Annapolis Election: Alderman Ross Arnett Seeks Another Term

ANNAPOLIS, MD — This is part of Patch's candidate profile series. We will post a story with the unedited responses of every candidate that completed our survey.

To learn more about the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, read Patch's preview at this link.

Name

Ross H. Arnett, III

Age (as of Election Day)

78

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

Alderman, Ward 8

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

NA

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.S. Economics with Honors

Occupation

Alderman for 14 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Alderman, Ward 8

Campaign website

RossForWard8.net

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking re-election as Alderman for Ward 8 because there is more work to be done to ensure that all residents of Ward 8 can live, work, and play in a City that is safe, financially secure, environmentally healthy, and responsibly developed. We must recognize that gun violence is a public health crisis. We must confront the reality of a structural deficit in the City budget that is caused by overspending. We must fight to protect the environmental health of our community. And we must have early and meaningful public access to the development and permitting process.

The residents of Ward 8 deserve an Alderman with a proven record of service to the community. I have the experience, the leadership, and the dedication to represent Ward 8 as we work together to tackle the challenges before us.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

It is impossible to isolate a single issue as the most pressing in Ward 8. Gun violence and personal safety is a constant fear for a family who lives in an area where gun shots are a common occurrence. Parking is a quality-of-life concern for a resident who lives in a multifamily dwelling with no off-street parking. Others in Ward 8 are most concerned about responsible development in a Ward that is at or very near capacity. Still others see environmental issues such as the loss of tree canopy, sea level rise, or the effects of sediment runoff from an improperly supervised development project as the most immediate concern. Affordable housing, public water access, outdoor dining, the structural deficit in the city budget, property taxes and service fees, potholes, speeding, crumbling sidewalks, increasing traffic, dead trees, and neighbor disputes are some of the many other concerns I hear about from constituents in Ward 8. If re-elected I intend to continue to build on the progress that we have already made to address these important issues.

Underlying these issues is the need for good City governance. Governance is the process of decision making and the manner by which these decisions are implemented. A City Council can make the best decisions and pass the best legislation ever drafted to address the issues brought before it; however, if this legislation is not implemented and enforced, then the effect is the same as if no legislation was ever enacted. Efficient and economical use of City resources is another vital aspect of good governance. Therefore, if re-elected I will continue to push for timely and actual code enforcement and I will continue to improve our newly developed performance management system, which forms the backbone of our budgeting process.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a Democrat, I believe in the principles of social equality and equal opportunity. I support voting rights and minority rights including LGBT rights. As a private citizen, I became involved in community affairs as soon as I moved to Annapolis 20 years ago. As an Alderman, I know the City Code and the complex budgeting process. I work closely with City staff, and I know who to call when I need answers to complicated questions. I haven’t seen everything, but I have seen a lot! The job of Alderman is incredibly complex. I will not need to spend the first few years of the next term learning how to be an Alderman. If re-elected, I will hit the ground running so that I can continue where I left off at the end of this current term.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I am the incumbent with 14 years in office

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management was very effective in getting information out to residents and business and worked very well in coordination with the Anne Arundel County Public Health officials.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe that I have answered this question in my previous responses.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As the incumbent Alderman for Ward 8, I successfully sponsored legislation to improve the City financial processes and procedures; legislation to protect and improve the environment and health of the Chesapeake Bay; legislation to fully fund our public safety departments and to provide social service support to those in need; and legislation to make open, fair, and balanced the City planning and development process.

As a private citizen, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in economics from the University of Maryland. I am a professional economist and a nationally known expert on private health insurance and on health care use and spending. After 32 years of service, I retired from the federal government as a senior executive (SES). The last position I held before retiring was the Director of the Center for Cost of Financing Studies at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the Department of Health and Human Services where I managed a professional staff of 65 and an annual budget in excess of $65 million. I am a veteran who proudly served my country in the US Air Force.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

From a University of Michigan graduate class in management citing four good management practices: Listen to learn, Express to explore, Hard on issues, Soft on people.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Currently I am fighting to maintain public water access at South Annapolis Yachting Center, Wells Cove and Hawkins Cove as well as at numerous street end parks by sponsoring legislation to add public water access to the permitting process conducted by the Port Wardens. I am working on amendments to Title 15 of the City Code which controls harbor lines and the lateral lines that run from the shore to the harbor line. This in turn controls water access from streets, alleys, parks, residences, and marinas. I sponsored legislation to set forth a policy to preserve and enhance water access throughout the City.

I am also very eager to use the newly instituted performance management system as we move into the Fiscal 2023 budgetary process, which begins in July of 2022. This tool speaks to the concerns of good governance that I mentioned earlier. It is the tool used to evaluate how well the City provides services to its citizenry. For example, at budget time, each City department must relate its performance evaluation to its expenditure requests. Then budgetary decisions are based on the departments’ performance evaluations. Because this system is recently implemented, some improvements are necessary to correctly capture performance measures. Therefore, the Finance Committee, which I Chair, was successful in urging the Administration to get outside consultant services to help the departments formulate effective goals, benchmarks, and measures.

Finally, I am excited about what the next four years have in store and I look forward to continuing to serve as you Alderman for Ward 8, but I cannot do that without your support. Please vote for me by mail-in ballot or in person on November 2.

Thank you,
Ross