March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 51 F

Guest Column: Setting the record straight on some false Ward 5 claims

Annapolis Alderman Jared Littmann (Ward 5)

Marc Rodriguez is running to be our next Alderman representing Ward 5 on the Annapolis City Council. Since he launched his campaign in February, Marc has been steadfast in his commitment to run a positive campaign based on his record of service in the community and his ideas for how to make Ward 5 and Annapolis a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Unfortunately, his opponent, James Appel, has taken a very different tactic. Through a series of false claims and mailers, Mr. Appel has – time and again – lied and misrepresented Marc’s record and views in order to gain more votes. Offering zero ideas on what he would do for the City, Mr. Appel resorts to cynical and divisive dirty tactics such as openly lying and scaremongering. Annapolis deserves better, and Ward 5 residents deserve better than Mr. Appel’s dishonesty.

Gavin Buckley - Democrat for Mayor

I will not indulge Mr. Appel by repeating his lies in this column. Instead, I want to take this opportunity to tell you the truth about Marc:

Marc opposes the Crystal Spring / Providence Point development. In fact, Marc is the only Ward 5 candidate to receive the endorsements of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, and former Senator and environmental advocate Gerald Winegrad, the architect of Stop Crystal Spring. Marc has been in the room and helping me and environmental and community stakeholders pass legislation to curb our out of control development, including: the Forest Conservation Act, No Net Loss of Trees legislation, and the Adequate Public Facilities for School Capacity bill.

Marc has a decade of gainful employment in finance and business that has prepared him to serve our community. Marc has had a strong business career in both the United States and abroad. He worked for five years in the financial services industry in Hong Kong (Chinese is among four languages he speaks) with Moody’s Investor Services and then, over a four year period, Marc founded and was a managing partner at a consulting firm focused on international business development. Marc currently works for an organization representing Americans living abroad while he attends law school.

Marc is the only candidate to work closely with the Annapolis Police Department to seriously improve public safety in our community. Marc has built strong relationships with APD and has built trust with Ward 5 residents. He has worked diligently to bring those groups together to increase patrol presence when there was a spike in property crime in neighborhoods such as Hunt Meadow, Annapolis Overlook, and The Landings. He continues to work closely with City detectives to help curb gang violence. And, he sprang into action to help expedite the installation of a streetlight when he learned that Annapolis residents were feeling unsafe due to darkness in their neighborhood.

Marc worked to reduce the City’s unsustainable borrowing and help better balance the budget and make our government more effective. Marc, with his degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, his years working in finance at Moody’s, and owning a small business, was a great help to me and the Council during budget analysis. He took the lead in analyzing and making recommendations for me on how to best allocate over $300,000 in Federal grants to nonprofits.

Marc is a proven problem solver and community advocate for Ward 5. Marc has worked to fill potholes, repaint crosswalks, remove abandoned vehicles, and bring residents, developers, and City staff together to resolve negative impacts of overdevelopment. He also works with our community’s phenomenal nonprofits, volunteering and serving on the boards of Seeds 4 Success, Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center, Monarch Academy, Annapolis Opera, Visit Annapolis and Arundel Chairman’s Leadership Committee, Marcus Youth Advisory Committee at Arundel Lodge.

Marc is the only honest man in this race. He’s an honorable, passionate, and dedicated public servant. With your help, he’ll serve us proudly as our next Ward 5 Alderman on the Annapolis City Council.

–Jared Littmann, Ward 5 Alderman, City of Annapolis

 

 

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