Disparate views on school-overcrowding solutions, Section 8 housing, county executive preferences

Overcrowding at Towson High, new rules for Section 8 housing, NRA donations, county executive endorsements and more were hashed out at a forum recently in Idlewylde.

Fifth district County Councilman David Marks discussed his record, while Jay Payne, a real estate agent from Idlewylde, made his case for why voters should choose him in the Republican primary.

Del. Steve Lafferty, who has no opponent in the primary, went up against Republican Steve McIntire; the two will face off in the November election.

The two Democrats competing in the primary to challenge Marks in the general election, Alex Foley and John Torsch, had indicated they would attend the April 12 forum but did not. Foely did not reply to an email inquiring about his absence.

Torsch, a substance-abuse counselor, said he had been dealing with a family hit by the opioid crisis that day and could not attend. He said he has not been fundraising because he feels “guilty” asking for money when he doesn’t have a chance against the more well-known and well-funded Marks.

But he hopes to speak at other events and highlight the drug-addiction problems plaguing the county and the nation.

“The whole reason I ran was to spread awareness of just how bad the problems are and advocate for places for treatment,” Torsch said. “The council has done nothing. They have made zero efforts in the opioid epidemic and only done things that are state mandated.”

The forum was hosted by the communities of Idlewylde, Stoneleigh, Anneslie, and Wiltondale, along with the Green Towson Alliance.

Below are the opening remarks, and questions from the audience followed by the candidates’ answers.

Early voting in the primary begins June 14 with the primary itself on June 26. Early voting in the general election begins Oct. 25, and the election is Nov. 6.