Stephen Domotor fell in love with Mount Airy’s historic Main Street while looking for a place to raise his young family 32 years ago.
He drove down Main Street to McDonald’s, where he called his wife from a pay phone. “Diana, I think I found a place,” he told her.
“Everybody’s moved to Mount Airy, and they want to protect it,” Domotor said in an interview last week. “That’s part of why I’m running is to protect the town, protect the citizens and and keep our quality of life the way it is.”
Domotor, a member of the Mount Airy Town Council since 2021, is seeking a second term in the town’s election on May 6.
His is one of two council terms expiring this year. The other is Council Member Lynne Galletti’s. Galletti was eligible to run for reelection, but chose not to.
Sean Kelly, a member of the town’s Board of Appeals and Streets and Roads Commission, is running for the open seat.
Mayor Larry Hushour is running unopposed for reelection.
The terms of Council Members Tim Washabaugh, Jason Evans and Karl Munder are set to expire in 2027.
During his first term on the council, Domotor — a retired civil servant who has worked for the federal government and the state of Maryland — was heavily involved with the drafting of the town’s 2023 Master Plan.
Over the course of a year and a half, Domotor said he submitted over 80 written comments about various aspects of the plan, including proposed annexations. He estimates that well over half of his comments on the plan were incorporated into the final version approved by the council.
Also during his first term, Domotor sponsored legislation to establish Mount Airy’s Commission on Aging and Livability (COAL), implement guidelines for preservation of the town’s open space and create zoning regulations for newly legal cannabis dispensaries.
Domotor said his reelection campaign has three main elements — keeping families safe, protecting the quality of life in Mount Airy and advocating for the wise management of taxpayer dollars.
On the public safety front, Domotor said he supports the town’s plan to build a new station for the Mount Airy Police Department, which currently operates out of a leased space in a larger professional building.
Domotor said he would also push to fully fund the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, which he said is integral to both the safety and the history of the town.
Water quality is another key issue for Domotor, whose professional background is in environmental science. Mount Airy is one of several Maryland municipalities dealing with elevated levels of PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in its water supply.
Domotor said he thinks Mount Airy has “a good path forward” on PFAS now that the town has received grant money for remediation efforts.
He said the government needs to keep communicating with residents about the continuing risks associated with PFAS and the town’s progress on the issue.
With several safety-related projects to pay for in the coming years, Domotor said it will be important for the council to pass “fiscally responsible budgets” that balance the town’s wants and needs.
Because the town budget is limited, Domotor said, Mount Airy should continue to rely on external sources of funding for the restoration of the historic Flat Iron building on Main Street, which he has described as “more of a want.”
Domotor also said the town will need to respond to development pressure coming from New Market and Montgomery County in the coming years, as well as the issue of “commercial creep” into its residential zones.
“I believe that we need to look at our Main Street corridor holistically, to make sure we’re keeping the character and the quality of life,” Domotor said. “That, in part, defines who Mount Airy is … if you lose your main street, you’re just another suburb.”