In May, Ward 1 Alderwoman Elly Tierney, announced she would be leaving the City Council as she and her husband would move to Cape Cod. “Retirement” can be seductive, and we wish her well.
Tierney should have had her constituents’ interests at heart, rather than those of the Democrat party. Instead, she’s leaving her job – and the future of the Ward she served – to a partisan committee more concerned with who they want, rather than who would be most qualified and preferred by the Ward 1 voters.
The process, while legal, will deprive the residents of Ward 1 a chance to VOTE for her replacement. Instead, the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee (ADCC) will APPOINT someone “they” believe should represent the residents (and voters) of Ward 1. But there is more to this story.
Article II of the City Charter , Sec. 7 (a) states, in part, if a vacancy occurs “… with less than 15 months remaining until the next general election …”; and
“ …the mayor shall give written notice (of the vacancy) to the chairman of the central committee of the political party to which the person vacating was registered …”. Sec 7(b) requires a special election to be held to fill the vacancy.
In the case of Tierney’s impending departure, here’s what happened: Tierney’s retirement was first reported on May 16 in Eye on Annapolis (EOA), local podcast and news service. The next day, Tierney sent a notice to her constituents that she would be moving. A couple of weeks later, Tierney said the contract to sell her condo “fell through” and she expected to remain on the Council “through the fall”. Then, on August 6, it was announced (again) she would be leaving. (August 6 is exactly “15 months prior to the next city general election”). Interestingly, on July 29, Mayor Buckley notified the ADCC of the forthcoming vacancy.
In a word, Tierney’s resignation was “managed” to avoid a Special Election and, instead, allow the ADCC to “select” her replacement. When asked about this option Tierney said she didn’t want the City to incur the cost of a Special Election. The City Charter, Title II, Sec. 7(b)(3) states “ …the city SHALL annually budget an amount for that purpose”. This isn’t an option, yet during Mayor Buckley’s term in office, funds for Special Election have never been appropriated. So much for adhering to City Charter!
The current situation of a “managed” vacancy on the City Council is an exact replay of the planned departure of Marc Rodriguez’s departure to Oregon in 2020, which should have caused a Special Election to be held, but Mayor Buckley asked him to withdraw his resignation … and continue to serve (via Zoom meetings, no less) until the 15-month threshold had passed. Then the ADCC appointed Brooks Schandelmeier, who was chair of ADCC at the time, to fill the vacancy. Still following me? If you are shaking your head at this Buckley-staged “shell-game”, you are not alone!
My research says there have been only three instances of a “Special Election” taking place since 1990: the first occurred in 1994, when John Hammond (R-W1) resigned to work for Anne Arundel County government; Louise Hammond (D-W1) was elected through Special Election (party change). The second was in 2007, when Fred Paone (R-W2) was elected to replace Mike Christman (R-W2), who resigned to accept a job abroad. The most recent occurred when Alderwoman Shaneka Henson (D-W6) was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of House Speaker Mike Busch and left the City Council. These events were outside of the control of the City (and political central committees) and, per City Charter, “Special Elections” were held in the relevant Wards. The election to replace Henson in W6, was unusual: DaJuan Gay (D), was initially disqualified as he missed the filing deadline. Undeterred, he mounted a write-in campaign that defeated George Gallagher (R) and Yiannes Kacoyianni (D) for the Council seat.
Now, with Tierney’s resignation, the ADCC will select her successor. While every Ward has its own attributes, Ward 1 is the “heart of the City” with most of the City’s commercial interests, hotels, restaurants, residential neighborhoods, historic properties and, yes, the forthcoming $90 million + “revitalization of City Dock”. Tierney’s professional background included commercial construction and a stint as the owner of a B&B. She served as president of Ward One Residents Association. She served as Chair of the Council’s Finance Committee for 3 years during her 7 years on the Council. While she had her flaws as a representative of Ward 1, she was well-known to the residents. The challenge for ADCC will be to find a candidate to “fill those shoes”.
For starters, whomever is selected, the ideal replacement should have:
- lived in Ward 1 for no less than 10 years;
- be a home-owner in the Ward;
- have a history of community activity through advocacy and volunteerism;
- able to commit the time and energy to protect the interests of Ward 1.
- Oh … and they should be Democrat, Republican or Independent. Let’s get the BEST person for the job … regardless of political affiliation.
Tall order? Not really. They may not be members of ADCC nor even Democrats, for that matter, but GOOD, well-informed and dedicated people are willing to serve. Ward 1 residents deserve nothing less!
That’s the challenge to ADCC if they persist in the “selection” process.
The option is to inform the City they will step aside in favor of a Special Election. THAT is the right … and “democratic” … thing to do.
Bill Kardash is a resident of Ward 1 and serves as Chair of Annapolitans for a Better Community (ABC). He can be reached at [email protected]
