Fourth Graders: What Would You Do If You Were Mayor?
March 5 is the Deadline for the ̒If I Were Mayor …’ Essay Contest
February 3, 2026
Rockville fourth graders have a chance to meet Mayor Monique Ashton and imagine what they would do if they were mayor by taking part in the Maryland Municipal League’s statewide “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
This year’s theme is “90 Years Strong: Where Tradition Meets Innovation.” Students are asked to identify a community tradition they value and write an essay of no more than 275 words about what they would do, if they were mayor, to imagine their community 90 years in the future. Students should answer how the tradition and community would change, whether the tradition would help the community work together, and how innovations, such as technology, would impact their community.
One winning essay will be selected from each of MML’s 11 districts. Winners will receive a $100 cash prize and a citation from the governor and will be honored, along with their parents and teacher, during an awards ceremony in April in Annapolis.
The entry deadline is Thursday, March 5. For more information, including contest rules and forms for submitting entries online, visit mdmunicipal.org/mayors-essay-contest.
The Mayor and Council consider the contest to be a wonderful exercise in government studies and encourage fourth graders attending schools in Rockville to participate. Teachers are encouraged to submit a PDF of their students’ essays to cityclerk@rockvillemd.gov.
Mayor Ashton welcomes the opportunity to speak with students about the essay contest, municipal government and what it is like to be Rockville’s mayor. Teachers or school administrators may email Judy Penny at jpenny@rockvillemd.gov to arrange a visit by the mayor, though a mayoral visit is not required for students to participate in the contest.