A message to City employees
December 23, 2009
As employees of the City of Annapolis, we are all blessed to be public servants. Our decisions and actions impact the lives of thousands of our fellow citizens. Our work is both a great privilege and a responsibility.
I appreciate the wide-ranging contributions of our employees, whether busing passengers, keeping our streets safe, inspecting our buildings, supporting businesses, responding to emergencies, keeping our neighborhoods clear of trash and snow, supplying water, caring for the elderly, reviewing development plans, offering recreational opportunities, assisting boaters, and serving the public in so many other ways. Each of us is in the people business, and our contributions are vital to making Annapolis the best run city in Maryland.
A transition from one administration to another offers all of us – employees, the City Council and the citizens whom we serve – the opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities, to re-examine what is working well and what isn’t, and to improve. We each have a responsibility to the taxpayers to make our government as effective, efficient and transparent as possible, even in the best of fiscal times. Our responsibility is even greater now as we wrestle with the most severe budget crisis in a generation.
To assist us I have been reaching out to seek new ideas and perspectives. I have given my Idea Team much latitude to explore our government’s operations. Other committees and task forces, such as the Blue Ribbon Commission on City Finances and the Task Force on Contractual Employment, also are offering recommendations. In the New Year, the City Council and I will be seeking even more public input to help us tackle the fiscal challenges before us.
Your ideas and suggestions are vital. I encourage you to present them to your unions, employee groups, and managers. I also encourage you to submit your own recommendations to the Idea Team by sending an email to: IdeaTeam@annapolis.gov.
I recognize that all of this talk about change may be unsettling. I want to assure you that while we need to embrace new opportunities, I want to promote change in a responsible way. Our employees are our greatest asset. I value the need for continuity. Now more than ever my administration needs to rely upon the talents and expertise of our dedicated employees.
On a final note, I want to extend my gratitude to all of you who have worked tirelessly over these past few days, and continue still, to clear our recent, historic snowfall. Even relatively small measures such as freeing up parking spaces in the Hillman Garage are important to bolstering our efforts.
So, during this holiday season, I wish you and your family peace, joy and happiness. I will be closing the city’s offices at 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Enjoy your holiday!
A contributing voice to this blog
Hello, everyone. No, I am not Mayor Josh Cohen. I am Phill McGowan, the public information officer for the City of Annapolis. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Josh to bring greater transparency to the city government. One way we hope to achieve that goal is through this blog, to which the mayor has asked me to contribute.
A very quick rundown of my resume: I worked for 10 ½ years as an editor, reporter and social media specialist for The Baltimore Sun. I worked 3 ½ of those years as a reporter in Annapolis covering Anne Arundel County government, growth and development, BRAC … and for a few months, Annapolis government.
Annapolis is a tremendous town, and I am glad to be back.
I’ve spent the past seven months immersed in social media efforts for The Sun and at an interactive Washington PR firm. I am excited about informing and engaging constituents through Web/social media, building on the city’s already robust communications operations.
For example, check out the Annapolis Police Department’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. Or follow the City of Annapolis or Annapolis’ transportation department on Twitter.
We will not abandon traditional forms of communications, such as news releases; on the other hand, we will not be afraid to explore new tools to connect vitally important information to city residents.
As always, we want to get your feedback – on the methods we should use to best inform you and, of course, about the issues of the day.
Be sure to put mayorcohen.com in your RSS feed to keep up with new city initiatives.
Announcing Core Administration Team
Today in City Council chambers I announced the first appointments of my administration. The six individuals who will comprise the Core Administration Team share my goal of making Annapolis the best run city in Maryland. This group of individuals is made up of professionals who are passionate about Annapolis, possess a solid work ethic and a strong background in both public and private sectors. I am confident that they will do an outstanding job for the citizens of Annapolis.
The following individuals will comprise the Core Admin Team:
Doug Smith, Chief Administrative Officer
Karen Hardwick, City Attorney
Tim Elliott, Director of Finance
Kimla Milburn, Director of Human Resources
Gail Smith, Director of Services
Phill McGowan, Public Information Officer
You can watch a video of the announcement HERE.