After months of debate over whether Annapolis should change its form of government by hiring a city manager to take over some of the mayor's duties, the Annapolis city council voted down Monday two versions of a "city manager" amendment that many Annapolitans argued would allow the city to be more professionally run.
One version of the amendment - sponsored by Aldermen Ross H. Arnett III, Richard E. Israel, Samuel Shropshire and Julie Stankivic - would have changed the city's current form of government substantially by giving a city manager many of the mayor's current roles, such as hiring and firing directors. It would also have removed many of the mayor's executive powers, and the city manager would have been appointed by the city council.
The other version - sponsored by Aldermen David H. Cordle Sr., Sheila M. Finlayson and Classie Gillis Hoyle - would have created a city manager, appointed by the mayor, who supervises departmental directors and takes care of day-to-day operations.
Ward 2 Alderman Frederick M. Paone, the only alderman who did not sponsor either bill, said during Monday's council meeting that the voters should decide the issue via referendum, the same way the city decided to go from a commission to charter form of government in the 1960s.
"This represents a major change in our government ... as such, it is not to be taken lightly," Paone said. "I think it ought to be done by referendum. I feel very strongly that way."
Before voting, Paone told the council that he believed he was the only alderman who listened to both sides of the debate during the public comment period, because he and Mayor Ellen O. Moyer were the only two people on the council who weren't associated with one of the bills.
"I did what I'm paid to do," he said. "I attempted to take a dispassionate look at both sides of the issue."
Annapolitans for a Better Community, a citizen group of about 120, is working on a petition to get the issue on the ballot in the form of referendum.
Since the council rejected the amendments, the public must petition for the referendum for it to appear on a ballot. The petition was under legal review last week, and Bill Kardash, a 19-year Annapolitan who is heading up the petition effort, expected it to be distributed this week.
Although the petition must include 20 percent of registered voters' names, which is almost 5,000 people, Kardash said he expects "that we're going to go beyond that number."
