Becoming Mayor of Chestertown may not have been Ward 1 Councilman David Foster’s life plan but former Mayor Chris Cerino’s resignation on April 6, followed by several weeks of councilmembers rotating in the position, eventually required a council election to fill the post.
In a 3-1 council vote, Foster was elected May 3. Former councilman Sam Shoge filled his Ward 1 seat.
Just shy of eight weeks at the helm, Foster has been weighing the issues currently facing Chestertown, from the Wilmer Park playground and Ajax basketball court to the county/town tax differentials and the ongoing problem with oil remediation on the hospital grounds.
Foster and his wife, Barbara, have made Chestertown their home since 1997, although he was not unfamiliar with Shore. His father was an agricultural professor and, together, before the Bay Bridge was built, would make their way to the Delmarva Peninsula by ferry to visit Eastern Shore farms.
Foster’s range of job experience offers the Town a unique skill set: the US Agency for International Development; US Environmental Protection Agency as an engineer and urban planner; USAID as a Senior Urban Environmental Advisor for Asia; and he is remembered for his work as Riverkeeper on the Chester River.
A long-time proponent of governmental transparency and staunch advocate of earning the public trust, Foster continues to push for accountability and resolution of the ongoing oil remediation issue at the Chestertown Hospital site.
“By nature, I’m an analyst and a bit of a plodder, and I feel it’s important to gather information when making a decision. It has always served me well, and I will always follow that policy,” Foster says.
The Spy caught up with David Foster last week to discuss some of the issues currently being weighed by the Council. This is the first of a monthly Mayor’s Corner.
This video is approximately ten minutes in length.
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