In Annapolis, parking meter fees have been cut in half and a plan to rebuild the city's Main Street has been reworked to please the Historic District Commission.
Pardon us for not applauding these victories for citizen lobbying.
City Hall's handling of both of these issues calls into question its ability to manage its money and to keep its promises to reduce traffic congestion. But most of all, these two cases again illustrate the dismal lack of leadership in Annapolis city government.
The City Council heard merchant complaints in May that increasing parking meter fees would hurt downtown business, but nevertheless voted for the higher fees to balance the budget and encourage drivers to park in city garages.
The new fees were in effect hardly two months when Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins and the council decided to repeal them. The extra revenue apparently wasn't needed after all. In fact, the city ended the fiscal year with a $1.3 million surplus. The city also forgot about its goal of getting the cars off Main Street.
And never mind the $100,000 spent to install new parking meters.
With the Main Street reconstruction, the city also failed to keep its commitment to enhance pedestrian access and discourage traffic. The administration proposed a plan that would have widened sidewalks and perhaps even allowed for a few outdoor cafes.
But when some Ward One residents and historic preservationists protested, the mayor gave in to virtually every one of their demands. In the plan adopted by the Historic District Commission, the sidewalks will be only slightly wider and even some trees that were to have been planted have been eliminated.
Mayor Hopkins has done an admirable job in securing state funding for projects such as the Main Street reconstruction, but he has done a miserable job in mobilizing the city behind his agenda. In his effort to avoid controversy at any cost, he is damaging the city's credibility.
State legislators who watched residents and the administration fight over the Main Street rebricking may be wary of giving money to Annapolis next time the city asks. And residents who see the city suddenly discover a budget surplus will be equally leery next time the city says it needs to raise its fees.