Special Edition Newsletter: Post-Forum FAQ
Nicole Bryner
Thank you to everyone who joined or watched the CAACO Candidate Forum yesterday! I was truly impressed by how many people were interested and engaged.
I try hard to limit these emails to twice a month, since I know you're inundated with messages from every direction. But I also want to make sure I’m answering questions and addressing concerns. Since my newsletter is my primary way of communicating with you, I wanted to share a few things today:
First, here’s the link to watch the recording of the Forum. It includes the Councilmember session first, followed by the Mayoral session: https://www.youtube.com/live/lunuukAZl4k?si=IgHdrpwOXG6VYWTn
Second, I’m sharing my opening and closing statements from the Forum. I do tend to go off-script a bit, so these aren’t my exact words—for that, you’ll need to watch the recording.
Third, I’ve included answers to some Frequently Asked Questions. To prepare for the Forum, I typed up notes on the topics I expected might come up—13 pages worth, because I don’t do things halfway! With so many candidates participating, there were fewer questions asked than many anticipated. But just because a topic didn’t come up live doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the information. Since I already had the notes prepared, I’m sharing them here. If you’d like to talk more about anything, please feel free to reach out.
Opening Statement
Thank you Ms. Barbara and CAACO for organizing this Forum. I am Nicole Bryner, my pronouns are she/her, and I am the current Council Member for Ward 3.
One of the infamous questions posed recently on the Exchange wass: what job are you applying for? Nominally, it’s to continue serving as your Ward 3 Council Member. But folks have differing opinions about what that job looks like.
So let me take a moment to show you what the job has looked like for me– when it’s done with heart, with consistency, and with real commitment.
After two terms on Council, I know where the real work of a council member happens.
Not just in this room, and not just at this microphone.
It happens out in Cheverly, in the moments that don’t make the agenda.
The work gets done at midnight, sitting on the couch in the dark, answering emails and drafting newsletters after long meetings—because residents deserve transparency, not just decisions.
It gets done at 7 a.m., knee-deep in cold water, knocking on doors during a water main break so residents can move their cars before they are damaged.
It gets done in neighboring towns, over wilted salad and gummy pasta, building relationships so Cheverly has allies when we need them.
It gets done on Zoom every Monday morning at 8 a.m., from the car, during school drop-off—because even on busy mornings, I’m in legislative committee meetings, fighting for what our community needs.
This is what I’ve done. This is the work I believe in. Not just pointing out what’s wrong, but rolling up my sleeves to make it better.
So yes—elections invite us to ask what kind of leadership we want.
You’ll hear critiques. You’ll hear questions about what hasn’t gone perfectly. That’s part of democracy.
But I believe your vote should go to someone who’s been in the work—not just watching from the sidelines, or waiting until campaign season to show up.
Because the truth is, the job is hard. And it’s often invisible.
But it matters deeply.
Especially now—in a national moment where people are losing trust in government—we need local leadership that’s consistent and committed.
And I’m ready to keep doing the work—with you, and for you.
Closing Statement
(Full disclosure, I went off script a bit and did not deliver most of this closing statement.)
Thank you for your time today.
As your Ward 3 representative, I’ve always strived to keep you informed, whether through my regular newsletters, our town meetings, or one-on-one conversations.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done together—strengthening public safety, improving infrastructure, and building stronger ties with the County.
I believe in keeping our community connected and well-informed, so you always know what’s happening and how decisions are being made. I show up on time and prepared, I communicate clearly, and I always try to bring people into the process. That kind of consistency and transparency builds trust, and I believe that’s one of the most important things a local leader can offer.
I also wholeheartedly support the re-election of Mayor Kayce, whose leadership has been integral in the progress we’ve made. So much of what we’ve done would not have been possible without Kayce at the helm.
I’m committed to continuing transparency and working alongside the Mayor to ensure Cheverly’s future is one where we all have a voice.
Thank you for your trust and support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you stand on Annexation? Shouldn’t Cheverly have annexed Hospital Hill years ago?
I support annexation.
It’s easy to say now that we should have annexed earlier, but at the time, the County asked us to wait until developers had control of the site. We had just rebuilt strong relationships with County leadership, and pushing ahead would have jeopardized that progress.
In hindsight, maybe we could have tried anyway — but realistically, if the County and State weren’t on board, annexation likely wouldn’t have been successful. We would have burned bridges with nothing to show for it.
No one predicted that Bladensburg would step in. Their move surprised officials at every level of government.
It’s only because of Mayor Kayce’s leadership and advocacy, and the relationships she forged across the County and the State, that Bladensburg is now amending their annexation paperwork, clearing the way for Cheverly to move forward.
We’re in a stronger position now, and Cheverly will play a key role in how the site is developed with strong support from stakeholders in all directions.
Where do you stand on through-streets connecting Hospital Hill to Cheverly?
In Cheverly, we often wrestle with the temptation to retreat inward — to shut the gates and pretend we exist apart from the world. But we don’t. Our funding, safety, environment, and quality of life are tied to regional and national currents.
I completely understand why many Ward 1 residents oppose through-streets. At the same time, I’ve heard from many Ward 3 residents, and the majority support them.
My goal is to maximize flexibility for future Cheverly leaders and residents — people who will face challenges we can't predict.
If we reject through-streets now, they’re gone forever. But if we allow them, we control them. We can block them, make them one-way, or restrict them to pedestrians. We might approve through-streets and never fully open them to traffic.
That flexibility is why I will vote in favor of through-streets. I want future residents and leaders to have options that fit their reality.
Why did Council give themselves a raise and increase taxes at the same time?
First: they didn’t.
Council cannot vote to give itself a raise. The previous Council voted to adjust salaries in April 2023, and it only took effect after the next election, when a new Council was seated. Then-Ward 1 CM Nettles, who pushed for the increase, was not even running for re-election. (For the record, I was not on Council from 2021–2023; I returned in May 2023 and did not vote on the salary change.) The 2024 budget was not finalized and adopted until June 2024.
Even though I didn’t vote on the salary increase, I understand why it passed:
Council salaries hadn’t changed in 15 years — no cost-of-living adjustments, nothing since 2006.
Research showed other similarly sized towns paid at least twice what Cheverly paid. (Some Councils in neighboring municipalities make as much as $15,000 a year!)
Raising salaries helps ensure a wider range of people can serve, not just those with disposable income and free time.
Even after the increase, Council salaries are still a tiny part of the budget — about half of one percent.
The idea that tax increases were driven by salary increases just isn’t credible.
You can see a copy of the relevant ordinance here: https://www.cheverly-md.gov/DocumentCenter/View/773/O-2-23--Salary-Ordinance-AMENDED
(Also worth noting: because raises only kick in with a new term, the Mayor’s raise hasn’t even started yet — Kayce is still earning just $3,000 a year.)
Why did Council raise taxes two years in a row?
Yes, the tax rate went up two years in a row — and I wasn’t thrilled about it either.
Here’s why it happened:
The previous Council secured an AA bond rating to finance the Public Works building. To maintain that rating, we had to achieve a fully balanced budget within three years.
A staff compensation study showed that our employees — almost all of them — were being underpaid, and some Public Works staff weren’t even earning a living wage. We needed to fix that.
Residents made clear they wanted 24/7 policing, which increased our costs significantly.
Even after those adjustments, Cheverly’s tax rate is still mid-range compared to similar towns — and we’re still the only municipality offering twice-a-week trash pickup.
This year, we are committed to not raising the tax rate.
I know tax increases are frustrating. They’re never easy, and I didn’t love raising them either. But I refuse to balance our budget on the backs of underpaid workers or an under-resourced police department.
I'm proud that Cheverly now pays a living wage.
Why did Council take away Resident Input from meetings?
I'm extremely frustrated by this talking point. It’s disingenuous.
It suggests the only way residents can provide input is during formal meetings — which simply isn’t true.
When I joined Council in 2019, there were no written rules for how meetings were supposed to run. It wasn’t clear when motions could be made, when residents could speak, or how topics got added to the agenda.
Councilmember Watson and I worked together to create a Rules and Procedures document in 2020 to fix that. The document gets reviewed and updated at the start of each new Council term. This term’s version was discussed and unanimously supported.
We’ve made adjustments to ensure meetings stay productive, but resident input is always an important part of the process:
During Town Meetings, there’s a dedicated Resident Input section near the top of the agenda.
During Work Sessions, there are opportunities for input on every single agenda item.
I also make myself available outside meetings — by phone, by email, and in person.
Resident Input during meetings is important for sharing your views with a large audience and officially on the record. But the truth is, if you wait until the night of a vote to speak up, it’s often too late to change outcomes.
I want residents to be heard before decisions are made — not just during public comment. That’s how real participation happens.
If re-elected, I want us to explore even better ways to make space for feedback to be better integrated into decision-making while still keeping meetings efficient and productive.
Why did you talk about staff during your closing statement at the Forum?
Because it matters.
I take seriously how we treat our Town staff — the people who show up every day to keep Cheverly running.
They collect our trash in 100-degree heat. They manage complex infrastructure projects. They patrol our roads. They answer residents' calls with patience and professionalism.
Yet some residents — especially during election season — have yelled at staff, dismissed their expertise, and crossed basic lines of respect.
Unfortunately, it’s the loudest critics of the Council that have been the loudest voices mistreating staff (and the all-volunteer Board of Elections Supervisors). Some residents have gone so far as to imply that they are looking forward to a change in leadership after the election because they believe it would lead to changes in Town staff as well.
That’s not accountability. That’s bullying.
Our staff are professionals. They’re not here to be berated, cursed at, or threatened—they’re here to serve this community, and they do it with skill and dedication every day.
If you want to lead, you have to model respect. Our employees are the backbone of this town, and when they’re demeaned or dismissed, it doesn’t just hurt them — it hurts Cheverly. Good governance starts with treating people well, and that includes the people who keep this town running every single day.I will never apologize for expecting basic decency in how we treat the people who make Cheverly work. And if I have the opportunity to speak up for them and call out those who are mistreating them, I will do it.