(6/15) At the June 4th Town Council meeting, Joe Ritz, a three time, highly respected commissioner, announced that he would not be seeking a fourth term in the upcoming September town election.

In a brief statement, Ritz told his fellow commissioners that "while at times challenging, I have thoroughly enjoyed serving Emmitsburg as a town commissioner. I gave my all to the job I signed up for and was elected to do."

"I was a voice for all our community, and I take great pride knowing that many residents and business owners alike came to me with questions and concerns. They depended on me to listen and to act as was my objective to honor for all three terms I served. When first elected, I quickly learned that there are many obstacles the Town Council faces, and new ideas and possibilities are denied due to rules and regulations in place, most from higher levels of government that we cannot control."

"Unfortunately, a lot of the time and energy I devoted truly felt like a waste because the final results were undesired and unsatisfactory in my view and the views of many others. I admit this exhaustive effort created stress and frustration over the course of nine years and I do not feel that I can effectively serve for an additional three."

"Therefore, I am stepping down now so that someone new may answer the call to serve, to accept and face the challenges it presents, and to give their all in representing our great community of Emmitsburg."

"My hope is that whoever replaces me is like me—that they do not have a self-serving agenda, only the best interest of Emmitsburg at heart, willing to serve with the goal of making our community better. I know you're out there, and I hope you accept the challenge."

Ritz was first elected in 2014 when he won lopsided elections to fill the seat vacated by Chris Stager. Ritz not only filled the seat of Stager, but assumed the critical role Stager had played on the Council, who frequently challenged the status quo and frequently pressed hard-to-get answers to issues that vexed the community.

In taking on this vital role, Ritz earned a level of respect and admiration from all who worked with him for his level-headed approach to decision making. Ritz first and foremost was focused on ensuring that the Town tax dollars were being effectively spent.

During his tenure as Commissioner, Ritz served in various roles, from heading the Citizen's Advisory Committee, to his most recent role as the liaison to the Town’s Planning Commission. Up until his announcement, Ritz’s name was often mentioned as a candidate to be the next Town Council President, and even a replacement for outgoing Mayor Don Briggs.

On the heels of Ritz’s announcement, Commissioner Frank Davis, who has been the leading candidate to replace Briggs, has inched closer to making it official that he would in fact seek the office of Town Mayor. Davis’ decision to seek the Mayor’s position will leave two vacancies on the Council to be filled in September.

Davis, President of the Vigilant Hose Company, was first elected to the Council in 2019, and handily won reelection last year. Like Ritz, Davis has been almost single mindedly focused on getting his hands around the Town’s expenditures, as well as improving customer service to our businesses and citizens.

"As there are major plans for both residential and business development, we need to strategize what would be best for our Town and work hard to make the right choices and bring it to reality," Davis said upon his reelection last year.

"While it is important to have regulations and ordinances, there comes a point when we overregulate and establish unnecessary fees. These need to be reviewed. Additionally, a lot of effort has been put forth over the last several years to beautify our Town; the same effort is needed to upgrade our infrastructure. We also need to become a business-friendly town. We need to help our businesses succeed, not discourage customers from visiting downtown," stated Davis.

Commissioner Amy Boehman-Pollitt however expressed concern with Ritz and Davis’s decisions as they formed two parts of what was emerging to be a highly effective triumvirate on the Town Council questioning the status quo. The most recent example of which was their ongoing investigation into the reasoning behind the recent water rate increase.

Boehman said that while having Frank as Mayor will help drive accountability in the Town Office, two residents must be willing to pick up Ritz’s and Davis’s roles on the need by stepping forward to join her on the Council.