By Ryan Miner
Hagerstown resident Paul Dennis Corderman, 38, of Hamilton Blvd, announced Friday that he has filed to run for the Hagerstown City Council
Corderman announced his city council bid via his public Facebook page, Paul Corderman for City Council, 2016,” in a message that read,
“Welcome to the official Facebook campaign page for Paul Corderman! I am excited to announce that I’ve filed for candidacy for a seat on the Hagerstown City Council. I believe in the future of our community – together we can create a better Hagerstown. Join #Corderman2016 today!”
According to Corderman’s LinkedIn page, he has been a Claims Supervisor with Progressive Insurance since April 2003.
I searched for Corderman’s name in the Herald-Mail archives and found the following letters to the editor he authored:
“To the editor:
Social services and nonprofits are invaluable to the well-being and vitality of our community, however our community should not be expected to continually grow and expand these services for those with no desire to better themselves or our community. The intent of these programs is to rehabilitate, educate and resurrect individuals and families to becoming positive contributors to our society. However, over the years it appears our community has been fleeced all too often by those more interested in relapse, regression and continued government assistance.
It’s time for our community and this administration to take a stand. How can we expect the growth and redevelopment of downtown to move forward when what we continue to grow is additional social services? The fact that we have become a transient community where folks are seeking out and recommending our services has to end. “Build it and they will come” applies to entrepreneurs, office space and affordable housing not substance abuse, clinics and subsidized housing.
It’s appalling to read that the director of our Community Action Council believes there is no need to limit the number of social service agencies downtown and brushes off our administration’s concern specifically in regards to the Dagmar. The fact that the hotel houses more than 50 people on probation or parole, more than a dozen sex offenders, and that the police were called there more than 160 times last year is unconscionable. Anyone who does not think that is a problem clearly has an agenda of their own.
It’s time to limit our community services to those who are actually a part of our community and show a desire and will to succeed. It’s time to stop adding to these services and develop ways to reduce them. It’s time to move forward together on one path toward growth and development and stop going down the second path of government subsidies and assistance.
Paul Corderman, Hagerstown”
The Herald-Mail published a second letter to the editor authored by Corderman on Sunday, August 23, 2015:
“To the editor:
Urban Partners was retained to complete an economic analysis of downtown to identify projects that will generate momentum and investment. Our current administration said they didn’t want Urban Partners to look at a possible stadium plan because it has been such a “sore subject.”
Sore subjects are the empty storefronts and excess social services that have flourished under our current administration’s watch. A sore subject is reviewing the eight catalyst projects the city is implementing with no clear direction or insight on how to get a consistent influx of people downtown. A sore subject is the continued political grandstanding and personal differences our leaders cannot put aside while they continue to ignore this game-changing opportunity.
Our administration is quick to blame owner Bruce Quinn and the Suns, but they continually fail to recognize this isn’t about the Suns. Would a multiuse stadium facility be beneficial to the Suns? Yes, of course it would, as they would be the primary tenant. However, this isn’t about the Suns; this is about the resurrection and revitalization of our downtown, a downtown that stands to benefit the most and consequently lose the most if our administration continues to turn its back on local businesses.
How is it that we retained a planning firm to create a plan to bring people downtown yet we tell them to ignore the one entity in town that has the capacity to attract people to that very same downtown? A downtown stadium partnered with the Suns would bring an additional 70 downtown events. Conservatively, that’s more than 70,000 people walking our streets, shopping our retailers and eating at our restaurants. Add to that all the other possible events, i.e. high school rivalry or championship games, various youth tournaments, concerts, fairs, car shows, etc., and the number of customers, investors and business owners rises exponentially.
If our administration is serious with its follow-through with Urban Partners, then having Urban Partners review the feasibility and impact that a multiuse stadium/facility would bring to our town must be completed. Anything other would be shameful at best.
Paul Corderman, Hagerstown”
One prominent Hagerstown resident with close ties to city government had this to say about Corderman’s bid for the Hagerstown City Council:
“Paul Corderman is a lifetime resident of Hagerstown and is committed to getting the out-of-control spending under control at City Hall.
He is a dedicated family man and believes that Hagerstown’s greatest time is yet to come. Focusing on return on investments of the city tax payer money is crucial. He is committed to protecting our citizens and ensuring that Hagerstown is a community that people want to live, work, raise their families and be proud to call home.”
Corderman is the first candidate to file for the Hagerstown City Council. According to my sources at City Hall, incumbent city Councilman Donald F. Munson is soon planning to file for reelection.
State records indicate Corderman has yet to open a campaign finance committee. To date, Corderman has not listed a campaign website.
Mr. Corderman is a 1995 graduate of North Hagerstown High School and received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland in 2000. He is married to Kerri Sacchet Corderman and has one child.
The filing deadline to run for the Hagerstown City Council is February 3.
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