Panel backs donating $10K to Capital Gazette fund

Move means city wouldn’t be co-sponsor in Annapolis Rising benefit concert

An Annapolis City committee recommended Wednesday donating $10,000 to the Capital Gazette Families Fund instead of making the city a co-sponsor for the July 28 benefit concert.

The Annapolis City Finance Committee voted to strike a resolution that would make the city a co-sponsor of the Annapolis Rising benefit concert honoring victims and first-responders of the June 28 mass shooting in the Capital Gazette newsroom.

The committee will recommend the council oppose the resolution and instead donate $10,000 directly to the Anne Arundel Community Foundation’s Capital Gazette Families Fund.

“It was a great, healing event,” said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley about the concert. “I would be very disappointed if the city didn’t contribute anything. So I’m happy that they found the money somewhere.”

The Annapolis Rising Festival was organized quickly in the weeks after the shooting. It amassed $34,000 in city-related fees, including cost of permits, police, fire and public works department overtime, and other expenses.

Buckley introduced the resolution after the concert and suggested the city retroactively waive those fees.

The council voted Sept. 10 to postpone the decision to spend taxpayer money to help pay for the concert. Buckley’s resolution was brought up again at Wednesday morning’s finance committee meeting.

“This event kind of skipped our city procedures,” said Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson during the meeting. “We had no say in what was being spent.”

Alderman Ross Arnett, also on the finance committee, suggested rather than supporting Buckley’s resolution, the council should donate directly to the Capital Gazette Families Fund.

“I’m more of the mind of making a charitable donation,” Arnett said. “We want to make sure there’s an arm’s length between Annapolis Rising and the city of Annapolis.”

Alderman Fred Paone stressed the council’s support for the concert, but expressed concern about waiving fees.

“I’ve got some misgivings about the city government getting involved in fundraising with a private nonprofit,” said Alderman Fred Paone. “I’m glad it was a success, but the taxpayers need to be reimbursed, at least to some extent.”

“I certainly sympathize with the families of the victims. I knew several of the victims,” Paone said.

The concert cost $66,000. It netted nearly $64,000 in ticket sales, all of which was donated directly to the victims’ fund.

Finlayson suggested reducing the city fees, rather than making a direct donation.

“I spoke in support of reducing the fees, but clearly there is a different approach, which is just to make a contribution so that we’re sure those funds go directly to the families,” said Finlayson. “I think we do want to do something, and I think what we came up with as a recommendation is a good effort.”

Alderwoman Elly Tierney said she supports the finance committee’s recommendation.

"I think that it’s a great proposal as it isolates our heartfelt intent from the rule of law,” she said in an email.

Finance committee members deliberated over what constitutes a city-sponsored event. Even if the city does not sponsor the concert by waiving fees, the account designated as the organizing entity for the concert — Annapolis Rising LLC — was set up by one of Buckley’s staff members.

City Code defines city-sponsored events as “special events for which the city waives some or all fees or otherwise directly participates in the cost of the event.”

“I think we have responsibility to our constituents, who are taxpayers,” Arnett said. “On the other hand, I do think that it’s appropriate that the city, like some of the others, as a gesture to make the contribution to this cause because we want

to know that the city stands behind the victims, against the tragedy, that we stand behind the first responders and we stand for freedom of the press.”

The city in the past has waived fees for events like the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, Independence Day Parade, Kunta Kinte Festival and New Year’s Eve Celebration.

If the council votes against waiving the fees, the Annapolis Arts District will pay them.

Alderwomen Rhonda Pindell Charles and Shaneka Henson, and Aldermen Marc Rodriguez and Rob Savidge did not respond to requests for comment.