Amendment could thwart expansion of housing board

Alderman DaJuan Gay authored a bill to expand the powers of a city committee he chairs, but obtaining those changes may cost him his seat as an amendment threatens to remove aldermen participation from the committee entirely.

Gay is the main sponsor of Ordinance O-38-19. The bill would broaden the Housing and Community Development Committee’s scope to include reviewing and commenting on city housing and community development projects, making policy recommendations to increase access to affordable housing and ensuring resources are equitably doled out to projects relating to recreation, transportation, and water access among others, Gay said.

Gay chairs the committee that presently oversees the city’s Community Development Block Grant Program, which doles out federal grants to nonprofit organizations. In the current fiscal year, the city provided a little over $300,000 in funding plus another $157,000 in funding from the CARES Act to organizations such as Arundel Lodge, Center of Help and others.

Gay’s bill wouldn’t give the

committee any more power, rather just a seat at the table related to housing and community development. It would also change the name to the Affordable Housing and Community Equity Development Commission.

But an amendment by Alderman Rob Savidge, D-Ward7, would remove aldermanic participation from the committee entirely. Gay disagrees with that change and plans to vote against his legislation if the amendment passes.

The city currently has 25 committees, boards and commissions made up almost entirely of Annapolis residents. Gay’s committee is one of only a handful that includes council members and residents. It’s one of only two with an alderman serving as chair. The other is Fred Paone, R-Ward 2, who chairs the Audit Committee.

“The idea with these commissions is thatwe create these groups of residents who will make recommendations to us,” Savidge said. “It also helps to reduce our workload and helps folks deep dive on a particular issue.”

“It seemed inappropriate for councilmembers to be on that [committee] since we end up making a final determination [on funding] through the budget,” he added.

City Code requires the Housing and Community Development Committee to include the Annapolis housing authority’s board of commissioners chair, all three members from the Housing and Human Welfare Committee and three city residents knowledgeable about housing. That could change if Savidge’s amendment is approved. Part of Savidge’s amendment also lets the Housing and Human Welfare Committee members broadly select three members of the commission. The housing authority board chair and three residents would remain members.

Alderwoman Elly Tierney, D-Ward 1, who serves on the committee with Gay, said she was in favor of reforming the committee to be resident-run, a move that would include new perspectives and opinions.

“I find it kind of redundant” for council members to be on the committee, Tierney said. “I would rather give a voice to the resident.”

The changes wouldn’t stop a council member from attending the meetings and weighing in on decision making, she said. They just wouldn’t have a vote.

Compensation commission

Another bill the council will consider Monday is resolution R-52-20 to establish a commission reviewing the salaries and allowances of the mayor, city manager and councilmembers. The City Charter requires that such a commission be created at least a year prior to the next city general election; the next of which is set for December 2021.

At present, Buckley earns $98,000 annually. Each City Council member earns $15,000 a year plus a $1,500 allowance for education and training purposes. City Manager David Jarrell earns $180,000 and is the highest-paid city employee.

Any changes to their pay or allowances would apply to the term beginning in December 2021.

The commission would consist of between three and seven city residents appointed by the City Council, including a chair, vice-chair and secretary. Their meetings will be open to the public with at least one opportunity for the public to give testimony. The commission is to submit its recommendations to the City Council no later than Feb. 8, 2021, according to the resolution.

The salaries of other city employees, such as the department heads, are part of a set pay scale approve annually in the budget, Jarrell said.