About Jennifer
Jennifer P. Dougherty (Dem) (b. 1961, Alexandria, VA) was elected Frederick, MD’s first woman Mayor in 2001. Dougherty defeated 2-term incumbent Mayor James S. Grimes (Rep). Her large margin of victory was attributed to her promise to open government and improve citizen services. In addition, her promise to improve community policing efforts won praise in the City of Frederick.
Dougherty graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, MD in 1983 with a BA in History, magna cum laude. While a student at The Mount, Dougherty was a 4-year varsity field hockey player. She is the only woman in The Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame honored for field hockey. Dougherty also wrote for The Mountain Echo for 4 years, serving as Editor-in-Chief in her senior year.
Her professional career includes operating Jennifer’s Restaurant on West Patrick Street (opened 1987), Dougherty’s Irish Shop (1999-2006), Real Estate Agent (2006). Her civic involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of Heartly House, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce President (1999), and Rotary Club of Carroll Creek.
Dougherty’s tenure in Frederick’s City Hall was marked by accomplishments and challenges. The focus on improving the relationship with the Frederick Police Department by hiring a superior Chief of Police Kim C. Dine, strengthened the community support for the police.
The creation of the Neighborhood Advisory Councils to better serve each neighborhood established a more effective communication link for the residents.
During her tenure, the City faced serious water shortages to due decades of growth and poor management of water and sewer infrastructure. Innovative legislation created a process to track and allocate water to new development in the City.
The long-stalled Carroll Creek Linear Park was finally completed with the investment of public effort and investment. With the completion of the public improvements, the City sought private investment of more than $100 million in the first phase bringing needed tax revenue to the City.
The Dougherty Administration also addressed aging infrastructure by creating an incentive for mall owners to improve their properties. The Golden Mile Tax Credit District resulted in more than $ 50 million in private investment and 1000 new jobs.
