John G. Gary, calling himself "a poor boy from Green Haven," fulfilled his version of the American dream yesterday as he took the oath as Anne Arundel's fifth county executive.
Mr. Gary, 50, a draper who was elected to the House of Delegates 12 years ago, was sworn in before a crowd of about 800 in the Anne Arundel Community College gymnasium. The oath was administered by Circuit Court Clerk Robert P. Duckworth, with Mr. Gary's wife, Ruthanne, holding the family Bible.
Mr. Gary, a Republican, defeated Democrat Theodore J. Sophocleus in the Nov. 8 election. Mr. Gary took 53 percent of the vote to Mr. Sophocleus' 47 percent.
"This is indeed a great day in my life, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your time, your effort, your money and your dedication to my campaign and my election," an emotional Mr. Gary told the gathering of mostly Republican supporters, including unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Ellen R. Sauerbrey.
But it was the memory of a Democrat that Mr. Gary invoked as his political inspiration yesterday. He recalled hearing President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in 1961, when he told the nation: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
"I was all of 17 years of age at that time, but I can remember !! those words as clearly today as when he spoke them 33 years ago," he said.
He also invoked the hope inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Gary said he hoped to inspire the same hope and goodwill for the county's future.
"Because I believe the American dream is still alive and well right here in Anne Arundel County. And you, my friends, are living proof of it," he said. "You are proof that the American dream exists because I'm here today."
He told his supporters: "You elevated to the highest office in this county the son of a U.S. Navy chief warrant officer. Who would have ever believed that was possible? Who would have thought that a poor boy from Green Haven could have risen to the leadership of a county of 450,000 residents?"
The new county executive acknowledged that he faces a tough job in leading a government with revenues limited by a voter-approved property tax cap and possible declines in state aid.
"Today, you have entrusted me with your government. You have entrusted me with your dreams. You have entrusted me with your children's education, your police, your fire protection," Mr. Gary said. "And I take that responsibility very seriously, and I will do my very best to live up to the trust . . . that you have bestowed upon me.
"And so I stand before you today about to embark on the enormous task of leading this county for the next four years," he said. "Is this the American dream? It is for me. Will I rise to the challenge? I think I will.
"But most importantly, if I should stumble somewhere along the line, I hope you'll still be my friends. I hope you'll pick me up, put me back on my feet, point me in the right direction and say, 'Go get 'em, John. We've still got faith in you.' "
Earlier, outgoing County Executive Robert R. Neall, who did not seek re-election, gave his farewell.
"There's been a lot of talk about why I'm leaving this office. One theory is that I hated the job," Mr. Neall said. "Wrong. I've loved this job more than anything I've ever done. It was and is the defining event in my life.
"But even love takes its toll. I can confess to you now that during these four years, there were times that I was worried sick and plain scared to death. I feared that I wouldn't be good enough, smart enough, persuasive enough to get the job done," he said.
"In the end, I did what I thought was right -- not for me, but for what I thought was for the welfare of the citizens of this county," Mr. Neall said. "It gives me great comfort that you have elected a RTC man who will work just as hard and care just as much as I tried to."
After handing over the keys to his office, Mr. Neall gave Mr. Gary a gift-wrapped package that contained a hand-held mirror.
"John, I want to give you my most prized possession," Mr. Neall said. "This is a magical device. It will tell you who is to blame, who is right, who is wrong, who is responsible, who you can trust. And I want you to have it."