Growth Limits Go Right to the Top of Leggett's Agenda

In Anne Arundel, state Del. John R. Leopold (R) was leading the county executive race after making independence from developers a defining issue of his campaign.

In the race for chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, voters chose Occoquan supervisor Corey A. Stewart (R), who ran on the slogan "Controlled Growth for a Change." He pledged to put the squeeze on residential growth by raising developers' proffers -- payments made to offset the impact of new housing on roads, schools and other services.

"This is why people elected me, and if I did anything else, they'd put me out of office," Stewart said.

Leggett's win in Montgomery was considered by political observers to be a repudiation of some of the pro-growth, pro-business policies of outgoing County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D). A Washington Post poll of Maryland voters earlier this year showed growth and traffic congestion to be leading concerns across the state, but particularly in Montgomery.

Leggett, a former County Council member and past chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party, said he wants the council to restore elements of "policy area review," which used formulas to determine whether communities were too overwhelmed by traffic to accommodate new housing. The council, with Duncan's support, eliminated that process in 2003, while imposing Maryland's highest taxes on development. But this year, county officials acknowledged that the taxes have not brought in as much revenue as expected.

"Ike's race crystallized the feeling that people felt that it had been too much for too long," said Roger Berliner, a Democrat who ousted the council's sole Republican, Howard A. Denis (Potomac-Bethesda), from the District 1 seat. "So it was a question of let's slow it down and let us put some of the controls that were eliminated back in."

Some newly elected council members said they are willing to reevaluate the council's 2003 decision.

"It would seem to me changes are on the way," said Duchy Trachtenberg (D), who won an at-large council seat and has pledged to better manage growth.

Council member Marilyn Praisner (D-Eastern County), a slow-growth proponent who won reelection in District 4 and will seek to become council president, said she expects a debate on the issue.

Some county politicians disagreed that the general election was a referendum on growth. Denis, who often voted for development but also pushed to eliminate "mansionization" and excessive tree cutting, attributed his loss to tough national and local environments for Republicans.

Staff writers Daniel de Vise, Nick Miroff and Philip Rucker contributed to this report.