Your Mid-August Newsletter
Happy Sunday, Ward One
It’s a bright, sunny morning, whether you’re checking out Corvettes on West Street or going to see an ABBA concert in Selbyville, Delaware. (We did the latter.)
The council is on recess for the month of August, but I’m still keeping tabs on existing legislation and writing up a few final resolutions. See below for my thoughts on taxes, and—as always—events you’ll be interested in around the ward.
Here are the top 3 things you need to know in Annapolis:
Did you catch my announcement last week of the state delegation’s endorsements? And the launch of our new “Endorsements” web page?
Tonight’s free City Dock concert is Naptown Brass Band, one of my favorites!
This Tuesday will be the influential Caucus of African American Leaders’ Aldermanic Forum. Be there! And wear a Harry t-shirt!
Updates from Harry
Death and…
Finish the sentence: taxes.
A lot of folks got their property tax bills in the past couple weeks and felt like the rent isn’t the only thing that’s too damn high.
The overwhelming sentiment I hear from residents is “I pay a lot in taxes, and I’m willing to do that if I can feel the benefits in my community.”
As I said during the budget process, I think one of the key ways to make sure people feel the benefits of city government is to rebalance our budget towards commonsense maintenance.
But we should also be discussing how to lower the tax burden on residents. Some have proposed a tax credit scheme that would only benefit the people whose home values grow the most, but I think we should be lowering the property tax rate for everybody.
We’ve got to strengthen our tax base to lower our tax rates. Right now, 78% of the city by land area pays less in property taxes than it costs to maintain its infrastructure. And it (mostly) ain’t Ward One! Check out the city’s Land and Infrastructure Value Study to learn more.
We should be exploring ways to allow the rest of the city to develop in the smart, fiscally-sustainable ways that Ward One has. My legislation to re-allow duplexes on double lots is one step in that direction. We know that having walkable amenities makes neighborhoods more desirable, so let’s stop prohibiting these in our zoning code.
This doesn’t mean changing Annapolis’ historic character; it means embracing it. Having a diversity of housing types and being able to walk to both necessities and fun is how Annapolis developed for two hundred years. Re-allowing this for the 78% of the city that’s underperforming financially can let us lower our property tax rate for everyone.
Of course, the other side of the coin is reducing expenditures. I’ve shown my willingness during the past budget to cut unnecessary funding, like a vacant position in the mayor’s office or $105,000 for leafblower vouchers. To do that most effectively, we need to shift to an outcomes-based budgeting model to more clearly link resources to results.
I think some of the biggest savings will come from improving our contracting practices to make bidding more competitive—just like I do for environmental projects in my day job.
Ultimately, what you need to know is that I want to ensure Annapolis is an affordable place for all sorts of people to live. Taxes are not the only part of that, but they are one part. And I’m the only candidate for Ward One alderman working to lower our tax rate for everyone.
This week and every week, I’m grateful for the honor of representing you and our whole community. Never hesitate to contact me at harry@harrymhuntley.com.
City council agenda
The city council is adjourned for August. There are no committee or full council meetings until September. Some citizen boards and commissions—like the Planning Commission and Financial Advisory Commission—are still meeting, but this is mostly the time of year when staff can take their vacations and (in election years) candidates can focus on campaigning.
During the recess, I’m still monitoring the status of contentious legislation and am working on a few final resolutions. Some of these are tying up loose ends—like establishing licensing fees for my walking tour operators bill—and others are significant modifications—like making speed camera fines progressive based on how far over the speed limit a driver is going. But they’re all resolutions (as opposed to ordinances) and so are a smaller lift.
The regular agenda section will resume in September.
Other news you can use
Get out to see the Corvettes on West Street today. I saw some on Wednesday, and they were pretty excellent!
Not sure what to do with the kids this afternoon? How about cooling off with Circus on Ice at Maryland Hall? Tickets are available until the show begins at 3 PM.
I’m hoping to get back from the beach today in time for the Naptown Brass Band at City Dock, starting at 7 pm. This is part of the city’s free outdoor summer concert series.
This Tuesday, join us at the Caucus of African American Leaders’ Aldermanic Forum. Are you planning to attend? Let me know, and I’ll bring you a campaign t-shirt.
In addition to forum above and the Coalition for Atonement and Repair’s forum last week, here are some other opportunities to learn more about the candidates
(Mayoral only) Chamber of Commerce: August 21st at 5:30 at the Busch Library.
Historic Annapolis: August 27th at 6 o’clock at the Paca House. You must reserve a seat in advance.
Ward One Residents Association: September 3rd at 7 o’clock at St. Anne’s Parish House
On Friday, 4-6 Chick & Ruth’s Delly will be celebrating their 60th anniversary with an afternoon of fun and community.
We’ll be having a campaign cookout at Bloomsbury Square on Friday 5-7. Send me a message for more details or just stop by!
Two Sundays from now, expect some road closures in downtown Annapolis between 6:45 and 9:30, as the annual Annapolis 10-Miler will be taking place on August 24th.
Spa Creek Conservancy’s Kids on the Creek event will also be Sunday August 24 from 11am-3pm at the Truxtun Park, near the boat ramp in Annapolis. It’s a great, free opportunity to get kids out into nature right here at home.
Spot something that needs attention in the ward? You can report all sorts of needs at the Report an Issue portal. This can be anything from sidewalk repairs to needing grass cut at a park to potholes.
Please send me any events or other information you’d like advertised to your neighbors.
Have a great week, everyone!
Harry
Source: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=92cd145597ae97327ab17fc38&id=f02e408d6e
