Every neighborhood. Every resident. Let’s get things done.

Josh listens and will take action (the list keeps growing, but there is a lot to do!):

• Renovate schools and reduce class sizes - Reduce overcrowding at Monocacy Middle School and renovate Monocacy ES, Hillcrest ES and support our schools county-wide!

• Fund the needed seats for FCPS’s Career Technology Center (CTC) - Ensure students who want to learn a skilled trade and a career are not turned away. Over 700 students each year cannot attend because there is no space for them (many from District 3). This needs to be a priority ASAP. (This is a solvable problem, let’s bring the right people together and take action on it)

• Retain and Attract Talented Educators - Families move and stay in our Frederick community because of our great schools - but that only continues if we invest in retaining and attracting talented FCPS professional educators and support staff. Let’s aim to have the best schools in the metro region!

• Support Community Policing for Safe Streets and Invest in First-Class Emergency Response - Support community policing so dangerous speeders, domestic violence and other critical safety issues can be proactively addressed. Ensure career Fire/EMS services have the staffing, equipment and training our community deserves.

• Invest in Our County District 3 Neighborhoods - First! - We need to ensure that our county tax dollars are reinvested back into our County District 3 neighborhoods. This includes supporting recreation opportunities such as aquatics, playing fields, parks and a new senior/neighborhood center. Partner with experienced nonprofits to expand youth after-school and summer programs.

• Support Opportunities for Jobs that Pay - When County tax dollars are being invested into projects, we should ensure the jobs created are paying wages that people can make a living from. We also need to turbo-charge career and training classes at both Frederick Community College and workforce development services. We need to expand partnerships with our labor unions who offer incredible apprenticeship programs where young-adults can learn trade skills that pay a family wage in only a few years time. We only compete when people have the skills to do so!

• Prioritize Transportation that Works for us - Advocate to improve pedestrian crossings for residents (US 40 is dangerous to cross!). We need Sunday bus service! We need additional para-transit services! We need to hit the gas on additional bus shelters and ensure the construction funding stays in the state budget for the US Route 15 safety upgrades.

• Support Affordability - Affording to live in Frederick is really, really hard - especially for many of our fellow families, older adults and new professionals. County government doesn’t have all of the answers (no one in Maryland can control the price of coffee!). However, we can support additional tax credits for older adults, expand child-care credits and lower fees when possible and identify meaningful actions to expand home opportunities for all.

• Expand Mental Health Resources for our Students - Our kids and young adults need our support and that means expanding student mental and behavioral health resources for all (ever try to get a therapist appointment for a child? It’s really hard!)

• Support Frederick as an inclusive and safe community for everyone - ALL residents matter and our community should be a safe and inclusive place for all who choose to live here (this should be a no brainer, but let’s make sure no one forgets that this is critical and let’s take this one step further and ensure everyone is at the table when decisions are made!

• Smarter, Greener Services - Expand to weekly recycling pick-up; plant more street trees; and encourage farm-to-table food services so all residents have access to healthy, nutritious meals. There are a lot of great things happening here, but we need to make is as convenient as possible for people to participate in them.

"District 3 deserves a councilmember who puts our residents first: your needs, your neighborhoods, our shared future.” - Josh Bokee

Josh and his wife, Katie Nash, are a proud FCPS family of five. Josh, Katie and their three teenagers enjoy spending time outdoors and exploring the many cool and fun things that our region offers.

Josh combines his extensive experience with action to get results. He spent 15 years in the tech sector before focusing on closing the digital divide and is a former Alderman (city council) and current community leader. Josh has:

✓ Organized support for the construction of a full-sized gym and the first indoor recreation center when Butterfly elementary school was built

✓ Advocated (as one of many parents) for our students during the 2023 FCPS redistricting process that involved Frederick High School

✓ Testified for US Route 15 safety upgrades, US Route 40 pedestrian & bus projects, better MARC train service, Sunday bus and additional bus shelters for our transit riders

✓ Chairs the County’s Transportation Services Advisory Commission that helps to advocate for better transit, safer streets and additional bike/pedestrian access

✓ Serves on the PTSA at Frederick High School, helping to organize restaurant fundraiser nights that supports student scholarships

✓ Helps support local initiatives so households in need have access to computers, affordable high-speed internet and digital skills training

✓ Supported funding for after-school arts programming at several elementary schools, including Lincoln ES and Hillcrest ES

✓ Brought community stakeholders together that created Frederick’s first 365 day all-weather, overnight emergency homeless shelter

✓ Led local volunteer community stream and school cleanups