About

Mike’s Accomplishments on the County Council

Camp Bennett

Elected to represent the 6th District in 2022, the first member of the Council from the Towson/Parkville area in more than 20 years.
Hired a Field Director to immediately address problems with illegal dumping, shopping carts left along roadways and at bus stops, litter and graffiti removal, etc.
Conducted over 20 community cleanups in neighborhoods throughout the 6th district, addressing illegal dumping and clearing waterways.
Co-sponsored historic legislation to expand the Council from seven members to nine, to help diversify the Council and better represent the significantly increased population in the County.
Co-sponsored legislation to require approval of new development in over-crowded school districts by a newly created Public Schools Capacity Committee.
Sponsored a resolution to make all development in Historic East Towson subject to the East Towson Design Standards and subject to review by the Design Review Panel.
Co-sponsored legislation to prohibit the use of plastic carryout bags by some retail establishments, to reduce the number of these bags that end up in our streams and waterways.
Approved appropriate zoning changes and declined others during the quadrennial Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP) to protect the residential nature of communities in the 6th District.
Lead sponsor of legislation establishing a short-term rental license program to address the increasing number of short-term rental properties like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Running Camp Bennett yearly summer camp initiative from partnering middle schools in his district.
Cosponsored a bill along with state delegation to enable the Inspector General to have oversight of Baltimore County Public Schools.
Passed a bill that requires hookah lounges to obtain a use permit; increases fines for violations; and adds zoning restrictions.
He was able to attain speed humps on Regester Avenue and place flashing LED signs at the sharp turn on Stevenson Lane.
Advocated for a raised pedestrian crosswalk on Compass Road, adjacent to Victory Villa Elementary.
Sponsored rental housing legislation that addresses the rental density limits near Towson University that would regulate the percentage of houses within the neighborhood preservation district that have rental housing licenses.

Mike’s Community Service

Shop With a Cop

Member of the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Board of Trustees for eight years
Officer and past president of the Towson Communities Alliance, taking an active role on issues like school overcrowding, development and code enforcement
30-year member of the Loch Raven Optimist Club, including Chairperson of the Optimist Oratorical Program – helping kids at Immaculate Heart of Mary School – and Chairperson of the Baltimore City Police Shop With a Cop program
Chairperson of the Loch Raven 4^th of July Fireworks
Member of State Senator Jim Brochin’s Healthcare Task Force
Recipient of the County Executive’s “Good Neighbor” Award
Chairman of the Urban Design Principles Subcommittee for “Tomorrow’s Towson,” the group designing the community’s future
Coach for both Parkville and Towson Rec Councils

How did Mike Ertel become Mike Ertel?

Mike has been a community leader in Baltimore County for more than two decades. Known as a guy who “gets things done,” he’s earned the respect of his neighbors, elected officials and the business community at large. Mike grew up in Hamilton in Northeast Baltimore City, graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Towson University, and lives on Joppa Road with his wife Anne and their three kids, all of whom attended Baltimore County Public Schools. But how did he develop such an interest in community service?

Mike was raised in a middle-class neighborhood, to parents who believe in both hard work and giving back to others. His father was an engineer in the Baltimore City schools who didn’t hesitate to have Mike help him work on the house or the family car – even in 10-degree weather. His mother, who stayed at home with Mike and his twin brothers, was active in the school PTA and other causes.

But it was perhaps his grandfather, a World War II vet who landed in Normandy on the second day of D-Day, who had the greatest influence on Mike’s present-day interest in community problem solving. Grandpa Kowalchek was known as a man who could repair anything. He taught Mike that if you have the patience to take something apart, you can usually fix it.

In the beginning

Growing up

Mike started thinking seriously about issues when he was at Poly. Elected student government president, he became an outspoken leader on matters important to students. He also served as a board member on the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City, where he tackled citywide issues – even meeting with then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer.

After a year at CCBC Essex Mike transferred to Towson University where he became the president of the Young Democrats Club. With a degree in finance, Mike began a career in the insurance industry. He soon developed an interest in the community – and making things better for those who lived around him.

Mike joined the Optimist Club 30 years ago because he believed in its mission of bringing out the best in our children. As a member of the Loch Raven Optimist Club he’s worked on projects that empower kids to reach their potential, most notably as chair of the club’s oratorical program which teaches kids public speaking skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

Mike’s also been an active coach in both the Towson and Parkville Rec Councils. He believes in the value of teamwork, and sees it as another skill that kids can take with them through their adult years.

In 2007, Mike took on the problem of school overcrowding when he noticed a baby boom in the Towson area and recognized that the area’s four core schools would not be able to handle the projected number of students. He brought the matter to the attention of the school system, County government, and later to Cathi Forbes, another parent who founded the group Towson Families United – which convinced the county to build a new elementary school and renovate three other schools. Cathi now serves as a Maryland State Delegate.

Looking out for kids

Proactive problem-solving

Towson Clean-Up

As a four-term president of the Towson Communities Alliance (formerly the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations, or GTCCA), an umbrella organization representing more than 30 neighborhoods and over 40,000 residents, Mike worked with Towson University to create the University Relations Committee, comprising representatives of the university and adjacent neighborhoods in 2006. The committee has met monthly ever since and has developed many innovative solutions to common problems related to students, university growth and construction.

Mike also took a leadership role in creating the bi-annual Towson Clean-Up in 2006 that has teamed up the residential and business communities with Towson University students.

In 2011, Mike was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), where he served for eight years and eventually became the chair of the Budget & Finance Committee.

Now Mike’s ready to bring the same leadership and problem-solving skills to the reconfigured 6^th District as our next county councilperson.