11-05-2023 3:13pm

Q&A: District 3 Candidate Babatunde Alegbeleye on the environment and development

Catherine Hollingsworth Editor

Photo courtesy of the Babatunde Alegbeleye Campaign

Bowie City Council Candidate: Babatunde Alegbeleye

Pronouns: N/A

Age: 66

Occupation: Nursing

Education: Bachelor's

Years lived in Bowie: 28

Campaign website:
https://www.baba4bowie3.com

Candidate’s email:
biskblob@hotmail.com

Current or previous elected office, if any: None

Which seat are you running for on the Bowie City Council? District 3

Endorsements from environmental leaders, if any: None

What is your stance on accepting donations from developers? Have you received developer campaign donations for this or previous campaigns?

I will not accept donations that are questionable. I have not received any developer campaign donation for this or previous campaigns.

What are your plans, if any, to address concerns about overdevelopment in the Bowie area?

In order to address over development in the Bowie area, I plan to collaborate with council members and county Delegates to stop further permits. The previous granted permits should be classified as grandfathered. This will send a notice to developers.

Do you believe climate change is real and if so, what climate change issues, if any, are you planning to tackle while on the Bowie City Council?

Climate change is real,. I plan to collaborate with fellow council members for the city to increase our spending on projects that limit climate change. An example is to increase our purchase of electric vehicles and protect our green areas.

After reading the Bowie Climate Action Plan, how would you work to implement it if elected?

I will collaborate with fellow council members to immediately put the plan into action through legislation.

If elected, how will you ensure that funds are allocated to the city’s environmental initiatives?

I will make sure that the funds allocated to the city's environmental initiatives are not allocated to other areas. I will do this by voting for an increase in funding. I will be transparent in all my actions.

With the rise of inflation, what are your long-term plans to reduce home energy costs?

I will collaborate with fellow council members to urge Baltimore Gas and Electric to install the latest most energy efficient grid, which will help reduce home energy costs. The homeowners should be encouraged to consider the use of solar-generated energy, this will reduce home energy costs in the long-run.

What role, if any, do schools, businesses and homeowners play in protecting the environment locally?

Good schools are the pride of any community. Schools should be built with the up-to-date approved standard technology that protects the environment. The school buses should be hybrid; businesses should be encouraged to invest in the protection of the environment; and homeowners should be encouraged to purchase hybrid vehicles also.

Replay Candidates Forums:
Candidates Forum at St. Matthews (Bowie TV)
Candidates Forum at Kenhill (Bowie TV)

More information:
City of Bowie Elections, Candidates and Polling Places
City of Bowie Climate Action Plan
City of Bowie Development Projects

This candidate Q&A was compiled by Ariyana Griffin, The Bowie Sun student environmental reporter.