By SHARON O’MALLEY
A University of Maryland (UMD) junior is running for the District 3 College Park City Council seat vacated by Councilmember Stuart Adams in January.
Gannon Sprinkle, who served as UMD’s deputy student liaison to the council during the 2023-2024 school year, said he wants to represent the student community and “bridge the gap” between student residents and long-time residents of the city.
If he wins the election, Sprinkle would become the first undergraduate student to serve as a councilmember.
“I do believe that students deserve a voting member of the city council,” Sprinkle, who is executive vice president of UMD’s Student Government Association, told College Park Here & Now. “I also believe in creating inroads to the long-term residents, shaking hands, knocking on doors. I do intend to meet every long-time resident.”
Gannon, 20, is one of three candidates who registered to run for the vacant seat. Michael Meadow, an engineer and lifelong resident of College Park who lives in Old Town, and Ray Ranker, UMD’s Lutheran chaplain who has lived in College Park Estates for a dozen years, also announced their candidacies. Profiles of Meadow and Ranker appeared in the January edition of College Park Here & Now. Review them at https://tinyurl.com/3b773syt.
District 3 residents may vote by mail or in person on March 11 at city hall.
Gannon, a government and politics major, has spent his three years at UMD laying a foundation for a career in that field. He worked as a legislative intern for County Councilmember Eric Olson (District 3, which includes College Park) and interned with Maryland Delegate Adrian Boafo (District 23).
“I wish to bring that experience and representation to the city council,” Gannon, who lives in Terrapin Row, an apartment building on Hartwick Road, said.
Gannon, who is from the Pittsburgh area, noted that he is applying to UMD’s master of public policy program for after his 2026 graduation.
“I wish to be here long term,” he said. “I’m very dedicated to spending the next years of my life to what the College Park residents would like to see out of their city council. I think local government is increasingly important.”
As a student leader, Gannon said, he advocates for students with the UMD administration. He co-founded the College Park Tenants Union to try to lower the cost of rent, help improve living conditions and address maintenance issues for renters in the city.
As a councilmember, he said, he would continue that effort. In addition, he said he also would work toward achieving “food equity” for residents by advocating for affordable fresh grocery options.
“With Target’s leave, we are down two affordable food vendors in the city,” Sprinkle said, noting the city lacks enough “diverse and healthy” food options.
He said he also would focus on increasing bicycle and pedestrian safety, especially on Route 1 and “all across College Park in residential settings, on-campus settings and off-campus settings,” and promote an increase in green space, bike trails and public recreation areas.
Gannon said he opposes additional residential property tax increases—the city council raised those taxes in 2024 for the first time in a decade. He said he opposes increasing the terms of councilmembers from two to four years—an option that sitting councilmembers shot down earlier this year—and would not support the formation of a city police force.
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District 3 Forum
College Park Here & Now will host a forum on Feb. 26 for the three candidates for the vacant District 3 College Park City Council seat with moderator Shawn Anderson of WTOP.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.
Place: City Hall, City Council Chambers