CUMBERLAND — City mayoral candidates debated the future direction of the city, including tackling blight and population decline, during a political forum Monday at Allegany College of Maryland.
Incumbent Ray Morriss, a Republican, is seeking a third term. A retired CSX Transportation manager, he was first elected to a four-year term in 2018 before being reelected in 2022.
The challenger is Democrat Darrell Lee Powell. Now retired, Powell’s career includes 12 years working for the city of Cumberland in code enforcement and over a decade as an on-air reporter for the former WHAG-TV station in Hagerstown.
The forum was sponsored by the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce.
Powell reiterated his top issues, which include reducing blighted properties, pursing extension of the Maryland Area Regional Commuter train service to Cumberland, job creation and the livestreaming of the City Council meetings.
Morriss said city staff did livestream the council meetings for awhile about five years ago but the cost required to do it professionally would have been around $2,000 a month.
“Livestreaming is one way for citizens to see what is actually going on,” said Powell. “We can’t get people to help when they can’t see what’s going on. It shows accountability and we’re not hiding things and then nobody can explain what is going on.
“Mayor Morriss admitted it is not going on because it costs too much,” Powell said. “We don’t have $2,000 to livestream our meetings, but we have money to put into those Flock cameras? I’m not saying we don’t need them, but there is a lot around the city.”
Morriss said very few people watched when meetings were streamed.
“It was not good on a computer,” he said. “But, it could be considered and we could always do a better job of communicating. I will acknowledge that.”
The candidates were asked about blight, with Morriss saying the track record of the city on removal of blighted properties was good.
“A total of 114 properties have been demolished in the last five years,” said Morriss. “I used five years because I didn’t want to include the properties that were removed during the Rolling Mill-Maryland Avenue (development) project.”
Powell said that number is not enough.
“There are still many out there,” said Powell. “We must get rid of the blight.”
Powell suggested a system he read about in Detroit. He said the city found a contractor that would buy the blighted properties for $1,000 and then put $10,000 to $20,000 into the renovation and then put the homes on the market for $30,000 to $50,000 range for low income people.
“That is thinking out of the box and seeing what we can do,” said Powell.
The candidates were asked about crime levels in the city.
“Violent crime, homicide and rape is down,” said Morriss, “but petty vandalism and assault, we do have an issue there. But you will see the vast majority of it is between friends and family. That is when it comes to domestic violence; we have a real issue there.”
Morriss said crime resulting from drug addition remains problematic.
“Opioid addiction creates a large amount or our public safety issues and our crime,” Morriss said. “Those are the people who are trying to get money for their addiction. It takes a concerted effort and it starts with education. You won’t arrest your way out of it.”
Powell said, “It’s the need of jobs. If people are employed they don’t have time to be on the streets and doing drugs. Don’t forget alcohol, which is a big problem. There are jobs but they’re in the food industry and they don’t pay that much.
“People have to have jobs and hope,” Powell said. “They have to feel they are worth something.”
Powell wants to pursue the extension of the MARC Train west.
“Think of all the people driving everyday — thousands,” said Powell. “People are driving to Hagerstown, Frederick and Baltimore and D.C. to work. We can create a bedroom community bringing people here from down state. It would change Cumberland. I can see us becoming the Queen City again. We need to do that.”
Morriss said he believes things are turning around. He cited success achieved by the $17.5 million downtown renovation project, which was first introduced to the public in 2015 and reached completion in 2024.
“The project added 30 new businesses and 200 jobs,” said Morriss. “People are now living downtown. … That is the beginning of turning our city around.”
Morriss said he has projects he wants to see through during another term.
He cited the Maryland Avenue renovation and Royal Farms construction project, plans for a Messick Road industrial park, the former Memorial Hospital site housing plans, hopes for a downtown community sports facility, revitalization of the Virginia Avenue business corridor and the recreational river park planned for Canal Place.
“Tourism is the third largest segment of the economy,” said Morriss. “Imagine what this can do for our area in the future.”