David Marks for Council 7

09/02/2026

We need a community leader like Josh Sines on the County Council - not a partisan activist who will add to the noise and division.

Josh was there when we fought overdevelopment at the Crane plant, helped block pollution at Days Cove, and worked for the new Essex police precinct.

He listens and leads, not lectures. Josh is the clear choice for Essex, Middle River, and White Marsh.

09/02/2026

Proud of the volunteers from Historic Jerusalem Mill Village who attended last night’s County Council meeting, patiently waiting for three hours to plead their case for my resolution to support the lease at the property.

Rich Albright did a superb job summarizing their concerns.

It all boils down to a simple question: why is the state government trying to eliminate an arrangement that works?

This is a model for historic preservation, and I am proud to stand with these volunteers. I will also always stand with the community of Kingsville.

09/02/2026

Thank you to the many residents and stakeholders who testified on numerous bills and resolutions I am sponsoring. During a four-hour hearing, we considered:

✅ A bill that enables Baltimore County Government to donate surplus equipment to volunteer fire companies.
✅ Legislation to regulate smoke shops.
✅ A resolution that puts Baltimore County Government in support of the continued lease to the volunteers at Historic Jerusalem Mill Village.
✅ A bill that clarifies the oversight power of the Inspector General and a resolution that supports allowing the Inspector General to investigate our school system for fraud, waste, and abuse.
✅ Legislation that extends the moratorium on data centers.
✅ My nomination of retired educator Tricia Sokolowski to the Advisory Committee on Public School Capacity.

I attend many community meetings - and I listen. This legislation has bipartisan support and I thank everyone who testified today.

09/01/2026

We stand with Historic Jerusalem Mill Village.

From the desk of Baltimore County Councilman David Marks:

“For more than 40 years, volunteers have supported the restoration and improvement of Historic Jerusalem Mill Village.

In 1961, the State of Maryland acquired the remnants of the mill and village as part of Gunpowder Falls State Park, but left the structures vacant and abandoned until a group of volunteers formed the Friends of Jerusalem Mill in 1985 to restore the site. Thanks to their hard work, a visitor center and museum were dedicated in 1995. The blacksmith shop, gun shop, miller’s house, spring house, smokehouse, and general store have been preserved and restored.

Today. Historic Jerusalem Mill Village is one of the best-preserved historic sites in Maryland. It is a terrific example of what happens when volunteers work with the state and local governments to preserve our heritage.

Countless residents have enjoyed the events held throughout the year at the village, including the summer concerts now underway at the Meadow in the village.

Now, unfortunately, the concerts are endangered and the organization's work is imperiled - thanks to demands from the state government.

In 2019, Friends of Jerusalem Mill signed a 20-year exclusive use lease with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources that allows the Friends to operate the Mill and Village. Just four years into the 20-year lease, DNR, began demanding that the Friends sign an affiliation agreement.

This agreement would have cancelled the Friends' 20-year exclusive-use lease and require Friends to preemptively agree to all future DNR policy changes without knowledge of what they may be. It would terminate the Friends' authority to sublease property in the village, which accounts for approximately $21,000 per year of income towards preservation efforts; and require the Friends to terminate onsite, after-hours security and caretaker presence for the Village, which would reduce event income by $10,000 to $20,000 per year.

While the state seems to have modified its position somewhat, I believe the Friends have a unique history of success and that the current arrangement should be largely respected.

I have introduced a resolution that would encourage the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to seriously and candidly engage with the Friends of Jerusalem Mill over the current lease agreement and the future preservation and management of the Mill and the Village.

Harford County Government and County Executive Bob Cassilly, Senator J.B. Jennings and Delegates Ryan Nawrocki and Kathy Szeliga have been very active in trying to resolve the situation, as has the Greater Kingsville Civic Association.

I'm asking all residents who care about the future of this site to contact the County Council in support of the resolution.”
That email is [email protected].

09/01/2026

We’ve been endorsed by educators, police, firefighters, organized labor, conservationists, community leaders and residents from every political persuasion across northeastern Baltimore County.

Our campaign isn’t about going to partisan events and selective parts of this district - it’s about representing everyone and moving every community forward.

The following article has been submitted by the campaign of Baltimore County Councilman David Marks about his endorsement from TABCO

08/31/2026

I'm the first special education teacher elected to the County Council—and proudly endorsed by our teachers.

Working across party lines, we've built three new schools and renovated Pine Grove Middle. Trailers are gone from Perry Hall Middle. We'll keep advocating for students, educators and parents.

08/30/2026

Nearly 800 people were killed and more than 2,500 are missing after this week’s flash floods in Nepal and China.

This evening, I joined our Nepali community, faith leaders, and other elected officials in honoring those who perished - and praying for the rescue and recovery operations currently underway.

Learn more here: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/27/world/how-to-help-nepal-flood-victims

08/30/2026

In 2024, I was the deciding vote to override the County Executive’s veto and pass bipartisan legislation that overhauls how development is regulated in school districts.

It eliminates loopholes and improves coordination between the county and Baltimore County Public Schools.

It was a tough bill to pass. Those of us who supported the legislation worked with groups such as Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition, TABCO, Teachers Association of Baltimore County, and reform-minded leaders such as Julie Henn, Baltimore County Board of Education.

We’ve made progress reducing school overcrowding - look at schools like Perry Hall Middle, where a sea of trailers is now gone.

I worked across party lines to push for three new schools and a renovation and expansion of Pine Grove Middle School. We downzoned land and encouraged housing that wouldn’t overcrowd schools.

You need a Councilmember who will advocate for kids and educators all the time, not just after filing for office. You need a Councilmember who goes everywhere in the district, to schools and communities from north to south, east to west.

There are two candidates in this race. Only one has shown up, testified on these issues, been visible and stood with our schools and neighborhoods.

That’s why we are teacher-endorsed.

The bill aims to restrict development but opponents say it will create barriers for affordable housing.

08/29/2026

I’m honored to announce my endorsement by TABCO, Teachers Association of Baltimore County.

While some claim to make schools a priority, we’ve actually delivered - and that’s why we’re the campaign trusted by Baltimore County’s educators.

✅ I’ve successfully pushed for three new schools and a renovation of Pine Grove Middle School, as well as air conditioning every classroom in northeastern Baltimore County.

✅ I was the deciding vote to enact an overhaul of the county’s legislation on development in our school districts. Today, many of our schools are well below their state-rated capacity. Trailers are gone from Perry Hall Middle School.

✅ I’m working across party lines to push for the Inspector General to have the power to root out waste in our school system, so that money can be better spent and put directly into our classrooms.

✅ I’m the first special education teacher ever elected to the County Council. My experiences give me a unique perspective. I listen to our educators and have their backs.

✅ I’ve supported more School Resource Officers and psychologists, expanded nutrition, and all the other programs that help our students be safe, supported, and ready to learn.

It’s easy for some to chime in once they’ve filed for office. Carefully examine who’s been to community meetings, budget hearings, and other events over many years and across our entire district.

Our endorsement by TABCO is more proof that we’re the only campaign that builds bridges across party lines and among diverse groups. Our campaign is endorsed by police, firefighters and paramedics, the Sierra Club, and now Baltimore County’s educators.

I’m honored and proud to be the teacher-endorsed candidate for Baltimore County Council in District 7.

08/29/2026

Last night, hundreds of Baltimore and Harford Contains lined our Interstates and local routes to welcome home 1st Lt. Walter R. Bateman, a 22-year-old U.S. Army Air Forces pilot who was lost during a combat mission over Italy in the Second World War.

For more than eight decades, Lt. Bateman was buried as an unknown soldier. Thanks to modern DNA technology, his remains were finally identified. After 83 years, his flag-draped casket was returned to Bel Air for a hometown burial.

Here are photos and a video from the Interstate-95 bridge in Kingsville. Thank you to Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company and also to Brian R. Brown for taking them.