Sierra Club endorsements for Annapolis city election
The Sierra Club endorses these candidates in the Annapolis 2021 City Council election: Elly Tierney in Ward 1, Rhonda Pindell Charles in Ward 3, Toni Strong Pratt in Ward 4, Rob Savidge in Ward 7 and Ross Arnett in Ward 8.
The Sierra Club has over 1,500 members in Anne Arundel County, many in the Annapolis area. Its endorsement process consists of several steps. First, questionnaires are sent to all candidates to gain information on their background and experience. The questionnaires ask about their records, if incumbents, and views on land use and environmental issues and also lately on environmental justice and equity concerns.
To be considered for endorsement, a candidate must return a filled-out questionnaire. Then, the returned questionnaires are reviewed and, if necessary, follow-up interviews held. Sierra Club rules dictate that incumbents with strong environmental records who return questionnaires are to be given strong preference in making endorsements.
For 2021 elections, attention was focused due to time limitations on contested primary races and incumbents with strong environmental backgrounds. Decisions on other races, including the mayoral race, have been delayed until later in September. Incumbents Tierney, Charles, Savidge and Arnett were considered to have strong environmental records and thus have been endorsed.
In the case of Ward 4, however, incumbent Sheila Finlayson did not return a questionnaire, indicating little interest in being considered for endorsement. In contrast, her challenger returned an impressive questionnaire that showed a knowledge of environmental issues, a willingness to work with the Sierra Club to address them, and a record of working on issues of community concerns in lower-income areas of Annapolis. Thus, the Sierra Club is endorsing Toni Strong Pratt for Ward 4 alderwoman.
We anticipate that our endorsed candidates will effectively address the challenges the city will face in the next four years regarding climate change, growth management, environmental resource protection and restoration, stormwater management and general water quality, and environmental justice and equity concerns
Earl Bradley
The writer is the chair of the Sierra Club Annapolis