<h1>Events</h1>

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<p>Takoma Park is a great place to live and raise a family. We are a <a href="https://takomaparkmd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7054/pr20250910_Welcoming-Week" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">welcoming city</a>, and Jim wants to work with you to keep it that way. Together, we can implement better policies that calm traffic on our streets, keep the city's finances stable, maintain the services that make our town unique, and keep Takoma Park a clean, green, and livable city.</p>

<h1>A Takoma Park for all of us</h1>

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Events Post

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<h2>A lifelong activist and volunteer</h2><span class="image image-framed image-left image-tilt-left" style="width: 40%;"><span class="image-inner-wrapper"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/d06f6f9f-e8c8-46d1-a036-17cfcefd58f5/0188aded-ee58-416c-92a9-16ca027e146d/0188aded-ee58-416c-92a9-16ca027e146d.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C300%2C168&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></span><span class="caption" style="display: none;"></span></span><h4><strong>Jim and his family came to Takoma Park a decade ago after a diverse international career.</strong></h4><h5>A naturalized US citizen and a lifelong activist, he knows that from little things, big things grow.</h5><h5>He has held <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdellagiacoma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leadership and senior management roles</a> in academia, media, global democracy and governance programs, and UN peace operations.</h5><p><strong>Growing up in Australia, Jim chaired his municipal youth council as a teen.</strong> In that role, he successfully secured federal grants to establish a drop-in center for young people. He volunteered as a lifeguard and rescue boat crewman and driver on local beaches.</p><p><span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-primary);"><strong>He went on to a diverse international career.</strong></span> As an early-career journalist, he covered elections and parliaments, financial crises, and democratic transitions, including those in Southeast Asia. Working for a non-profit as a country director and then as a senior advisor, he established a nationwide civic education program in a newly independent Timor-Leste, supported greater citizen participation globally, and helped conduct public opinion research in multiple countries. More recently, as a local government trainer, he worked with community representatives in Bougainville, an autonomous region in the Pacific Islands, focusing on supporting newly elected women leaders.</p><p><strong>Since coming to Takoma Park, he has been a committed volunteer. </strong>He has participated in numerous Friends of Sligo Creek (FOSC) <a href="https://www.friendsofsligocreek.org/home/who-we-are/committees/sweep-the-creek/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sweep the Creek</a> and <a href="https://montgomeryparks.org/support/volunteer/weed-warriors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Weed Warrior</a> events and has been trained by FOSC to document wildlife in our watershed on <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/people/jimdella" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iNaturalist</a>. When his daughters were younger and members of Girl Scout Troop 804, he was an active parent and is still a Cookout-and-Campout Qualified Volunteer. Between 2021 and 2023, as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, he picked up the tools to work alongside other neighbors to strip and rebuild a <a href="https://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2021/10/small-increases-in-density-make-homeownership-more-attainable-a-case-study-of-habitat-for-humanitys-garland-avenue-duplex-project-in-takoma-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">duplex in the Long Branch-Sligo neighborhood</a>, which is now home to two families.</p><span class="image image-framed image-left image-tilt-left" style="width: 40%;"><span class="image-inner-wrapper"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/d06f6f9f-e8c8-46d1-a036-17cfcefd58f5/7a13eaec-d512-4481-9fa0-62759cfe6a89/7a13eaec-d512-4481-9fa0-62759cfe6a89.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C646%2C316&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></span><span class="caption" style="display: none;"></span></span><p><strong>He has been an active member on city committees. </strong>Since 2021, Jim has represented Ward 2 on the <a href="https://takomaparkmd.gov/2378/Emergency-Preparedness-Committee-Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC)</a>, serving as secretary.<strong> </strong>To do this, he has a Maryland Open Meeting Act certification. He has participated in after-action reviews after major storms, inspired the "Get Ready for Winter " campaign, and raised money from a local business to pay for the EPC Magnet, which he helped design. With others, he has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYpUvjtDk4d/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">packed hundreds of hygiene kits (pictured)</a>, undertaken Stop the Bleed and Naloxone training, and conducted outreach at events such as the street festival.</p><p><strong>He has represented Ward 2 on the Police Chief's Advisory Board. </strong>After participating in the Citizens' Police Academy during the pandemic, Jim joined a trio of <a href="https://takomaparkmd.gov/2099/Chiefs-Advisory-Board-Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ward 2 residents on the Board </a>in 2022. Since then, he has been regularly connecting residents with the police over concerns about crime in our neighborhoods.</p><span class="image image-framed image-right image-tilt-left" style="width: 40%;"><span class="image-inner-wrapper"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/d06f6f9f-e8c8-46d1-a036-17cfcefd58f5/285228c8-4743-4c73-8f38-7f9aad12da4c/285228c8-4743-4c73-8f38-7f9aad12da4c.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1091%2C696&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></span><span class="caption" style="display: none;"></span></span><p><strong>He regularly speaks at council meetings. </strong>Since 2020, Jim has regularly commented on budgets, civic issues, cycling, emergency preparedness, housing, and policing. In 2020, he was one of the Garland Ave neighbors who spoke at the council to support the city's loan from its housing fund to underwrite Habitat for Humanity's purchase of a property on his block. In 2023 and 2024, he participated in city and county meetings to advocate for more affordable housing in Takoma Park.  An&nbsp;advocate for&nbsp;preserving Takoma Park’s diversity, affordability, and unique character while embracing change and growth, Jim&nbsp;supported the Minor Master Plan Amendment (MMPA) because it can facilitate the expansion of affordable housing opportunities&nbsp;in our city.</p><p><strong>Since 2023, Jim has been the editor of the Long Branch Sligo Community Association (LBSCA) newsletter. </strong>In this role, he is an ex officio member of the LBSCA board. This printed newsletter is distributed to almost 400 households in the neighborhood. As editor, he has commissioned and written content, managed production with the board, layout artist, and copy editors, liaised with advertisers, compiled the annual teen worker list, and managed a distribution team of more than a dozen neighbors who hand-deliver the newsletter each season.</p><p><strong>Aside from his work as a consultant political economist and editor, Jim enjoys getting outside. </strong>He is a keen cyclist and hiker on the region's trails, swims at the YMCA in Silver Spring, walks daily on the Sligo Creek Trail, helps his wife tend their garden, and likes to document our region’s wildlife on Instagram.</p>

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<h1>Issues</h1>

<p><strong>Jim's campaign is now underway.</strong> If we are making news in Ward 2 or there is coverage or developments in the city campaign, we will share it here.</p>

<h2>Latest Campaign Developments</h2>

News

<p><strong>Jim</strong><span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-primary);"><strong style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-primary);"> is an active volunteer in Takoma Park.</strong></span><span style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text);"><strong style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text);"> He has served on the Emergency Preparedness Committee and Police Chief’s Advisory Board, and as editor of the Long Branch Sligo Community Association (LBSCA) newsletter. As a parent, he has helped raise two daughters in this community.</strong></span></p>

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<h1>News</h1>

Read below for some of our top priorities

<h2>Headline text here</h2>

<h4>A community with safe streets </h4>

<h4>A financially stable city</h4>

<h4>A place with reliable services for all</h4>

<h4>A clean and green city</h4>

<h3>Let's work together to keep Takoma Park ...</h3>

Priorities List

<p>Let's work together to keep Takoma Park a great place to live.</p>

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<h1>Donate</h1>

<p><strong>Jim would love to hear your views about the future of Ward 2 and Takoma Park. </strong>The best way to do this is to meet or interact with him in person or online, either one-on-one or with neighbors, and tell him what you are thinking. If you haven't seen any events here that suit you, go to the contact page to suggest a place, platform, and time to meet.</p>

<h2>Let's chat, meet, or talk</h2>

Events

News Post

<p><strong>This campaign is a team effort.</strong> If you have time to help, it is a great way to meet neighbors and build community. Volunteering can take many forms, and it would be great to talk about what contribution you can make. Please get in touch to join our growing group of volunteers.</p>

<h2>Get Involved</h2>

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<h1>Volunteer</h1>

<p><strong>Jim has raised a family in Takoma Park and wants to keep it a great place for people of all ages.</strong> </p>

<h2>Jim's priority issues</h2>

Issues

<h2>Interested in making a donation?</h2><p><strong>Please click the link below to donate via our PayPal account. If you are unable to open the link, please contact </strong><a href="mailto:aaron@jimforward2.com"><strong>aaron@jimforward2.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p>Please note, City of Takoma Park campaign contribution law prohibits donations of more than $1,000, in aggregate, during a single election cycle. All donations received will be recorded and filed with the Clerk of the City of Takoma Park per the normal campaign finance reporting cycle.</p><p>The campaign cannot accept donations from:</p><ul><li><p>Anonymous contributors</p></li><li><p>Corporations, labor unions, and political committees</p></li><li><p>A donor making a contribution on someone else's behalf</p></li><li><p>Foreign nationals</p></li></ul><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C643EJDF4EVAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><u>Click here to make a donation</u></a></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Interested in writing a check instead? Email </strong><a href="mailto:aaron@jimforward2.com"><strong>aaron@jimforward2.com</strong></a><strong> to schedule a pickup or mail your donation to Jim for Ward 2, 7401 Garland Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912.</strong></p>

<h1>Ready to represent</h1>

<p><strong>This is a small and personal campaign.</strong> If you get in touch, I will get back to you within 24 to 48 hours. It will be good practice if I become your elected representative. If you're a Ward 2 resident, don't forget to tell me your street name.</p>

<h2>I’ll respond asap!</h2>

<h1>Contact</h1>

<h2>Get rolling with the campaign!</h2>

Short Form

Issues Post

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Contact

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<h4>TEXT: Start a text chat with Jim</h4>

<p>Not all events are accessible, including for those with visual or hearing impairments. This campaign does not have professional translators, including for American Sign Language. However, Jim is ready to have one-on-one exchanges via email, text, and Google Translate. To start a conversation: email (<a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com</a>) or text (240-606-4571).</p>

Set up a time to text chat with Jim

<p>Takoma Park's own <a href="https://collideduo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Collide Duo</a> will play a few new tunes from their repertoire, as well as popular political songs. Cold refreshments and snacks will be available.</p>

<h4>MELODIC FUNDRAISER: Let's mark the end of summer with Collide Duo</h4>

<p>Takoma Park's own <a href="https://collideduo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Collide Duo</a> will play a few new tunes from their repertoire, as well as popular political songs.  Cold refreshments and snacks will be available.</p>

Collide comes to Between the Creeks

<p>Parents, let's talk about some neighborhood issues while the kids play. </p>

<h4>PARK MEET-UP: Coffee, donuts, and discussion</h4>

A meet up with coffee and donuts in the park.

<p>Jim for Ward 2 is hosting a meetup at the park! Come have coffee and donuts at shady Becca Lilly Park and learn about the campaign. Kids are encouraged to attend! In addition to the playground and creek, we will have toys/games/chalk, etc., to keep kids busy. If you can't make it, email Jim (<a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com)</a> to find a time that works for you. </p>

Long Branch Walk

<p>From <a href="https://ecode360.com/47258595#47258595" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Takoma Park Municipal Code 5.24.040</a>:</p><p>The Board of Elections shall:</p><ol><li><p>Plan and conduct regular and special City elections in coordination with the City Clerk;</p></li><li><p>Encourage voter registration in the City;</p></li><li><p>Conduct voter education programs and prepare and distribute voter outreach materials;</p></li><li><p>Recommend to the Council amendments to the City's elections law and regulations when it deems such amendments are necessary and will provide for the improved conduct of elections;</p></li><li><p>Periodically review City elections procedures;</p></li><li><p>Serve as election judges in City elections;</p></li><li><p>Identify additional qualified individuals for appointment as election judges and workers during a regular or special City election;</p></li><li><p>Investigate and decide allegations of violations of the City of Takoma Park's election laws;</p></li><li><p>Direct that corrective action be taken with respect to any election-related violation;</p></li><li><p>In the event an election issue arises that is not addressed in the City of Takoma Park's Charter or Code or the Board of Elections Regulations, the Board of Elections may, at its sole discretion, apply the election laws of the State of Maryland or another local government in the State of Maryland to resolve the issue; and</p></li><li><p>Perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Board of Elections by Charter, ordinances, and resolutions, and by the direction of the Council. (Ord. 2020-7, 2020/Ord. 2015-28, 2015/Ord. 2006-36 (part), 2006)</p></li></ol><h2>Board of Elections Membership</h2><p>Adapted from <a href="https://ecode360.com/47258595#47258597" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Takoma Park Municipal Code 5.24.020</a>:</p><p>Up to seven members may be appointed to the Board of Elections. Board members serve three-year terms. Terms expire June 30.</p><h2>Board of Elections Members</h2><ul><li><p><strong>Staff Liaison</strong>: Jessie Carpenter</p></li><li><p><strong>Co-Chairs</strong>: Ben Bellows and Tim Anderegg</p></li><li><p><strong>Secretary</strong>: Matt Ling release text here.</p></li></ul>

<p><strong>In Takoma Park, the Board of Elections runs our polls. </strong> There's more information from the City's website about this independence body here.</p>

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<h4>About the Board of Elections</h4>

<h4>VIRTUAL: Hold an online chat with Jim</h4>

<p>We all have busy days, and these events won't work for all residents. If you would like to set up a time for an online chat, reach out to me directly via email (<a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com</a>) or text (240-606-4571). I would be happy to meet one-on-one or in small groups on your preferred online platform.</p>

Hold an online chat with Jim

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<p>Election season has started in earnest after Ward 2 Councilmember Cindy Dyballa announced she wasn’t running for re-election, which guarantees at least one new face on the Takoma Park City Council next year.</p><p><a href="https://www.jimforward2.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jim Della-Giacoma</a> — a community volunteer and international consultant – has officially thrown his hat into the ring for election to Ward 2 council seat.</p>

<h4>Takoma Record: New face for Ward 2 council seat</h4>

<p><strong>TAKOMA PARK, MD — </strong>Jim Della-Giacoma — a longtime community volunteer and secretary of the City’s Emergency Preparedness Committee — today launched his campaign for the Ward 2 seat on the Takoma Park City Council in the fall 2026 municipal election. He will hold a public campaign launch at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at <strong>7401 Garland Ave</strong>.</p><p>“Takoma Park is a great place to live and raise a family, and I want to work with my neighbors to keep it that way,” said Della-Giacoma. “Together, we can put in place better policies that calm traffic on our streets while keeping the city’s finances stable and maintaining the services that make our town unique.”</p><p>Running under the banner <em>“A Takoma Park for all of us,”</em> Della-Giacoma is starting his campaign focused on four priorities:</p><p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Safer streets — </strong>calm traffic to protect children, cyclists, dog walkers, older adults, and people with disabilities. We can improve our approach with a unified citywide traffic policy that includes better planning, street architecture, and targeted enforcement.</p><p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>A financially stable city — </strong>keep finances on a steady path, with income for day-to-day services and reserves for the unexpected, instead of just calling for tax cuts that erode services and risk bigger increases later.</p><p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Reliable services for all of us — </strong>distribute services fairly across all six wards, recognizing inequities like fewer sidewalks and smaller tree canopies, and protect recreation, library, and senior services.</p><p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>A clean and green Takoma Park — </strong>expand clean energy and EV charging, support energy-efficient homes, fund stormwater that cleans our creeks, and sustain a diverse urban forest.</p><p>“From little things, big things grow,” Della-Giacoma said. “I’ve shown up for this community for years, and I’m ready to do the same on the Council — for everyone in Ward 2.”</p><p><strong>About Jim Della-Giacoma</strong></p><p>Della-Giacoma, who helped raise two daughters in Takoma Park, has been a hands-on volunteer across Ward 2 for years. He has represented the ward on the City’s Emergency Preparedness Committee since 2021, serving as secretary, and has been a member of the Police Chief’s Advisory Board since 2022. Since 2023, he has edited the Long Branch Sligo Community Association newsletter, delivered to nearly 400 households. He is a supporter of Friends of Sligo Creek, helped rebuild a Garland Avenue duplex with Habitat for Humanity that is now home to two families, and since 2020 has regularly spoken at City Council meetings.</p><p><strong>Launch event: </strong>Saturday, July 11, 2026, 10:00 a.m. · <strong>7401 Garland Ave</strong>. All neighbors welcome.</p><p><strong>Media contact</strong></p><p><strong>Jim Della-Giacoma</strong><br>Candidate for City Council, Ward 2 · City of Takoma Park<br>Email: <a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com</a><br>Mobile: (240) 606-4571 (text or talk only) · Website: <a href="http://www.jimforward2.com">www.jimforward2.com</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong># # #</strong></p>

<p>Jim Della-Giacoma — a longtime community volunteer and secretary of the City’s Emergency Preparedness Committee — today launched his campaign for the Ward 2 seat on the Takoma Park City Council in the fall 2026 municipal election.</p>

<h4>Jim Launches Campaign for Ward 2</h4>

<p><strong>These are difficult times for Takoma Park and its residents. </strong>Costs are rising, and many have suffered from recent federal job cuts and then struggled to find work. In a fiscally challenging era, when rising costs are affecting us all, we need to keep the balance between the taxes the city collects and the services it provides. The <a href="https://md-takomapark.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/7754/presentation-20260128-Raftelis-Financial-Sustainabililty-Analysis">city's financial analysis</a> shows that Takoma Park's taxes are among the highest in Montgomery County, in part because we provide the most comprehensive services among all the municipalities, including a full-service police department, library, housing services, recreation, and curbside collection of food waste and trash. But to put this in perspective: statewide, our taxes are in the bottom third of Maryland's local tax rates. We need to keep a balance between taxes and services.</p><p><strong>Our historic and structural challenge here in Takoma Park is diversifying our tax base. </strong>We have an imbalanced tax base, with single-family homes paying about 77% of the real property taxes collected and a limited commercial tax base accounting for only 5% of our property revenue. We need to encourage smart growth to broaden our tax base and make our city more financially sustainable for the years to come. We have opportunities to do this by working with Washington Adventist University as it seeks to redevelop the old hospital site in line with its vision for the educational and religious community. In Ward 2, the proposed senior housing apartments at Grace Methodist Church on New Hampshire Avenue are another project that merits the council's ongoing support. As the Purple Line prepares to open, the New Hampshire and University Avenue corridors will change. The council will need to think strategically about projects in these neighborhoods. While development in these corridors can provide fiscal support for our city, the council must balance protecting existing communities with managing the challenges that will accompany future development.</p>

<p><strong>These are challenging times for our household and city budgets.  </strong>Many in our community have lost their jobs and have struggled to find work.  We need to balance the taxes we collect with the services we provide. In the longer term, we need to diversify and broaden our tax base to rely less on property taxes on our homes by promoting growth on the old hospital site and the New Hampshire corridor.</p>

Write a short blurb about an issue your campaign is highlighting. Try to keep the text a similar size between the various issue blurbs.

<h2>A financially stable city</h2>

<p><strong>We can do more to make our streets safer for children, cyclists, dog walkers, people with disabilities, and older adults. </strong>To do this, we can continue the annual program of building sidewalks on streets where residents feel they need them and do not have them. Priority should be given to those streets where children gather each morning for the school bus. As we prepare for the opening of the Purple Line, we should prioritize projects, like the New Hampshire Avenue cycleway, that will connect residents to this new service.</p><p><strong>The planned citywide traffic study is an opportunity to develop a comprehensive traffic-calming policy. </strong> We should work towards a unified vision for controlling traffic speeds and cut-through traffic, for how we design our street architecture, including sidewalks and cycleways, and for how we enforce our traffic laws. Step by step, we can improve connections to existing sidewalks, repair and upgrade them as necessary, and see this as an opportunity to build additional pedestrian safety and traffic-calming features. Each project can do double duty, supporting the overall goal of calming traffic and incorporating stormwater solutions. The city has been working to secure funding for a citywide approach to traffic, and Jim would support these efforts. Turning a council resolution into a unified, citywide policy could then follow. In Takoma Park, we should treat traffic calming, enforcement, and planning as part of the same vision for safe streets.</p><p><strong>Public safety is an overlapping concern in efforts to make streets safer.</strong> Residents want a Takoma Park Police Department (TPPD) that not only responds rapidly to their needs but is open, transparent, and accountable. In recent years, through his work on the Chief's Advisory Board, Jim has had extensive experience with the TPPD and understands the community's concerns and the challenges of policing in Takoma Park. He has maintained working relationships with neighbors and the TPPD leadership, often putting them in direct touch to help improve communication and build trust. As residents, we must also ensure that the police who serve us have the resources they need to provide timely, high-quality service that respects the rights of all.</p>

<p><strong>We can do this by calming traffic. </strong>We<strong> </strong>can take an informed and citywide approach to making our streets safe. This would make our streets safer for children, cyclists, dog walkers, people with disabilities, and older adults. This includes building sidewalks for underserved streets.</p>

<h2>Safer streets</h2>

<p>No need to RSVP. See you there if you can make it. If not, and you would like to set up a time to meet, email Jim directly at <a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com</a> to suggest a time and place that might work for you.</p>

<h4>MEET-UP IN FOREST PARK: Coffee, tea, donuts, and discussion</h4>

<p>Jim will be in <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/dgxBkfzhPFxVxHby9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forest Park</a> with some coffee, tea, and donuts. He would like to hear from you what the important issues are for your block, street, ward, and the city. This will be an informal opportunity to talk, but if you can't make it, email Jim (<a href="mailto:jim@jimforward2.com">jim@jimforward2.com</a>) to find another time to meet that works for you.</p>

Meet-up in the Park: Meet Jim at Forest Park

<p>All neighbors are welcome to the official launch of Jim's campaign. Come share some coffee and a muffin and meet others supporting Jim's run for city council. There will be a short speech from Jim to say why he is running for city council and how you can help.</p>

<h4>COFFEE &amp; MUFFINS: Campaign Launch</h4>

Jim is launching his campaign for Ward 2 with coffee and muffins.

<p>Join Jim and his supporters for some teen-made muffins, cupcakes, coffee, and tea from 10 am. There will be a short speech to launch the campaign at around 10:30. This will be an opportunity to meet new and old neighbors and to talk to Jim about neighborhood issues that concern you. It looks like it will be raining, so this will be an indoor event.</p>

Campaign Launch

<p><strong>The Takoma Park City Council must deliver services equitably to all its wards. </strong>While not everyone uses every service the city government provides, these services exist to support the diversity of our city. In some wards, we have historic sidewalk deficits. In others, there is a lack of tree cover, making heat islands and the walk to the shops or bus stops more uncomfortable in the summer. Our annual funding for public works to build sidewalks and continue the Tree Takoma program is designed to address these issues. With the average age of Takoma Park's residents under 40, our city has many children and parents who are served by our library, after-school programs, camps, and other recreation programs. For those who would struggle to afford participation, Takoma Park expresses its welcoming values by providing scholarships.</p><p><strong>We should support the behind-the-scenes work that plans for the city's future and makes it a livable place for all. </strong>Our housing department plays an important role in planning for choice, quality, and stability for housing, including educating tenants on their rights and working with landlords to ensure their properties are safe, healthy, and comfortable. The city promotes economic development and supports local businesses and community groups, such as the Village of Takoma Park, which helps older residents age in place. The city's planning staff are integral to designing streets and cycleways, conducting traffic studies, and seeking grants to fund these projects. Together, this range of services creates equity, expresses our values as a welcoming city, and makes Takoma Park a livable city.</p><p><strong>Takoma Park offers other unique services for our diverse community. </strong>We have the only full-service police department of all the municipalities in the county. We are the only municipality in the county that provides curbside food waste collection as a public service, which supports our green goals, provides residents with free compost, and reduces what goes to the landfill. We have historic responsibility for managing our own stormwater goals. Takoma Park helps residents process new US passports. In these and other areas, our smallness can be a strength, allowing us to express our Takoma Park values and shape programs. This closeness narrows the gap between residents and the staff who provide the services. It gives residents short pathways to communicate, shape, and receive responsive services in ways that are not possible at the county and state levels.</p>

<p><strong>Services need to work well for all of us.</strong> Beyond collecting trash and maintaining our streets,<strong> </strong>what makes Takoma Park a great place is our library, support for the arts, recreation programs, Tree Takoma, and assistance to our most vulnerable residents. We need a balanced approach: living within our means while always asking how we can take small steps to improve the city we call home.</p>

<h2>Reliable services</h2>

<p>Join us for a walk around the old Washington Adventist Hospital site to learn more about what is being done there and talk with neighbors about imagining what it could become. While oriented towards adults, children are welcome.</p>

<h4>WALK AND TALK: Let's imagine a new community at the Washington Adventist Hospital site</h4>

<p>Join us for a walk around <a href="https://www.adventisthealthcare.com/campaigns/wah/campus-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the old Washington Adventist Hospital site</a> to learn more about what is being done there and talk with neighbors about imagining what it could become. While oriented towards adults, children are welcome.</p>

Washington Adventist Hospital site walk

<p>Every resident of the City of Takoma Park who will be 16 years of age or older on election day (November 3, 2026) is eligible to register to vote in the Mayor and City Council elections. <strong>Voters who are registered with the City of Takoma Park are only eligible to vote in our local City elections for Mayor and City Council.</strong></p><ul><li><p>The City allows city residents who are non-US citizens to vote, as well as 16- and 17-year-old City residents.</p></li><li><p>City residents who are 16 or 17 years old may cast a vote for Mayor and City Council. They do not have to wait until they are 18.</p></li><li><p>To register with the <strong>City of Takoma Park</strong> the only requirements are that you live within the City limits, that you are not registered to vote elsewhere, and that you will be at least 16 years of age on or before November 3, 2026.</p></li></ul><p>If you have not registered to vote and would like to<strong>&nbsp;register in the City only</strong>, download the <a href="https://takomaparkmd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5000/Takoma-Park-Voter-Registration-Application-2020-06-09-fillable">Voter Registration Form (PDF)</a>. Fill out the form, print, sign, and date. Return to the City Clerk using the instructions on the form.</p>

<p><strong>In Takoma Park non-citizens and young people over the age of 16 can vote.  </strong>There is more information here from the City's website.</p>

<h4>Eligibility in the City of Takoma Park</h4>

<p><strong>We have made progress in promoting clean energy and keeping our city green and resilient and should not lose momentum.</strong> Takoma Park can continue expanding ways to promote clean energy use, including further electrifying its fleet, expanding city-supported electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and combining multifamily building upgrades with energy-efficiency modifications and electrification. Support for making our homes more energy-efficient is another way to contribute to broader climate goals. Our stormwater spending improves flood control and the water quality in our creeks. Our decades-long commitment to maintaining our tree canopy makes our city livable for people, helps control heat in homes and on sidewalks, contributes to reducing climate impacts, and provides sanctuary for the region's resident and migratory wildlife. As we support these goals, we must work to ensure all our wards benefit equitably from Takoma Park being a clean and green city.</p>

<p><strong>We have made progress in promoting clean energy and keeping our city green.</strong> Takoma Park can continue exploring ways to promote clean energy use, including further electrifying its fleet and expanding its electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. Our stormwater spending can improve the water quality in our creeks, and our commitment to our urban forest canopy makes for a livable city.</p>

<h2>A clean and green Takoma Park</h2>

Adult-orientated walk

Child-friendly event

Fundraiser

Family friendly event

Virtual event

safety

Media Release

News story

Takoma Record

Jim for Ward 2

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