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Teresa Sutherland: Lessons learned after one year as Annapolis city manager. What’s next?

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I have had the privilege of serving as the Annapolis City Manager for a year now. As I enter my second year, I would like to share the lessons I’ve learned and my plan to advance Mayor Gavin Buckley’s priorities in the upcoming year.

I have learned the city is served by employees who work tirelessly to provide good public service. I’ve seen Public Works employees fix sewer backups and water main breaks in the dark with freezing temperatures. I’ve seen Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology employees work into the evening and on weekends because that’s what it takes to get the job done.

I’ve seen Planning and Zoning employees use their expertise to develop land use policy, listen to public comment, and use that feedback to improve their proposals.

I’ve seen Transportation employees work to ensure buses run on time. I’ve seen Recreation and Parks employees enhance program offerings to reach diverse communities. I am proud of all of them.

But I can say unequivocally that nothing made me prouder than watching our police and fire employees rise to the occasion on the most tragic day in our city’s history, when five Capital Gazette employees were senselessly murdered.

Because I had watched them train only a week before, I knew they were ready. I knew they knew what they were doing. I knew, and you should never doubt, that we have the finest and bravest first responders anywhere.

I also learned the city’s financial processes lacked discipline. For years the city’s budgets had structural deficits. The bond rating agencies noted the city had a “very weak” debt profile, and the city hadn’t funded its required pension contributions in a decade. And, stunningly, departments were allowed to spend money from funds with no legal budget appropriations.

Bringing fiscal discipline to the city’s finances became the mayor’s priority and the focus of my first year. We eliminated the structural deficit. We fully fund our required pension contributions, and we have strengthened our debt profile.

We now budget all funds, and department directors are held accountable for their budgets.

In my second year, my goal is to establish a more effective government structure within the administration. I have recommended, and the mayor is proposing, to bring all policy under the umbrella of the mayor’s office. Government operations will remain under the city manager and departments, consistent with the City Charter.

The fiscal year 2020 proposed budget moves economic and environmental policy under the mayor. Placing economic development directly under the mayor, as recommended by the transition team, elevates the pivotal role the economic development division plays in developing policy and implementing programs to expand our local economy.

Elevating environmental policy with placement directly under the mayor will allow us to develop more robust environmental policies, backed by environmental science and best practices, to be adopted by law.

It will also bring a greater focus on public education, outreach, and coordination of the mayor’s environmental priorities among city departments and local environmental groups.

Some have suggested moving environmental policy into the mayor’s office will set back the city’s efforts to protect the environment. Contrary to this assertion, we believe elevating environmental policy into the Mayor’s office enhances the role. Accountability will be from the top down, and binding policy enacted by ordinance will better enable us to achieve our environmental goals.

With financial stability, a better government structure, public policy enacted by ordinance, and effective implementation by department directors, we can make the City of Annapolis more effective and responsive.

Looking ahead to my second year, that is my goal.