Ron Gunzburger
Candidate in Sept. 16 primary Democratic Historic District
Age: 62 on day of General Election (Nov. 4)
Occupation: Attorney, and former law enforcement senior commander
Education: JD cum laude, Vermont Law School; BA, George Washington University
Previous political experience: Governor’s Director of COVID-19 Response Strategy, State of Maryland (2020-2022). Senior Advisor to the Governor, State of Maryland (2015-2023). Democratic campaign consultant (40+ years). Former Democratic Central Committee member. Former congressional aide.
Why are you running for office?
It seems at times like our wonderful hometown of Annapolis has lost its way and is off on the wrong path. Property taxes for homesteaded owners skyrocketed by an outrageous 44% over just the past eight years alone. Equally concerning, we have the slowest emergency response times in the city in Ward One because of a lack of adequate fire department staffing – and the city council refuses to staff the needed fifth rescue unit during the peak demand hours. We need to return the focus at City Hall away from costly, flashy pet projects, and get back to the basics: effectively delivering our core city functions well for the residents. My extensive professional, governmental, public safety, and community experience will make me an effective fighter for a better, safer, and more affordable Annapolis.
What issues are important to your ward? How do you plan on addressing them?
A BETTER ANNAPOLIS:
– Stop the flooding at City Dock. Focus on resiliency. Kill the massive, costly Maritime Welcome Center. Stop the proposed spot-zoning that lifts the current hotel height restrictions.
– Protect the special character of the Historic District.
– Repair streets and sidewalks.
– Fix the parking problems downtown.
A SAFER ANNAPOLIS:
– Staff a fifth emergency rescue unit to improve response times in Ward One.
– Recruit/retain the best cops and firefighters in the region.
– Complete needed bike lane connectors.
A MORE AFFORDABLE ANNAPOLIS:
– Fiscal responsibility with NO tax hikes.
– Reduce the City’s annual 10% homestead assessment cap to 2% to stop skyrocketing property taxes on homeowners.
– Better use of tax dollars to save money. Cancel wasteful projects like the multi-million dollar plan for the City to buy/operate ferry boats between City Dock and Eastport.
– Consolidate services with the County, when possible, to cut costs and increase staffing/services.
How do you see housing and public transportation development progressing in the next four years?
Consolidating the City bus system into the County’s bus system will make public transportation in the City more practical, robust, and functional. It will also connect us to a more complete mass transit system. Further, we should repurpose some of the current “City Circulator” buses into: (a) a 24-hour circulator route between downtown and the larger apartment complexes ringing the City where many of the service, office, and marine industry workforce resides; and (b) a new regular service operating between a Downtown-Eastport-West Annapolis corridor and the New Carrollton WMATA Metro station during all Metro train service hours, so as to connect Annapolis residents to the DC metro area and Amtrak/MARC trains.
Are there decisions/legislation from the previous council that you want to readdress?
Yes, the City Dock plans must be revisited. The likely loss of the federal funding requires a retooling, downscaling, and reimagining of the project. Shifting the entire $73 million total cost onto the residents via bonds (higher future tax bills) was never envisioned, nor is it affordable or reasonable. Due to these new fiscal realities, let’s focus on the essential resiliency aspects: higher sea walls, the raised greenspace park, and hydraulics. We don’t need – and should cancel – the proposed Maritime Welcome Center. The MWC is too big, too expensive, and doesn’t respect the special character of the Historic District. Let’s instead rehab the existing Burtis House to become the new Harbormaster office and bathroom/shower facilities for boaters. On a related note: we do not need a 90+ slip private marina, nor a high-rise hotel, at City Dock.
There are a few other issues I may also like to revisit, but City Dock is by far the top of the list.
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