Nick Stewart’s One County Initiative

My One County Initiative: Affordable, Inclusive, Modern

Nick’s plan to solve the housing crisis and revitalize communities is the most comprehensive plan for housing in the County’s history. See how he will make this vision a reality with The Dream and Deliver Framework here.

This isn’t any other election.  This is a time for bold ideas.  It’s time for a new type of leadership that can write a new chapter in Baltimore County’s story.  One that is more affordable, inclusive and modern, for everybody.

Like you, my wife and I love Baltimore County.  That’s why we’re raising our four kids here.  And it’s why my parents decided that my dad would commute two hours each way, so we could grow up here.  

But this county we love is at a crossroads.  We’re facing a real crisis.  It’s not affordable to live here.  Two thirds of us choose between food and other necessities, while local incomes have fallen.  We’re feeling a 9% increase in energy rates and expecting an 18% increase in healthcare premiums.  And 74% of our kids in BCPS live in poverty.

But the biggest reason life feels so hard—housing.  Over a third of us spend 30% of our income on housing (and over half of renters do so).  And we saw a 25% jump in property tax assessments.  

Taken together, this has led to anemic economic growth (<1%) and our first population loss in a century.  This means families are stretched thin, public servants can’t afford to live in the communities they serve and seniors are being pushed out. 

I’ve spent my life working on the very issues that form the basis of this crisis.  I co-founded an advocacy group for housing, smart growth and community revitalization, and I serve on the board of a community development corporation.  I was also Vice Chair of the Board of Education and served on the county’s Workforce Development Board.

Through these experiences, and 400+ recent conversations I’ve had throughout the county, I’ve developed the boldest and most detailed plan of any candidate.  You can read more about it here and in the seven op-eds I’ve published.

It starts by building state-of-the-art government systems that can meet today’s challenges.  And we’ll use them to deliver homes that are affordable (including $200K starter homes) and new town centers.  We’ll create a new jobs department to match neighboring counties.  We’ll provide universal pre-k, community schools and new accountability tools, and I’ll spend a week each year as a substitute teacher.  

We’ll also improve public safety with 600 new police officers and modern equipment that boosts morale.  We’ll develop a bus rapid transit system that connects us all.  And we’ll develop a Green Infrastructure Network to unlock open space and use rooftops for solar generation.

And supporting all of this will be a new culture of radical transparency—and urgency.  It simply can’t take 6 years to build a new house or 15 years to build a new high school.

How do I know it’ll work?  Because I’m the only candidate not on the County Council, so I’m not wed to the way it’s always been.  Because I’m the only candidate pledging not to run for anything else, so I’ll spend my time serving you instead of worrying about what’s next.  And because I know just how talented the people of Baltimore County are. 

No doubt there’s comfort in a “status quo” candidate.  But this won’t overcome our past—whether it’s a sham process to appoint the interim county executive, new council maps that are drawn behind closed doors, an attempt to oust the inspector general or a secret settlement for a county official.

It won’t overcome the refrain we hear so often: “we can’t fix that because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”  And it won’t allow us to turn this moment of crisis into a movement for change.

The truth is this: big things are still possible in Baltimore County.  And we have all the tools we need.  That’s us, the people of Baltimore County.  We have the skills and heart of service to make a fresh start, even while pushing back against federal cruelty.

We just have to choose it.  We must become “One County,” where we’re more than the sum of our parts, be it the Southwest, North County or the East Side.  Where we make decisions in the sunlight and elevate the merit of your idea above who you know.  Where we unite our strengths and deliver a future that feels far more like the county we knew growing up.

Imagine a county where you can buy a home as a young family, raise your kids in safe schools with teachers who feel valued, build careers that feed a family, feel the warmth of community as you walk through vibrant main streets and enjoy your retirement—all right here.  That’s my vision.  Enough for everybody.

We’re building a courageous team that’s ready to both dream and deliver.  It’s growing everyday, and I hope you’ll join us. The county we hold in our hearts is waiting.

Click here to read the campaign’s 9/22/2025 press release on the One County Initiative