Tuesday will be the last Carroll County Board of Supervisors’ meeting for fifth-district representative, Mark Beardmore, as he retires from an eight year run. He says in 2008, he decided to pursue the seat because his long-term interests were finally aligned with the feeling that he had the time to devote to the position. It also just felt right, he said. It was an exhilarating feeling to learn he had been elected.
Beardmore said he had no axe to grind with his initial run, but as a hard-core conservative, he just wanted to see change and to have an effect on three fronts: helping to lower taxation; planning for the future; and improved communication with the public. He says he feels the board has done a pretty good job on all three of these issues in the past eight years. Beardmore said it is difficult to select just one thing over his tenure that he is most proud to have been a part of in service to Carroll County.
He is also proud to have had a hand in helping to build conduits for spreading understanding of county government and the issues at hand. On the other side of the column, Beardmore says there is really no one thing that sticks in his craw, but he certainly has had some disappointments over the years.
Beardmore will remain interested in the operation of county government and expects he will be keeping closest tabs on the progress of the county jail and economic development in particular after he leaves office. And, he has some things he would like to say to the other board members.
He would also like to send a message to the people of Carroll County.
Beardmore decision to retire from the board was made prior to announcing that he is facing some health challenges for the future. He said God holds the keys to that. He will be working together with an excellent medical team and a lot of friends and family that will keep him on track. He doesn’t see this as anything that will be a major concern anytime soon. And Beardmore said his parting words as a supervisor to his family, friends and all the people of Carroll County would simply be, “God Bless Carroll County.” The full interview with Mark Beardmore can be found below.
