Marnitta L. King has lived in Capitol Heights since she was an adolescent. For over 40 years, Marnitta has represented Capitol Heights as a scholar, resident, advocate, and most recently as Mayor. Marnitta graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a inter–disciplinary Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science.

Marnitta also received her Juris Doctorate J.D.with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law. In addition, Marnitta is honored to be a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Since 2001, Marnitta has been an active litigating attorney in Maryland and the District of Columbia. With God’s grace,Marnitta has been able to use her education and experience to make Capitol Heights better.

Marnitta was a Capitol Heights council member for two terms, from 2006 to 2014. As a council member, Marnitta chaired the Senior Committee, Business License Committee and Charter and Code Committee. She has taken a personal and active role in enhancing Capitol Heights’ senior citizens’ quality of life by creating options for active seniors.In addition, she has ensured that there is legislation in place to prevent over taxation due to increased property values.

Marnitta has continued to fight for economic development in Capitol Heights, balanced by a sensitivity for neighborhood preservation. While rebranding, marketing and recruiting quality development opportunities in Capitol Heights, Marnitta never lost sight of the citizens needs first. She led the push for legislation that prevented potential developers from overpopulating established communities and providing tax breaks to offset rising prices on preserved housing stock.

Marnitta considers herself an advocate for the people and she has kept them first in all her legislative proposals for the Town. She was elected as Mayor of the Town of Capitol Heights in May 2014.

As Mayor, Marnitta continued her work with the youth by facilitating, sponsoring and hosting the Capitol Heights free Leadership Camp for over 60 youth each summer and yearly free College Tour. Marnitta also personally donated appliances and books to the local elementary schools.

Marnitta was able to sponsor Central high school students to attend a travel abroad trip to Spain. Marnitta was able to fund the Friendly High School’s “Friendly Patriot”Newspaper in its inaugural edition. Ensuring that book scholarships were available for Suitland High School Students was a priority of Marnitta. To keep the at–risk youth engaged, Marnitta regularly delivered ice cold drinks and snacks to local basketball courts and co–sponsored annual video game competitions at the end of each spring break.

Supporting schools inside and outside of the incorporated Town was important to Marnitta as she realized the overall importance for not just Capitol Heights youth but to all youth. With the support of her Town Council, Marnitta was able to open up the participation in the Town’s Leadership Camp and College Tour to youth regardless of jurisdiction.

Marnitta also continued her efforts to advance the quality of life for senior groups. In addition to yearly appreciation dinners that Marnitta Co–Sponsored with the Town, Marnitta volunteered her time to citizen groups who has a special focus on Senior support. Marnitta and the Former Mayor of District Heights personally collaborated together to replace appliances in homes of seniors in need. Each winter Marnitta and her kids dug residents out of snow storms. It has always been important for Marnitta to teach her kids that neighbors helping neighbors was a priority in civic engagement.

During her term, Marnitta has encouraged local police efforts to focus on community policing. Requiring local officers to drive every street and to get out of their cars to actively engage residents has been a priority for Capitol Heights. Requiring officers to leave the comfort of their vehicles and to build relationships with the community only started community policing efforts.

To avoid waste and abuse, Marnitta pushed the Town to adopt a mandatory GPS program for every Town vehicle. The GPS program required any Town owned vehicle to be monitored for out of bounds travel or excessive travel. This program was successful reducing fuel costs, promoting accountability and reduce police response time. This program struck an important balance between employee benefits and citizen expectation.Because we realized that benefits for employees such as a take home program was important, however preserving the Town gas bill and vehicle maintenance was important to savings for conscientious taxpayers.  

With Public Safety as a core goal for residents, Marnitta consistently proposed and voted for Town Budgets that provided adequate funding for community policing, police recruitment and retention, and MD/DC border patrol. Marnitta successfully proposed and put through balanced budgets providing money for community politicking, recruitment and retention, and MD/DC border patrol agreements with Washington DC.

In preparation for growth at the Capitol Heights Metro station, Marnitta proposed a tax stabilization bill for the town. This legislation made neighborhood preservation(retention of homes by long term residents) a priority while making sure long–term homeowners were not effectively displaced while rising property values due to incoming development made tax payment unaffordable.

The Legislation provided an avenue for residents to have a funding source to beautify older properties consistent with changing landscapes of newer homes within the transit orientated development zone surrounding the metro station. The end result would also allow seniors on a fixed income to be able to afford to maintain their home despite rising tax payments. This legislation was in addition to actively pursuing development goals that brought a new business tax base into the community while not burdening the citizens.

✓ Founding member of the “CCC” Concerned Citizens of Capitol Heights’ Civic Association

✓ Provided free legal advice to the Civic association regarding Land fills effecting community quality of life.

✓ Served as council member for two terms, 2006-2010 and2010-2014.

✓ Co-Sponsored several pieces of key legislation affecting the Town of Capitol Heights.

✓ Chaired Code and Charter Committee and Business License Committee.

✓ Proposed traffic safety efforts including speed bumps, enhanced crosswalks and signage.

✓ Served as Mayor Pro Tempore from 2010-2014.

✓ Organized and facilitated free youth leadership camp for youth in summer from 2012-2017.

✓ Organized and participated in Free College Tour for students during Spring break 2013-2016.

✓ Drafted and passed local government procurement legislation intended to restrict and balance government expenditure and waste.

✓ Incrementally donated her Entire personal Town salary towards community purposes.

✓ Chaired Senior Committee which is committed to monthly organized Senior activities and support.

✓ Enhanced screening procedures for new businesses including recognition for town businesses that give back to the community.

✓ Chaired Capitol Heights Day 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016.

✓ Created and personally donated to Town scholarship fund.

✓ Participated in packaging and distribution of Thanksgiving baskets to community families.

✓ Passed legislation to provide for designated school zones within the Town to combat speeding.

✓ Advocated for the passage of the Metro Corridor Neighborhood Stabilization Resolution, which provides for tax incentives for affected residents and local job creation.

✓ Voted against Town tax increases every year proposed