Retired Navy Officer Eyeing City Council Wants Faster Permits, Smarter Budget

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Patch invited all candidates for Annapolis mayor and City Council to complete a candidate questionnaire. We are posting their responses verbatim before the primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

We will share all of our candidate profiles and election news at this link. More election information is posted here.

Name: Frank Thorp

Elected Office Sought: Ward 8 Alderman

Political Party: Democrat

Profession: Commmunications and Non-Profit Leader

Age On Election Day: 66

Website: Frank4Ward8.com

Facebook: Frank 4 Ward 8

What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?

Growing up in Eastport and Annapolis, I understand the issues and have a plan to address them. As a senior leader in the US Navy and non-profit sector, I have solved hard problems and left every unit or organization significantly better than when I arrived. This experience is perfectly aligned with serving Ward 8. I have the time to commit myself, full time, to representing the residents of Eastport.

How will you approach the planned construction of City Dock Park?

I will approach the planned construction of City Dock with full transparency with the residents, and a laser focus on expenses to ensure it does not cost one dime more than necessary. We must prioritize rising sea level remediation, and then review all elements of the plan, including the Maritime Welcome Center, to ensure they are what is best for the residents and consistent with the city's code and the intent of Historic Annapolis.

How will you address crime in Annapolis?

The City Council must provide measurable and results oriented resources to the Annapolis Police Department, Community Services, Recreation and Parks as well as to effective non-profits to both combat and prevent crime. This includes community engagement, effective resources for our young residents to grow, as well as more police capacity to improve presence throughout the city, more monitored technology and better lighting where needed.

How will you address affordable housing and public housing in Annapolis?

We have two important opportunities for affordable housing in Ward 8. First is the Tyler Avenue Complete Community initiative which provides tremendous potential for mixed-income and mixed-use development and to improve the community feel of the area. The second is we must complete the Community Neighborhood Initiative which replaces existing public housing with mixed-use and mixed-income housing, ensuring one-for-one replacement and that all residents continue to have a place to live with dignity and respect.

How do you plan to balance development and historic preservation in the city?

I am proud that if our founding fathers came back to life tomorrow, the city of Annapolis is the only city in the United States that they would recognize. This makes Annapolis unique and is a tremendous cultural and economic driver for Annapolis. We must preserve the historic quality of our city and at the same time we must ensure the city effectively supports today's residents and businesses. Developments should meet the needs of a thriving community and also be consistent with the goal of preservation. These efforts can exist in tandem.

How should Annapolis respond to the ongoing cuts to federal jobs and grants to local governments?

The City Council needs to tighten the belt on our budget. We need to prepare for the possible reduction of grants as well as residents' demands to stop the increase in property taxes. The way to do this is to overhaul the budget process, prioritize what we spend money on, and ask if every proposed expenditure is good for the residents.

What else should voters know about you and your platform?

Three pillars make Annapolis great: Two world-class universities, the historic nature of Annapolis and our maritime culture. We need a vision for the future of maritime Annapolis that builds on our great heritage, improves the access residents have to the Chesapeake Bay and helps maritime businesses thrive.

From a Ward 8 perspective, I have a plan to improve safety, address the frustration caused by parking, traffic and sidewalks and fix the permitting process. And we need to do everything we can to make the city staff more responsive to the residents.

Let's put residents first!