Community - Annapolis
Cohen announces transition teamIncludes campaign workers, current and future council members By JOSHUA STEWART, Staff Writer
Mayor-elect Josh Cohen announced his transition team yesterday, asking a bipartisan and eclectic group of Annapolitans to address issues ranging from crime to the environment.
The 88-member team - led by former Democratic mayoral candidate Zina Pierre and Greg Stiverson, a Republican who lost a bid to represent Ward 6 - has been charged with analyzing the way city government runs and to suggest ways to make it more effective and efficient. They are not responsible for naming new heads to the city's 18 departments - Cohen said he will start to do that in the next week or so, along with key members of his administration such as city attorney and city administrator. Cohen's two opponents in the Nov. 3 general election, Alderman David Cordle, R-Ward 5, and independent candidate Chris Fox are also on the team. Cohen received 3,654 votes, around 46 percent of the vote. Cordle received 3,178 votes and Fox 1,018. "It does not matter to me if this is a, quote unquote, Democratic idea or a Republican idea," Cohen said at a brief news conference in the council chambers, his first since last week's election. Cohen, who is referring to the group as his "Idea Team," has divided its volunteer members into eight different committees, each responsible for addressing a different issue. Each has a chairman and a member of the next council in its ranks. They are as follows: Budget and Finance Team: Maurice Tose, chairman; Alderwoman Classie Hoyle, D-Ward 3. Economic Development Team: Chuck Walsh, chairman; Alderman Fred Paone, R-Ward 2. Environment Team: Chris Trumbauer, chairman; Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson, D-Ward 4. Government Structure and Permitting Team: Doug Smith, chairman; Alderman Ross Arnett, D-Ward 8. Housing and Community Services Team: Sharon Brown, chairwoman; Alderman-elect Kenny Kirby, D-Ward 6. Market House and City Dock Team: Judd Legum, chairman; Alderman Dick Israel, D-Ward 1. Public Safety Team: Cordle, chairman; Alderman-elect Mat Silverman, D-Ward 5. Transportation and Parking Team: Barbara Rasin Price; chairwoman, Alderman-elect Ian Pfeiffer, D-Ward 7. Some of the members, like Legum and Trumbauer, played key roles in Cohen's campaign. Fox, whose campaign for mayor included a floor plan for the Market House, is a member of the Market House and City Dock Team. The transition team also includes Jennifer Monteith and Rock Toews, two Republicans who unsuccessfully ran to represent wards 7 and 8, respectively. Pierre said that in the next few weeks she and Stiverson will meet with the committee heads and help them establish goals, objectives and structure. They will then advise Cohen and the new council on how they believe each city department should run, what their budget should be like and what services they should provide. They're expected to "look at a broader scope at how to efficiently and effectively make government work," Pierre said. The committees are scheduled to present their findings by the Jan. 11 council meeting. Cohen and the city's eight aldermen are scheduled to be sworn in Dec. 7. Budget & FinanceChairman: Maurice Tose Committee Members:
Economic DevelopmentChairman: Chuck Walsh Committee Members:
EnvironmentChairman: Chris Trumbauer Committee Members:
Government Structure & PermittingChairman: Doug Smith Committee Members:
Housing & Community ServicesChairman: Sharon Brown Committee Members:
Market House & City DockChairman: Judd Legum Committee Members:
Public SafetyChairman: Alderman Dave Cordle Committee Members:
Transportation & ParkingChairman: Barbara Rasin Price Committee Members:
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(Revised Decemb er 2009)