Election Season Opens for MVF Board

A trio of hopefuls have thrown their names into the ring for next year’s election to the Montgomery Village Foundation’s board of directors, the first election that will ensure a spot on the board when county officials take up Montgomery Village’s master plan for the first time in 50 years in 2014 and 2015.

Applications became available on Friday for the three seats set to open in March on the nine-member board, a panel of volunteers that controls the foundation’s $7 million budget and crafts policy on advocating with county, state and federal agencies on behalf of the 40,000-resident planned community.

Members serve three-year terms, staggered so that three seats open each year. The expiring seats belong to board president Bob Hydorn, vice president John Driscoll and Dick Wright, whose nearly 30 years on the board make him its longest-serving member by far.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 ballots are typically cast each year in the mail-in election. Two newcomers and one incumbent were elected this year, while 2010 and 2009 both saw two incumbents and one newcomer win seats.

Applications are available at the foundation’s office on Apple Ridge Road. They are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 6.

Two incumbents and a former board member filed on Friday and intend to run as a team:

• Bob Hydorn is going for his third term. A 26-year Village resident, he has been board president since 2007.

• John Driscoll is wrapping up his first term on the board and became vice president this year. He has lived in the Village for seven years.

• Pam Bort, a 15-year Village resident, served on the board from 2008 until this year, when she finished fourth out of six candidates.

The foundation’s Nominating Committee will formalize the slate of candidates on Jan. 11. From there, the timeline is:

Jan. 24 Q&A candidate’s forum

Feb. 3 Ballots mailed out

Feb. 23 Candidate meet-and-greet

March 2 Ballots due

March 3 Count ballots and announce the winners