11-05-2023 7:59pm

Q&A: District 2 Candidate Monica Roebuck on the environment and development

Catherine Hollingsworth Editor

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Bowie City Council Candidate: Monica Roebuck

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 52

Occupation: Teacher

Education: Howard University and Bowie State University

Years lived in Bowie: 23

Campaign website:
monica4maryland@gmail.com

Candidate’s email:
monica4maryland@gmail.com or roebuckmac@gmail.com

Current or previous elected office, if any: N/A
Formerly appointed to the Prince George's County Board of Elections

Which seat are you running for on the Bowie City Council? District 2

Endorsements from environmental leaders, if any: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy and former school board member Raaheela Ahmed

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

I know that accepting donations from developers would obligate one to take on a project so that is something I haven't done. All of my money comes from friends and family who support me.

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

As a city we should not take on any new projects. We should look at our existing development and see how we can re-purpose it for our needs.

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?

Yes, I believe climate change is real. Things such as pollution and dirty water are a major concern. We have to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and vehicles that require gas. We should plant more trees and see how we can preserve our land.

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

If elected, how will you ensure that funds are allocated to the city’s environmental initiatives? Working with the community, I would find out what are the climate priorities so we can include that.

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

What role, if any, do schools, businesses and homeowners play in protecting the environment locally? Schools really need to have electrical school buses. We need to reduce the number of cars on the road too. Homeowners should recycle as much as possible and business should encourage people to bring their own bags when shopping. I think some of these things would help.

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