My name is Doug Glynn and I am running for City Councilmember in Ward 1 because I would like to see our city thrive and grow while immediately addressing the challenges our community faces. I am a life-long resident of Takoma Park and continue to live in the house I grew up in with my maternal grandparents in Ward 1. Not only is Takoma Park my birthplace, but also that of my mother and grandfather. My family’s involvement in political matters began with my great-grandfather, John F. Sidell, who grew up in Takoma Park and served for many years as Councilmember. Later, my grandfather, Ralph F. Sidell, followed in his footsteps also serving as Councilmember, Police and Fire Commissioner, and was a driving force in the establishment of the city’s Public Works Department. As well, he was very active in the Takoma Park 4th of July parade and would ride his penny-farthing bicycle down Maple Ave every year. I now wish to continue this legacy through giving back to this city that has given me so much in the same way my forefathers did. 

One thing I am grateful for is that Takoma Park is a rich, colorful tapestry comprised of ethnicities and cultures from around the world. Growing up in such an environment allowed me to genuinely appreciate diversity and inspired my academic journey and formation. I hold a Master’s degree in Intercultural Communication from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese Languages, Literatures and Cultures from the University of Maryland College Park. As part of my undergraduate and graduate studies, I studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, where I also resided for 12 years of my life while working as a professor of Literatures in both English and Spanish at one of the country’s most prestigious institutions (El Tecnológico de Monterrey-CCM and CEM respectively). During my time in Mexico’s capital, I met my wife, Patricia Meneses (facebook & instagram), who has lived with me in Takoma Park since 2020 and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2025. 

Given my closeness with the Spanish-speaking community, one of my goals as Councilmember is to act as a vessel of communication for members of this community to amplify their voices on issues of concern and interest, as well as increase their presence and engagement with the decision-making process that affects us all in Takoma Park. 

For the past 28 years, beginning in Mexico City, I have worked as a language professor, working for the past 6 of those years as a full-time Professor of Spanish at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. My daily activities there allow me to collaborate with other professors and staff organizing and overseeing different cultural events and academic contests which involve the 6 languages we offer. These experiences of working in a team-oriented style with individuals from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and languages has taught me valuable lessons of how to listen to a chorus of voices and find a harmonic balance that permits real, positive action to take place. I strongly believe that with this type of experience and expertise I can make significant contributions to Takoma Park’s City Council and, above all, for our residents and citizens. 

Our city now faces more challenges than I have ever witnessed before in my 48 years of life here. Of course, there are many issues which must be addressed with different levels of urgency and others that seemingly resolve themselves over time. However, several of these issues I feel require our attention now. First of these is to ensure an open, transparent form of governance. Without this, progressive and truth-seeking voices go underheard while others become veiled whispers that only serve to undermine our democracy. With equal urgency, we need to effectively temper the cost of living in Takoma Park. The rapid increase in property taxes, coupled with certain cases of overspending, is making it very difficult for people to remain in their homes. I feel extraordinarily fortunate that I inherited the house in which my wife and I live, however, we still find it tough to maintain our property while paying incommensurately high taxes when compared to similar homes in neighboring Silver Spring. As I mentioned previously, protecting Takoma Park’s multicultural essence is crucial, yet if it becomes too expensive to rent or buy a home here, then we will certainly see a drastic decrease in the diversity of our neighbors. I am committed to working for solutions that can reign in spending without negatively impacting public services, while at the same time providing some tax relief to our residents.