critical issues at the moment: quality of life and economic growth & development.
To hopefully solve these issues, Patterson plans to lower property taxes for homeowners, encourage local minority, female, and veteran entrepreneurship throughout the county, and increase economic growth and stability to enhance the quality of life for residents while also attracting job-creating businesses to the county.
When it comes to the expectations of the job, Patterson says he believes the easiest task would be holding town halls and meeting with the community to address individual issues.
The hardest task would be hearing from the community how residents have lost faith in the government, and convincing them that government can function in the best interest of everyone in the community.
Patterson chooses to live life by two phrases. The first of which is the Bible Verse Matthew 25:40, a verse that he says, “encapsulates my philosophy on service to the community.”
The second phrase is “Access & Opportunity NOW!” According to Patterson, “This is my campaign slogan because it explains exactly why I am running: Access to more opportunities for an improved quality of life for all Charles County residents right now.”
Patterson concluded talks with The BayNet by sharing why he should be elected Commissioner and some other important details for voters to know.
“I am a genuine public servant. I am running for office for the same reason I became an educator: For the outcome, not the income,” he explained. “I firmly believe that it is the job of each person to leave our community better than when we received it. I will work tirelessly to improve our community and I will not take for granted the opportunity given to me to serve…Hard work is nothing new to me and I look forward to the challenges of giving each resident Access to Opportunities Now!”
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