Cory Shaffer

Independent for Baltimore
County Council District 5

Vote for a
problem solver

I'm running Independent because politicians seem to care more about donors and developers than their communities. Most of the time they just point fingers at each other instead of solving problems.

I don't just talk about problems.

I bring together people and build systems to actually solve them.

What I Would do

GIVE RESIDENTS MORE SAY OVER WHAT HAPPENS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

STOP DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY. (LUTHERVILLE STATION, MPRP)

PROTECT THE URDL. PRESERVE OUR FARMS AND GREEN SPACES.

FIGHT TO LOWER COSTS SO FAMILIES CAN ACTUALLY BUILD A LIFE HERE.

how we Build a strong community

People don't feel like they have a voice.

Most of us don't have a consistent avenue to solve problems in our neighborhoods.

I want to change that by growing our community associations and connecting them directly to the powers of the County Council office.

First, we strengthen current community associations and build new ones.

Then, we map and connect community associations to create precinct-level coalitions.

Those coalition groups meet regularly with the county council office to solve problems in their area.

This is how we make government pro-active instead of reactive.

Public safety, dangerous intersections, road repairs, school issues. With this in place, we know about all of them before they become major problems.

And residents finally know where to go when there's a problem in their area.

Not only that, this is how we get communities organized and involved before decisions get made.

Because when a developer wants to come in to our community and make a change, too often residents are the last ones to hear about it.

This would allow people to be active, engaged, and ready to fight for their community.

CHILDCARE

A private childcare company has to make money providing childcare.

What if our goal was different?

What if we tried to provide great childcare for the lowest possible price?

Let’s create a public-private partnership.

The County helps find inexpensive space and makes permitting and approvals as simple and fast as possible.

Then we put out a contract for an experienced, licensed childcare provider to run it.

In return, they get paid an agreed-upon amount to operate the center.

The teachers get paid well. The operator makes money doing the work. But the childcare center itself doesn't need to charge exorbitant rates. Just what it costs to run a quality program.

Because that's what parents should be paying for.

The actual cost of providing great childcare.

How We Lower Costs

Housing. Food. Energy. Everyday essentials.

These are things we all need to live.

And no matter the price, we have to pay for them.

Right now, almost everything we need to live comes from big corporations whose job is to make money selling it to us for the highest price.

But these aren't things we can just stop buying when the price gets too high.

We have to eat. We need a home. We need electricity.

So why should we be relying on people who's only goal is to make as much money from us as possible?

I would create public-private partnerships with a completely different goal.

To lower the cost of living and make life more affordable for residents.

FOOD

A private grocery chain has to sell groceries for more than they cost.

What if our goal was different?

What if our goal was to get good food to residents for the lowest possible price?

Let’s create a public-private partnership to do just that.

The County helps find inexpensive space and connects local farmers and food producers directly with the store.

Then we put out a contract for an experienced local grocery operator to run it.

In return, they get paid an agreed-upon amount to operate the store.

The people running the store make money doing their jobs.

But the store itself doesn't need to make a profit off every item you buy.

It charges enough to cover it's costs.

Because that's what the price of groceries should be based on.

What it actually costs to get food onto your table.

HOUSING

A private developer’s goal is to build a house and sell it for as much as possible.

What if our goal was different?

What if we built the best house possible for the lowest possible price?

We need $200k-$300 homes. Let's build them.

We can create a public-private partnership to do just that.

This partnership would have a different goal. To charge just a little more than what it costs to build.

We find a local builder. Give them a guaranteed pipeline of homes to build. Pay them a fair, agreed-upon amount to manage the construction. Then sell the homes based on the actual costs, not whatever the market will bear.

Because that’s what the price of a house should be based on

What it actually costs to build.

More Options = A Stronger Community

We can do this for housing, food, energy, childcare, and other everyday essentials.

We're going to pay for these things either way.

For the things we can't live without, we shouldn't have to depend entirely on companies trying to make as much money off us as possible.

The goal for our community should be for you to keep more money in your pocket.

Because this is about more than lower prices.

It's about giving people enough financial security to actually build a life.

To own something. Save money. Raise a family. Have some control over their own future.

That's how we build stronger families and a stronger community.

Lower costs are
just the start

Authority: Cory Shaffer For Baltimore County Council (Jaclyn Shaffer, Treasurer).

I would build a system where we fix problems before they become major issues.

How?

By listening to the people who live in an area.

Because the people who live in a community always know about a problem first.

They know the intersection that's becoming dangerous.

They know when something around the school has changed.

They know when a road is falling apart. And they know when they don't feel safe anymore.

The problem is getting that information from hundreds of neighborhoods to the people who can actually do something about it.

That's what I would build.

Every community association would have a direct, regular line to my office.

If your neighborhood doesn't have an association, we'll help build one.

And every resident would have a simple way to flag any problem.

Roads. Public Safety. Infrastructure. Schools. Development.

My office tracks what we're hearing.

Because when ten people reporting the same intersection...

Three neighborhoods are raising the same development problem...

And multiple communities are telling us they don't feel safe?

Now we know where to act.

We get the right County agency involved.

And we stay on it until residents get an answer.

Thats the job

To organize communities.

Spot problems before they become crises.

And use every power of the office to get something done.

Not to just talk about problems. But to solve them.

I'm not waiting until i'm elected

Cory Shaffer | Baltimore County Council District 5 Independent Candidate speaking in Towson at the Stop Data Centers in Baltimore County Rally on July 18th. This image is him speaking to a small group and having one-on-one conversations

I'm already putting this into practice.

When Baltimore County started considering data centers, I didn't just complain about it.

I started organizing.

I formed Stop Data Centers in Baltimore County.

We held a rally.

And now we're organizing residents to speak out at the September 3rd public input meeting.

One Voice gets ignored, thousands don't

This is what our elected officials should be doing.

Imagine if every council member spent weeks getting residents informed, organized and ready to speak before a major decision was made.

That's real community input.

That's the difference between representing a community and actually building its power.

click here to Get involved or learn more

I'm Cory Shaffer

County Council

District 5

Independent

for Baltimore

I'm a husband, a dad, and a small business owner.

I started a mental health clinic during the height of the opioid crisis because I saw something that wasn't working and I thought we could do it better.

That's how I've always approached problems.

When something isn't working, I don't just keep doing things the same way.

I ask what do people actually need?

What assets and resources do we already have?

And how can we put the two together?

That's how I came up with the ideas you've just read.

And it's how I'll approach the problems we haven't thought of yet.

Listen to the people living with the problem.

Figure out what's actually getting in the way.

Look at every tool and resource we have.

Then get to work solving it.

That's what I mean when I say elect a problem solver.

Baltimore County
New District 5
(Currently District 3)

Lowering the cost of living is the only way we build a county where people have real economic stability.

Because when people are financially secure, they're less divided. Less afraid.

When that happens, everyone finally has the opportunity to be themselves.

To live up to their fullest potential.

To build a better county and a better community.

Policy & Initiatives

Turn the County Council Office into a Tool for the Community

I want to use this office to represent our district. But I also want to use it to organize our communities. We'll build neighborhood networks and we'll teach residents to have a voice around the decisions affecting their lives. No more backroom deals. The residents are the first to know and there's already a plan in place to stop it.

Give Residents the Power to Fight Back

There are already groups and organizers fighting development and infrastructure projects. And we're all tired of rising costs and powerful interests taking over Baltimore County. Instead of all of us fighting alone, my office will help connect people. We'd give them the information and resources needed to fight back. And that way these isolated battles can become connected. Which in turn builds organized community power.

Make Developers Work For Us

I'll introduce and push for a community benefit ordinance. If you want to build here, you don't get all the benefit and leave our community picking up the tab. With a community benefit ordinance, large projects have to provide defined benefits to the community. If it doesn't work for us. They don't get the permits or zoning change. This mainly applies to large businesses. If a developer wants a permit to build more homes here, then they have to help with our overcrowded schools. And some of those homes have to be affordable so people can start a life. It has to be a mutually beneficial situation.

Fight Back Against BGE

Not only can we start producing our own energy, but we can use bulk buying power to get better electricity rates. Instead of hundreds of households buying electricity individually, the county can combine them into one customer base that has more power. The county can use that buying power as leverage to negotiate better rates.

Education

Countless examples show that spending alone doesn't improve outcomes. The best-performing school systems consistently measure results, identify problems, and intervene when something isn't working. I support public school performance dashboards that give people more transparency. We have to track outcomes and measure the statistics that matter to success. We also provide alternative options like workforce pathways and apprenticeship partnerships. But the main portion in tracking is budget transparency. We have to know where our money is going and how it's being used. Then if there are issues, we implement targeted intervention protocols when students and schools fall behind. I would introduce a bill and pressure the school board to implement each of these practices.

Public Safety

Residents see the same problems happening over and over. The same properties. The same areas. The same trouble spots. It happens because agencies often work separately instead of together. What policy would I introduce? Require coordinated tracking between: police code enforcement public works schools community organizations and publicly report repeat hotspots. How does that improve people's lives? Problems get solved instead of repeatedly managed. Communities become safer. Residents see actual progress instead of temporary fixes.

Get Updates

It's only when life is affordable, that we can build something better.

Authority: Cory Shaffer For Baltimore County Council,
(Jaclyn Shaffer, Treasurer).

Click here to stay in the loop

Cory Shaffer

Independent for Baltimore County Council District 5

Vote for a problem solver

What I Would do

how we Build a strong community

CHILDCARE

A private childcare company has to make money providing childcare.

What if our goal was different?

What if we tried to provide great childcare for the lowest possible price?

Let’s create a public-private partnership.

The County helps find inexpensive space and makes permitting and approvals as simple and fast as possible.

Then we put out a contract for an experienced, licensed childcare provider to run it.

In return, they get paid an agreed-upon amount to operate the center.

The teachers get paid well. The operator makes money doing the work. But the childcare center itself doesn't need to charge exorbitant rates. Just what it costs to run a quality program.

Because that's what parents should be paying for.

The actual cost of providing great childcare.

How We Lower Costs

Housing. Food. Energy. Everyday essentials.

These are things we all need to live. And no matter the price, we have to pay for them.

Right now, almost everything we need to live comes from big corporations whose job is to make money selling it to us for the highest price.

But these aren't things we can just stop buying when the price gets too high.

We have to eat. We need a home. We need electricity.

So why should we be relying on people who's only goal is to make as much money from us as possible?

I would create public-private partnerships with a completely different goal. To lower the cost of living and make life more affordable for residents.

FOOD

A private grocery chain has to sell groceries for more than they cost.

What if our goal was different?

What if our goal was to get good food to residents for the lowest possible price?

Let’s create a public-private partnership to do just that.

The County helps find inexpensive space and connects local farmers and food producers directly with the store.

Then we put out a contract for an experienced local grocery operator to run it.

In return, they get paid an agreed-upon amount to operate the store.

The people running the store make money doing their jobs. But the store itself doesn't need to make a profit off every item you buy.

It charges enough to cover it's costs.

Because that's what the price of groceries should be based on.

What it actually costs to get food onto your table.

HOUSING

A private developer’s goal is to build a house and sell it for as much as possible.

What if our goal was different?

What if we built the best house possible for the lowest possible price? We need $200k-$300 homes. Let's build them.

Because that’s what the price of a house should be based on

What it actually costs to build.

More Options = A Stronger Community

We can do this for housing, food, energy, childcare, and other everyday essentials.

We're going to pay for these things either way.

For the things we can't live without, we shouldn't have to depend entirely on companies trying to make as much money off us as possible.

The goal for our community should be for you to keep more money in your pocket.

Because this is about more than lower prices.

It's about giving people enough financial security to actually build a life.

To own something. Save money. Raise a family. Have some control over their own future.

That's how we build stronger families and a stronger community.

Lower costs are just the start

To organize communities.

​

Spot problems before they become crises.

​

And use every power of the office to get something done.

​

Not to just talk about problems. But to solve them.

I'm not waiting until i'm elected

I'm Cory Shaffer

Baltimore County New District 5 (Currently District 3)

Lowering the cost of living is the only way we build a county where people have real economic stability.

Because when people are financially secure, they're less divided. Less afraid.

​

When that happens, everyone finally has the opportunity to be themselves.

​

To live up to their fullest potential.

​

​To build a better county and a better community.

Policy & Initiatives

Education

Public Safety

It's only when life is affordable, that we can build something better. Authority: Cory Shaffer For Baltimore County Council, (Jaclyn Shaffer, Treasurer).

Independent for Baltimore
County Council District 5

Vote for a
problem solver

These are things we all need to live.

And no matter the price, we have to pay for them.

I would create public-private partnerships with a completely different goal.

To lower the cost of living and make life more affordable for residents.

The people running the store make money doing their jobs.

But the store itself doesn't need to make a profit off every item you buy.

What if we built the best house possible for the lowest possible price?

We need $200k-$300 homes. Let's build them.

Lower costs are
just the start

Baltimore County
New District 5
(Currently District 3)

To build a better county and a better community.

It's only when life is affordable, that we can build something better.

Authority: Cory Shaffer For Baltimore County Council,
(Jaclyn Shaffer, Treasurer).