PETE LESHER

Sailing log canoes — which he has done since the 1990s — is not only fun for Pete Lesher, it's also living history.

“They're really symbolic of this area,” he said. Initially used as oyster boats in the 19th century, these narrow boats with the huge sails began to be raced in the 1920s. “They're an extreme boat — utterly impractical — but they grew out of our local traditions,” he said. As chief historian at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and an Easton native, Pete knows his boats and local history.

This deep attachment to the area is part of what compelled him to run for County Council in 2018. He has served as Council Vice President since 2021. Now seeking his third term, Pete is both proud of past accomplishments and eager to take on new challenges. Chief among those accomplishments is bringing broadband to Talbot County.

“Of the 3,144 counties in the United States, Talbot was the first to bring high speed broadband to every driveway,” he said.

He also points to opening the Talbot County North EMS Station in Cordova in July, renovating the county library in St. Michaels, which reopened in March, and relocating the county health department in Easton in 2024 as concrete ways the Council has worked to improve the lives of Talbot residents.

But, Pete said, the county has unfinished business and new challenges. “The question is where should we grow? How should we grow?” he said. “The answer is not sprawl development.” The county must confront the need for housing that is affordable, Pete said, while working hard to ensure the county maintains its rural character. He favors channeling housing and commercial development toward towns and places that already have adequate public facilities and infrastructure.

Upgrading sewer systems to control stormwater and extending sewers to rural areas — such as Bozman and Neavitt, slated for sewers — will keep Talbot's waters swimmable and fishable, he said. At the same time, bringing sewers to rural areas can't be an invitation to sprawl development.

This next term the new Council will be putting the finishing touches on the comprehensive plan, which guides public policy for land use, community design and development, among other issues.

In a time of political polarization, Pete, a Scout leader with Easton Troop 190, strongly adheres to treating fellow leaders and members of the public with respect and transparency. And he believes he can continue to play a pivotal role in guiding the county through choppy waters. “I know how it works,” he said of the Council.

“Yes, we're a rural county,” he said. “But, by the same token, we're culturally very rich. It's a delicate balance. I see myself as carrying that mission forward.”