Joshua Stonko for State Delegate

05/19/2025

Steve will make a great delegate to represent District 42c. As I’ve shared before, I’ve never viewed politics as a career and view it as an opportunity to serve. I’m stepping away from politics and won’t be running for office in 2026 as I focus on other personal and professional goals. I’m supporting Steve in the election. He will be a great addition to the Carroll County Delegation and the Maryland General Assembly. You can check out his profile and website here.

04/28/2025

I am so happy that we got to the finish line on a 2 (kind of 3) year Blueprint waiver for CCPS. There are so many people to thank, but I want to start with all of the Carroll County residents that engaged and contacted the AIB and my legislative colleagues. Additionally, thank you to a few specific CCPS moms (they know who they are) that were so helpful in so many ways behind the scenes. Dr. McCabe and her team were incredible partners in the entire process. It's important to acknowledge that this would not have happened without MSEA/CCEA support. It would have been dead on arrival without them. This was not a republican solution, it was truly bipartisan process and true political sausage making. Our delegation led an approved statewide regulatory waiver adoption and a CCPS approval. [It was not by chance that CCPS was the only initial applicant]. From my personal vantage point in the House, I am so thankful to Speaker Adrienne Jones, Chair Barnes, and Jazz Lewis. The Speaker and Chair were the real way pavers, but Jazz helped us navigate the process. Senator Justin Ready was my full partner in the Senate and the whole delegation played very important parts that are too long to explain on FB.

11/07/2024

With updates on the new solar farm applications in Hampstead, I wanted to reshare the following. Please provide your feedback to the Maryland Public Service Commission at https://www.psc.state.md.us/contact/

Our Carroll County Delegation sent the following letter to the Maryland Public Service Commission today on seven applications that have been submitted from solar companies looking to secure a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN)1 that would allow them to build large solar installations on landzoned for agricultural purposes through Carroll County’s local zoning process. We support local control in land use and planning and believe that these solar energy
facilities should be constructed on land that has been zoned for commercial or industrial use. It is wrong for the state to attempt to supersede that local authority and we have serious concerns about industrial solar taking up farmland. All six members of our delegation signed onto this letter including me, Chris Tomlinson for State Delegate Delegate April Rose Friends of Eric Bouchat: Authority of Joshua Stonko for State Delegate and Senator Chris West.

09/19/2024

07/09/2024

I share Commissioner Vigliotti sentiment. Similarly, the project was announced to the Carroll County Delegation the same way at the end of June. I want to emphasize it was announced to us, just like it was to the public and to the commissioners. We were not consulted, included, or notified previously. I will be attending the town hall at 6PM to continue to voice my strong opposition to the project running through Carroll County and utilizing eminent domain in any way on any land.

I encourage everyone to attend one or both sessions to similarly voice their opposition.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I’ve received a number of questions regarding the PSEG powerline project slated to be completed by 2027. I want to address a few common questions, here.

The Commissioners did not seek, ask for, volunteer for, or suggest this project. It was simply announced to us that it was going to happen. The project is based on dictates from government above the local level, who are preempting local control.

In meeting with two representatives from the project after being told it was going to happen, I insisted that public meetings about this be held by the company, and representatives explained they were already intending to do so. I was not consulted, and had no part in determining the days or the times at which Thursday’s meetings would occur.

I, along with at least one of my colleagues, plan to attend the 2:00 PM meeting on Thursday afternoon. To my knowledge, at least another two of my colleagues will be attending the 6:00 PM meeting, so that we have both covered.

I have several very serious concerns about the project, some of which I have already expressed to those representatives of the company – such as the threat of eminent domain and the importance of property rights, agricultural preservation, local community, and more.

According to those representatives, a final decision about which proposed pathway they will take has not been reached. Thursday’s meetings offer citizens an opportunity to be a part of that conversation, and to make their voices heard.

I have strongly expressed to representatives from the company that they need to hear what you have to say, and that they need to be respectful when they do.

I am monitoring the situation, am awaiting some information, and will have much more to say about this in the near future.

In the meantime, please continue to be in touch with me if you have any other questions, concerns, or issues.

For more information regarding this project:
https://corporate.pseg.com/aboutpseg/companyinformation/thepsegfamilyofcompanies/psegrenewabletransmission/mprp

For a map of the potential routes:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1f1de68988cb440a823127713bd33286

06/02/2024

It was an honor to attend and speak at the official opening of the new Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company. The firefighters put their lives at risk daily to help our community. Senator Chris West and I (and Senator Justin Ready, Delegate April Rose, Chris Tomlinson for State Delegate and Friends of Eric Bouchat: Authority of) in partnership with Mayor Chris Nevin, will continue to prioritize additional funding for the project in Annapolis. The departments capital campaign has a lot of fundraising left to repay their bond. You can donate to it at https://www.hampsteadvfd.org/content/campaign/

04/12/2024

Maryland's budget was tight this year for capital projects, but the Carroll County Delegation was able to work together to deliver strong results. Thanks for the team work Senator Justin Ready, Delegate April Rose, Chris Tomlinson for State Delegate, Friends of Eric Bouchat: Authority of and Chris West.

The State Capital Budget was finalized and passed on the final day of the Session. This is the budget that funds infrastructure and capital construction. Our Delegation was able to secure funding for a number of projects in what was a competitive process with limited money available this year. Here are some of the highlights of projects we were able to secure for Carroll County. In general these are matching funds to pair with private and/or local government funding that’s been raised.

03/31/2024

Thank you Delegate Mark Chang for your partnership and leadership on delivering state capital funds to the Winfield Volunteer Fire Department to modernize their electric systems. Mark and I have very different political views, but Mark has been incredibly helpful to Carroll County with fire department capital projects over the last 2 years as Chair of the House Appropriations Capital Budget Sub-Committee.

Mark joined me, Chris Tomlinson for State Delegate, Friends of Eric Bouchat: Authority of, Westminster Mayor Mona Becker, Westminster and Westminster Council President Councilman Greg Pecoraro. Winfield serves many communities in Carroll and often assists the Westminster and Reese Fire Departments on complex calls and peak volume times.

Thanks for the tour of Winfield President Broussard & Vice President Farver.

02/16/2024

09/27/2023

Today, our entire Delegation (Senator Chris West, myself and Delegates Joshua Stonko for State Delegate, Delegate April Rose, Friends of Eric Bouchat: Authority of and Chris Tomlinson for State Delegate) sent a letter to the State Highway Administration regarding the proposed changes to intersection at Route 140 & Route 91 in Finksburg. (Thank you to Sen. West & Del. Stonko for taking the lead). This is the heaviest traveled intersection in the entire county. It sits in what is now legislative District 42C but is also utilized by thousands of District 5 residents daily. We have a number of concerns and have heard from many residents as well. We look forward to discussion with SHA about alternatives and more opportunities for public input before anything moves forward. It’s important to note that there are some safety issues that SHA was asked in the past to address by local officials so this is not just something they did out of nowhere but the proposal has some serious flaws in our view. We want to work with the community and SHA to ensure a positive, common sense outcome.

01/29/2023

I want to thank House Appropriations Vice-Chairman Delegate Mark Chang for toughing out the flu and joining the Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company leadership, Mayor Nevin, and myself for a tour of the facilities today. We're working with many stakeholders to gain capital budget support from the state for the major renovation. Thank you Chief Hipsley, President Dwyer, Cole Brown, and Mark Schaefer for hosting us and thank you to all of the volunteers that serve our community.