Sarah Lacey supports increased public transportation, satellite government offices and libraries within the District, and government transparency above all. Most importantly (to me), she supports fully funding public education and county services. That means paying teachers, police, and firefighters what they deserve, as well as improving the school buildings in District 1.

/By Amy Gill Britt/ Sarah Lacey’s superpower is that people often underestimate her. She faced a popular incumbent in the June primary, and won. For the past few months, I have watched her navigate the responsibilities of being a partner in a law firm, a county council candidate, and a mother of four—and she has done it all without compromising an inch on her values. Sarah is not a typical politician because she is never less than authentic. Fortunately, her positions are driven by compassion and data-based evidence.

Sarah is exceptionally qualified to address the needs of District 1, which occupies a transitional space between the city and the more suburban parts of the county. She has lived in the area for 16 years and knows it well. She has a degree in engineering, meaning that she understands how to break down a problem in order to solve it. She is also a practicing civil rights attorney, so she has extensive experience dealing with the government, and she has seen what can happen when government does not do its job well.

Sarah’s platform for District 1 focuses mainly on economic investment and increased opportunity. Sarah supports increased public transportation, satellite government offices and libraries within the District, and government transparency above all. Most importantly (to me), she supports fully funding public education and county services. That means paying teachers, police, and firefighters what they deserve, as well as improving the school buildings in District 1.

I am the mother of an 8-year-old boy and the stepmother of a 17-year-old boy, both in the county public school system. I have watched in frustration as my son’s class size rose to nearly double what my stepson experienced only nine years earlier. I have swallowed my anger when the county executive announced another round of tax cuts that will save my household $20 per year while imperiling my child’s education. Restoring the pay rates that our teachers deserve will be tricky. We are so far behind on the contractually obligated step increases, that some candidates believe restoring the steps is impossible. I believe we can do it if we elect the right candidates to the County Council. Remember, don’t underestimate Sarah Lacey.

Amy Britt is leader of the Anne Arundel Huddle Network, which connects county groups that emerged from the 2017 Women's March. Sarah Lacey is endorsed by Progressive Maryland and by Take Action AAC, the local chapter of Progressive Maryland, as a candidate for the Anne Arundel County Council, Dist. 1.