Annapolis Capital Punishment

(CP Notes: I have been associated with the subject of this article for quite some time and have worked with him at different levels. He is also a regular participant in our Sip N' Blogs. It is not my policy to endorse..at least not yet...and maybe never...I just try to be fair and provide useful information.)

Long-time community leader and historian Greg Stiverson is making his first run for elected office as a Republican for the Ward 6 city council seat. Current Alderwoman Julie Stankivic is likely to not seek re-election.

Stiverson is perhaps most well known for taking the helm of Historic Annapolis Foundation which during his tenure, opened the History Quest facility near City Dock. Before that he been head of the Historic London Town and Gardens and recently he served as president of Envisioning Annapolis, which devoted two years to "exploring ways to make Annapolis a better and more effective 21^st-century city." He also has served as president of the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, the Annapolis Opera, the Annapolis Symphony, and other volunteer organizations.

Stiverson acknowledged that there is a lot of public housing in his ward, sometimes referred to as "lower Eastport". He pledges to "work hard to increase public understanding of our city’s public housing needs while supporting efforts to reduce crime through effective policing and programs that encourage youth education and economic opportunity." He also said he will work for "better public transportation to serve the city’s public housing communities, including better maintenance of equipment and more frequent bus service.”

While I am pleased with his recognition of the importance of our bus system, I am more than a little concerned that Stiverson says that its purpose is to serve public housing communities. I believe its purpose is to serve everyone, and if that is done effectively, it can accomplish many of the goals he and many others want for the city. I also think we always have to be careful about jumping to mention public housing and crime in the same sentence. While there is a correlation, they are not one and the same.

Stiverson’s priorities include “solving the Market House mess,” working for professional management of the city, and making City Dock into a “place for people, not cars.” He also pledges to support fiscal restraint and prudent budget oversight. “Annapolis is not immune to the economic difficulties that face the nation. We must trim the City’s budget and lower taxes for city residents. I’ve managed tight budgets and will bring that experience to a careful review of the City’s finances.”

Stiverson does bring a wealth of managerial and budget skills as well as experience in working with boards. He certainly is aware of the city's rich history and historical resources. He understands many of the issues and challenges confronting the city and is especially familiar with crucial downtown and Ward One issues. I am pleased that he sees the value of City Dock in something other than a parking lot. While his experience in working with arts, preservation and cultural organizations as well as dealing with this city's government is impressive, it remains to be seen how tuned-in he is to the concerns and needs of impoverished residents and the crisis in public housing.

As one might expect, he was not immune from criticism while running Historic Annapolis, traditionally a job fraught with controversy. Stiverson was the driving force behind Envisioning Annapolis, a worthy but sometimes seemingly loosely-focused project that brought high-profile thinkers to town to help our citizens explore our collective future. Despite its unique and innovative format, it received mixed reviews, but did attract interest from many thousands of residents and brought many issues to the fore (and even to the Foer...).

A native of Washington State, Stiverson holds a Ph.D. in American History from The Johns Hopkins University. A resident of Annapolis since 1975, he and his wife have three children.

Stiverson will be our featured guest at the Sip N' Blog on Thursday, March 12th.

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