This is the second in a series of posts from former candidates. We were curious as to why candidates come on to the voters with such rich promises and examples of how involved they are in their community–and then disappear when the election is over. Disappointingly, aside from Trudy, the only other former candidate to respond was Rock Toews.
As Annapolis moves into the next budget cycle, Eye On Annapolis reached out to activist and former candidate for Mayor, Trudy McFall to get her thoughts and opinions 18 months after she lost the election.
If I had been elected Mayor, several important things would be very different at this time in my term.
First, we would have created a true Council-City Manager and filled that position with the best professional we could have recruited from around the country. This is my deepest regret in the election outcome; the City has missed the opportunity to move from political management to first class professional management. I ran for mayor because I wanted to use my management experience and commitment to change to demonstrate how a professionally run City could function differently and better. I think we have gotten just more of the same old politics and ineptitude from our Mayor and City government.
Secondly, I would have immediately vested the authority for running the Market House in a local board of directors made up of citizens, experts, and City representatives. I would have instructed the Market House Board to hire the best market house property manager they could find to operate the facility. Profits from the operations would come to the City which would continue to own it and local folks would help decide its future and select vendors. I would not have done anything the way Mayor Cohen has handled it. The Market House doesn’t need to be “developed” it needs a local Board to make wise and responsible decisions and a good property manager.
Lastly, I would have made major changes in the organization of City government and reduce the expenditures to a level that did not require continuous borrowing to pay for operations. The City has far too many top and middle managers; I would have consolidated several departments and reduced staff and other expenses by about one-third. As a citizen it saddens me greatly that we have apparently missed the opportunity to restructure and downsize our City government to the level we need and can afford.
–Trudy McFall
