All of those initiatives mean building relationships on the federal level to gain funding, Taylor said.
But his concern for relationships boils down to the local level. Taylor aims to be actively involved in residents' lives, attend community meetings and push for individuals' voices to be heard. For that to happen, he stressed the need for either a strong city administrator or city manager.
Annapolitans for a Better Community, a volunteer community group, is circulating a petition to change the city administrator's position to a city manager. That way, the mayor can focus on policy issues instead of day-to-day operations, co-chairman Bill Kardash said.
"It all cannot be done by one person," Taylor said. "It doesn't matter what the title is; we're looking for a professional."
Kardash countered that. "City administrator" will always carry the stigma of an ineffective position, he said.
"If he supports the city manager position, by all means say it and sign [the petition]," Kardash said. "If he's still trying to wordsmith this into a different issue, the constituents need to know that."
Taylor said he would support whatever the public votes for, but Kardash said Wednesday he hadn't signed the petition to get the issue on the ballot.
Ward 6 Alderwoman Julie Stankivic, who worked closely with Taylor while he represented Ward 4, said she also needs to be sure he'll fight for the proposal. But she's still happy her old friend from the city council has entered the race.
"We had a group of individuals, including Wayne, who were very focused on doing what was best for the city in the long run, and not just making decisions that reflected political choices," she said.
Taylor said he's always kept the future in mind. He set his sights on mayor in 2004, and his involvement in politics stems from his sixth-grade presidency of the student government.
"I didn't wake up one morning and decide I was going to be mayor," Taylor said. "Here was an opportunity to bring forth solutions to issues that were recurring year after year. This is something I have looked forward to and worked toward."
