Help Mayor Barrow go to her Hall of Fame Ceremony

I, and my 4 siblings are asking for your help today to help send our mother to the Maryland Municipal League (MML) conference from June 12 – to June 14 2022 to receive the honor of being inducted into the Maryland Municipal Hall of Fame; the highest honor in Maryland municipal government. Only one other elected official in our Town has received this honor in the Ninety-Five-year history of the Town of Colmar Manor.

 

This honor is limited to those who have served in elected municipal government for over 20 years. Our mother served on the Council of the Town of Colmar Manor from 2000 – to 2012 and she served as Mayor of the Town from 2014 – to most recently May 2022.

 

In her service not just to the town but to the greater community, she was appointed by the Governor to the Maryland Chesapeake Bay Commission as the Prince Georges County representative. She also served on the Board of the Anacostia Watershed Society, Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, Maryland Black Mayors, Prince Georges Municipal Association, Women in Government, and she was the President of the Maryland Mayor Association (2018 – 2019).

 

In her service to the town and town residents as Mayor, she reduced taxes immediately by 22% and maintained that reduction until COVID. Before COVID-19, she increased the use of the Towns’ Community center by more than 400% by providing “Open Gym”, karate classes, boot camp, continued Zumba and held job training courses, and nonprofit workshops, basketball tournaments, volleyball, environmental training, and more. She also increased hall rental revenues by more than 400% in her first term.

 

She helped the Garden Club obtain a second Community Garden location, got new playground equipment for one of the local parks,

 

She and the council worked with Pepco to reduce the number of trees they would cut for forest management, and during her tenure, the Town became an official Certified Sustainable Maryland community. She has continued to work on the Town’s “Green Street” by getting a permeable sidewalk, permeable intersection, Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, and a new digital sign for the town’s communications. Still coming is a “Bike-Share” and funding for the development of “Open Space” on Bladensburg Road that will host small business Pop-ups and events, and funding for another permeable intersection at 43rd and Newark Road. She was even honored by Essence Magazine as one the ‘Woke 100 Women’ chosen in 2018!

 

My mother has strived to offer the best of herself in service to the Colmar Manor community, and she only asked that the Town would pay for her to attend this last conference where she will receive the Hall of Fame award.

 

Before the recent election, the sitting council agreed verbally in the majority that if she did not continue as Mayor, they would authorize her attendance at the Conference. However, on her last day in office when the new mayor learned of these intentions, she contacted my mother’s “sitting council” to advise them not to do it, so they tabled the matter for when the new Mayor would be in office. The new Mayor was not in favor of my mother attending this conference as a whole, which was my mother’s only request and expectation from the Council who served with her.

 

It seems inconsiderate to service and gratuitous for the Town to not honor and recognize the significant time and energy to someone who has severed their community unconditionally for no more than a stipend for twenty years with what was asked for by her.

 

Our mother has saved the town hundreds of thousands of dollars, by serving as not only Mayor but also Town Administrator for over eight years. An ask of $2000 to attend her last conference could not seem more reasonable.

 

But that is where we are. I hope you can help us and the residents of Colmar Manor honor my mother – not just with the Hall of Fame honor by the MML, but with her experience with the Conference itself including recognition from the Maryland Mayors’ Associations and Prince Georges Municipal Association and others.

 

I know how much this will mean to her to visit colleagues and enjoy this honor without prejudice. We would be honored if you can support her on this journey.

Visit her website to learn more about her story:  http://sadarabarrow.com