Annapolis Capital Punishment

With budget season underway, today’s Capital lead story is about newly sworn Aldermen Sheila Finlayson and Ross Arnett who are just settling into the swivel chairs at the front of City Council chamber. (By the way, when, oh when will we ever replace the missing letter from the front of the mayor’s seat??? Everyone in Council Chambers sees it when they look at her. Go see for yourself.) The story begins with Finlayson expressing her surprise about not getting stationery! Here in the capital of one of the wealthiest and most educated states in the USA, our city council members earn a paltry $12,600 per year and don’t even get to have much less share an office, a desk, telephone or a secretary in City Hall. Aldermen do get an email account but while some have websites, read email, and even answer it, others are less adept or less willing to make use of this tool. Dick Israel prefers to meet at a regular time and place with any and all constituents.

The ability to serve and devote time to service means different things to different Aldermen. Arnett and Israel are retired and seemingly quite focused on their work, while Dave Cordle and Mike Christman work and have families. Finlayson, as noted by The Capital, teaches English, and Julie Stankivic has a full-time job in Baltimore, but has no children. Sam Shropshire has referred to his role as “performing community service with a stipend” and devotes nearly full-time, and perhaps more, to his work. He is also employed with the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

Baltimore council members earn in the neighborhood of $100,000 as do our own department directors. Make of that what you will.

The council is fairly diverse in terms of gender, race and expertise. The female members including Finlayson, Hoyle and Mayor Moyer have backgrounds in education and/or education administration and lobbying while Stankivic is a health care specialist. Arnett is a retired federal health care economist. Cordle is chief investigator with the prosecutor’s office and Shropshire has a long career in non-profits and community activism. Israel is a retired assistant attorney general and Christman, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is apparently the only member in business. Christman and Cordle are Republicans, Stankivic is Undeclared, and the others are Democrats.

This is what Mayor Moyer had to say about her colleagues: "We've got some really good public servants on the council, and if we are all driven by public service as opposed to political dynamics, there is no end to what we can achieve in the next three years," Ms. Moyer said. "Each one ought to be able to talk proudly with their constituents about things they are able to bring to the table."

CP does not disregard the noble intents of our council members or the mayor, but all kidding aside, when has Ellen ever put politics aside? When has she ever demanded anything less than 100 percent loyalty? When has she ever been able to distance herself from or overcome that nasty business known as “politics”? It’s her stock in trade. Political dynamics? She is an expert in it. It’s almost always her way or the highway. She is also a public servant, and a pretty good one in many respects, but CP will again say, her thin skin and unwillingness to listen is her political--and personal Achilles heel. She talks a good game about talking-- as long as it’s her doing the talking. CP has seen it soooo many times in soooo many places. Some less progressive elements in our fair city may express shock and fear when Moyer says, “There is no end to what we can achieve…” but CP is not so worried. Despite a strong Democratic majority, she’ll likely find a way to alienate and upset most of them for one reason or another. Eventually it will translate to votes.