Gaithersburg Names Emma Leath Junior Mayor

Emma Leath of St. Martin’s School has been selected as Gaithersburg’s next Junior Mayor. The city received 205 entries submitted by resident fourth graders in the city. Her first appearance will be at the State of the City Address on April 24 and she will be officially introduced to the public at the Mayor and City Council meeting on May 19.

The “If I Were Mayor…” Contest, sponsored statewide by the Maryland Municipal League (MML), the Maryland Mayors’ Association, the Injured Workers’ Insurance Fund and Local Government Insurance Trust, invites fourth grade students to submit essays describing what they would do as Mayor. The theme this year was “Engaging My Community.”

Regardless of whether or not MML selects a Gaithersburg student as a statewide winner, all entries submitted by city residents were concurrently reviewed by members of the Gaithersburg Educational Enrichment Committee. Six finalists were invited to City Hall for a subsequent video interview, and Ms. Leath was selected as the winner.

When asked during her interview to give an example of a problem people in Gaithersburg face, Ms. Leath identified pedestrian safety, and suggested building pedestrian-only bridges and tunnels as a possible solution. When asked why she would be the best choice for the job, she replied “When I found out I was going to the next level of this competition, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. I love helping others and I love our city.” In her essay, Ms. Leath said that to engage the community, “I would make a community garden…. This garden would be a way to bring people together. People could take food from the garden as they needed. This garden could also be used as an activity area for picnics, relaxing and get-togethers.”

The Junior Mayor will be invited to participate with Mayor Sidney Katz and members of the City Council in several public events throughout the year. Her winning essay is posted on the City’s website at http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov. For more information on the Junior Mayor program contact Gaithersburg’s Community Services Division at 301.258.6395.

Her first appearance will be at the State of the City Address on April 24 and she will be officially introduced to the public at the Mayor and City Council meeting on May 19.