Meet the City Council

Council Duties

The City Council is the City's legislative body, with the power to enact and enforce all ordinances and resolutions. There are five members who are elected at-large and serve all voters of the City of Hagerstown for a four-year term.

The Council act only by ordinance, resolution or motion. They adopt and may alter the annual budget and confirm the Mayor's appointments. Council is responsible for the appropriation and issuance of bonds, the awarding of contracts and the approval of City expenditures over $10,000. Council determines its own rules of procedure, and its meetings are open to the public.

Councilmember Kristin B. Aleshire

kaleshire@hagerstownmd.org

KRISTIN B. ALESHIRE, a native of Hagerstown, previously served 10 years on City Council and 1 term as Washington County Commissioner. He is a 1996 graduate of Hagerstown Community College and a 1998 graduate of Salisbury State University. Kristin is the Town Manager for the Town of Myersville in Frederick County, Maryland. During his time in public office, he has served on numerous boards and commissions. He is also active with a number of local civic groups. Mr. Aleshire resides in the southern end of Hagerstown with his wife Tenneille and their five children.

Councilmember Austin Heffernan

aheffernan@hagerstownmd.org

AUSTIN HEFFERNAN was appointed by the Mayor and City Council and began his term on January 30, 2018. Originally from Bethesda Maryland, Austin received his BA and MBA from Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Pamela, relocated to Hagerstown in 2005 to establish Royal Aircraft Services at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, where they provide aircraft maintenance, structural repair and painting services to commercial, military and general aviation customers. Prior to moving to Hagerstown, Austin managed globally dispersed Information Technology organizations for over 20 years, and prior to that he served as an officer supporting the U.S. Army’s Rapid Deployment Force. Austin and Pamela reside in the north end of Hagerstown.

Councilmember Emily Keller

ekeller@hagerstownmd.org

EMILY KELLER is serving her first term as Councilmember. She is the owner-operator of the Emily Keller Insurance and Financial Agency - Farmers Insurance. Born and raised in Hagerstown, Emily is a 2004 graduate of South Hagerstown High School and is the proud mother of her 10 year old daughter, Layla. She is active throughout the community, serving as the Community Advocacy Chairman within the Hagerstown Chamber of Commerce GenNext Committee and a team leader in Washington County’s Relay for Life. She also serves as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) Liaison for the Mayor & Council. She has a personal vested interested in advocating for small business owners and she extends her influence as a member of the Farmers Employees Agents Political Action Committee (FEAPAC), an advocacy organization that protects the interest of small business owners. Her passion includes advocating for heroin and opioid awareness in the community, and she serves on Project ActNOW, the Maryland Overdose Fatality Review Team, and the Heroin and Opioid Senior Policy Group that reports to Governor Hogan.

Councilmember Shelley McIntire

smcintire@hagerstownmd.org

SHELLEY MCINTIRE was appointed by the Mayor and City Council and began her term on December 19, 2017. She is the President and Owner of McIntire HVAC & Electric, a company that she and her husband, Bill, opened in 2010. Prior to opening her own business, Shelley was a mortgage originator for M&T Bank and Mid-States Financial Group. Shelley has a passion for making a difference in her community and believes in helping her community through action. Shelley currently serves on the Board of Directors at Brooke's House as their fundraising chairperson. She was a participant of Leadership Washington County and currently serves on their Board of Directors. Shelley and Bill have a blended family of four grown children and they reside in the north end of Hagerstown.

Councilmember Lewis C. Metzner

lmetzner@hagerstownmd.org

LEWIS METZNER is serving his seventh consecutive term as Councilmember and is a lifelong resident of the city. He was appointed to the Council in October 1994 and has subsequently been elected to serve consecutive terms. In June of 2015, Lew was inducted into the Maryland Municipal League Hall of Fame. MML’s Hall of Fame honors current or former elected officials who have served 20 years or more. Mr. Metzner received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore. He was admitted to the Maryland State and Federal bars in 1977 and has been in a local private practice since then. He is a founding member and past president of the Washington County Criminal Defense Attorney’s Association. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys and has been the past State liaison to the national organization. Locally, Mr. Metzner is a past member of the Sunrise Rotary, past Vice President of Community Rescue Services, Inc., past President of his synagogue and a former Board member of the Community Free Clinic.