Alderman

Annapolis housing officials have confirmed that city Alderman Kenneth A. Kirby is not an approved tenant or visitor of a city-owned apartment where he was found during a drug raid earlier this month. Kirby faced questions about his residency after the Jan. 5 raid of two apartments, with housing officials investigating whether he was staying there in violation of a lease agreement. Police have said Kirby is not accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the drug raid. Housing Authority chief operating officer Joseph Johnson told The Capital in Annapolis that the agency's paperwork does not list Kirby as a tenant or visitor of the city-owned apartment in the Harbour House community.

Annapolis housing officials are investigating whether an alderman found by police in a city-owned complex during a drug raid last week is living there in violation of a lease agreement. Alderman Kenneth A. Kirby had little to say Tuesday about where he lives. Annapolis police said Kirby, who was in one of two apartments that were raided, is not accused of any wrongdoing. "I'm 57 years old, if I want to lay my head there or anywhere else in the city of Annapolis, that's where I'll be," said Kirby, who was elected to the council in 2009.

Annapolis Police disclosed Saturday that they encountered a city alderman last week while raiding a an apartment where confidential sources had told police that PCP was being sold, an experience the elected official called “harrowing.” According to a statement sent out by police, a confidential informant gave police information about drug activity in an apartment building in the 1200 block of Madison St., and police obtained “no-knock” search...

A former Annapolis alderman and mayoral candidate who spent a weekend in jail for groping a Naval Academy midshipman does not have to register as a sex offender, an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday. Gil Cochran, the attorney for Samuel E. Shropshire, 63, had sought a dismissal of that requirement, arguing that it would affect Shropshire's ability to find employment. Judge Paul F. Harris agreed, saying that Shropshire, who was found guilty of groping a 21-year-old male midshipman whom he mentored through a Naval Academy-sponsored program, had satisfied all the requirements of his sentence.

Annapolis Alderman Mathew Silverman begins four months of training for a new job as a federal agent on Monday, an opportunity that will take him away from the city council for four months. While Silverman, a county police officer who called the new position with the U.S. Department of Justice his "dream job," has received support and congratulations from Mayor Joshua J. Cohen, at least some members of the city council aren't so sure Silverman's latest career move is in the best interest of the city.

Annapolis Alderman Richard Israel wants to create a governing body to revitalize and manage the ailing Market House, which has been troubled by chronic vacancies and legal problems in recent years. Israel said he's in the process of drafting legislation that would incorporate a seven-member body to permanently manage Market House. The ordinance would allow Mayor Josh Cohen to make appointments to the authority, but the city council would be required to confirm the nominations. Israel said the ordinance would also require that four of the authority's members have marketing experience; two would be city residents and another member would own or manage a nearby business.

Former Annapolis alderman and mayoral candidate Samuel E. Shropshire was sentenced Monday to a weekend in jail and two years of supervised probation for groping the crotch of a Naval Academy midshipman last May. Shropshire, 62, was convicted in December of second-degree assault and fourth-degree sex offense by Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Paul F. Harris Jr. Harris sentenced Shropshire to a year in jail, with all but one weekend suspended....

Samuel E. Shropshire, the Annapolis alderman who was a contender for mayor this fall, was convicted Thursday of groping a Naval Academy midshipman, a crime for which he could be sent to prison for more than a decade. Shropshire, 61, was convicted during a bench trial on charges of second-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual assault for grabbing the crotch of a 21-year-old midshipman whom he mentored in an academy sponsorship program. "The defendant should have known better," said Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Paul F. Harris Jr. "He should have separated himself from the situation.

Anne Arundel County Councilman Joshua J. Cohen was elected Tuesday as Annapolis' mayor, promising to bring efficiency and transparency to local government in Maryland's capital city. Cohen, a former city alderman, defeated his nearest competitor, Republican Dave Cordle, an alderman and investigator in the state's attorney's office, by about 240 votes. Chris Fox, a local business owner, garnered about 1,050 votes, in a race where about 9,000 votes were cast. "Today, Annapolis voters sent a clear message that they want to raise the bar at City Hall," Cohen told supporters inside an Annapolis hotel, promising to hire an experienced city administrator, rein in city spending and "set new standards for transparency."

Five Annapolis wards have contested races for alderman this year. (Wards 1, 2 and 4 are uncontested.) We asked the candidates to tell us in their own words why they thought they were the best person for the job: WARD 3 Classie Gillis Hoyle (D) I am the best person to represent Ward 3 on the City Council because I am accessible and responsive to constituents. I will bring experience and continuity to the next administration on issues such as financial management, city growth, economic stability, intergovernmental relations and transportation/traffic improvement.