Personal agendas

"They always told me that the local politicians vote for their needs. They’re in a position of power, so they would vote for their personal needs."”

- David Beverly II

By Dave Ryan

HURLOCK — The election isn’t until November of 2022, but campaigning has already started, at least for the District 5 seat on the Dorchester County Council.
David Beverley II is running as an independent, challenging incumbent Libby Nagel.

“First and foremost, I would like the residents of Dorchester County Maryland to know I’m a Constitutionalist; that I believe that our Constitution is the most important social contract we have, and our local leaders must follow it and uphold it – without any hesitancy,” Mr. Beverley says on his website dorchesterindependent.org. “The founding fathers of this great nation lived according to the ideals of an independent mind-set of natural law and common sense, that our nation and Dorchester County leaders specifically, would be well served to lead by, today.”

Mr. Beverley, 28, is a firefighter with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. A resident of Hurlock, he grew up on the Eastern Shore as the eldest of seven siblings.

Much of his desire to hold office stems from the county government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I really feel that the county didn’t represent what the residents wanted,” he said. The shutdowns experienced in Dorchester, as occurred elsewhere, helped create a situation which led to suicides and addictions, Mr. Beverley said.
“When we see something wrong or unjust, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to do something about it, to affect a better life for our posterity,” he wrote on his website. “This can only be done properly — at a local level — because ‘top-down government’ has never worked to serve the people.”

Gathering support
Mr. Beverley began his campaign with a petition — running as an independent meant he needed the signatures of 1 percent of the registered voting population of the District. He said that was 40-50 names, which he has already surpassed, though he continues to knock on doors and meet residents.
Those neighbors have needs that aren’t always met, he said, as some elected officials serve their own needs before those of their constituents.

“That’s a reason I chose to run as an independent: I really don’t like all that, what’s considered conservative, what’s considered liberal, all that nonsense. I just want to do whatever the residents think is good. If it’s something that is common sense and we have the ability to do it, I don’t want to argue about, this is a blue idea or this is a red idea.”

He continued, “Are we serving the residents like they want to be served, are we trying our best to provide them with a better, self-reliant and sustainable Dorchester County? Or, are we just sitting here with our own political ideologies, our own personal opinions? One thing I learned in the fire service is when you make decisions, you can’t do it based on emotions, you just have to do what makes sense for the person you’re helping.”

Personal agendas
“Especially at the local level, it’s not my job, or whoever’s job, to sit there and push their agenda,” he said. “Their agenda should be their district’s agenda.”

“I would like to see all the county’s resources allocated evenly,” Mr. Beverley said.
One of the areas in which District 5 could improve is in the provision of fiber optics, to increase and speed up internet access. “That’s one of the biggest things,” he said, in allowing local businesses to compete in the marketplace.
Mr. Beverley said he is responding to what local residents have told him.

“They always told me that the local politicians vote for their needs. They’re in a position of power, so they would vote for their personal needs,” he said.
“I’m an average man, I live there, I own a home there, I go to work like everybody else. I don’t have any special-interest groups, I don’t own any businesses in the county,” he said. “I can assure you I’m going to vote in favor of what you guys say you need.”