Rep. Trone attends Mountain Maryland PACE
Source: The Garrett County Republican, Renée Shreve
“I’ve alway had a very positive attitude,” he said in a telephone interview with The Garrett County Republican on Tuesday afternoon. “They’re right. With that, anything can get done.”
The 6th District congressman attended the 44th annual Mountain Maryland PACE Reception and Breakfast last week in Annapolis. It was his third time participating in the event.
Sponsored by the Cumberland/Allegany County Industrial Foundation and the Garrett County Development Corp., the two-day event provided opportunities for local heads of governments, organizations and businesses to talk about their concerns with state and federal officials.
“PACE was great,” Trone said. “It was wonderful to go around and see all the different businesses.”
He also met with Delegates Mike McKay, Jason Buckel and Wendell Beitzel, as well as state Sen. George Edwards.
“We got some good information about Deep Creek Lake and the need for dredging, the problem with invasive species and working on ideas on how we can support him (Edwards) on that by talking with some other folks in Annapolis,” Trone said.
The congressman said other key Mountain Maryland issues were discussed, including the opioid/methamphetamine epidemic, broadband expansion and highway improvements.
Trone also met with the Garrett County commissioners during PACE to touch base with them and follow up on a discussion they had last August in Oakland. At the summer meeting, the local officials stressed the importance of finding federal funds to help Pennsylvania complete its portion of the U.S. 219 North project.
He reported at PACE that the recently approved federal budget includes $100 million for the Appalachian Highway Development System. Trone noted funding for the system had not been in the budget for a decade.
“I also updated them on another bill we’re working on to bring money from areas of the country where the system has been completed, [where] money has been appropriated but not spent,” the congressman said.
The goal of the proposed legislation is to re-appropriate that unspent money to areas in need, such as Pennsylvania, so those areas can complete their stalled highway projects.
Trone indicated Western Maryland should take a regional approach to infrastructure and other issues.
“We need success, and we need to connect with Pennsylvania and West Virginia,” he said.
Trone noted that he and Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia and Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania have been working together in a positive, bipartisan manner on the AHDS funding bills.
Trone reported that he and the commissioners also talked during PACE about broadband and the important role “digital highways” play in creating jobs.
He encouraged his constituents to contact him about their concerns as well. Trone, who’s entering his second year in Congress, maintains offices in Gaithersburg, Hagerstown and Cumberland.
His Cumberland office, located at 217 Glenn St., is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments for other time slots are also available. For more information, call 240-382-6464.
