Ward 3 matchup is a familiar one

Ward 3 voters have seen this match-up for City Council before: Classie Hoyle versus Scott Bowling.

They ran against each other in the 2005 primary, when they were both Democrats. Now with Hoyle as the Democrat, and Bowling as the Republican, they are squaring off in the Nov. 3 general election as nominees from the two major parties to represent one of the city's most diverse wards.

Hoyle, 73 and a retired school teacher, entered office in 2001 after she defeated 20-year incumbent Samuel Gilmer in the primary. She was re-elected in 2005.

Early in her second term, she ran for an open County Council seat. She lost to then Alderman Josh Cohen, a Democrat who now is running for mayor. Hoyle is the chairwoman of the City Council's Housing and Human Welfare Committee and the Finance Committee and a member of the Rules and City Government Committee.

"I'm the best person because I've been doing this for eight years," Hoyle said. "I know the constituents and I've been through good times and bad."

Bowling, 38 and a mortgage planner, has never been elected to public office before but tried in 2005 when he ran as a Democrat and lost to Hoyle. He said his switch to the Republican Party was a genuine change in political philosophy, but he said he believes the city should hold nonpartisan elections.

"People are looking for a new voice and direction," Bowling said. "An independent voice."

Ward 3 stretches from the city's western edge and includes Parole and a part of the Germantown and Homewood neighborhoods. It's sandwiched between two different types of development, the rejuvenation of inner West Street and the emergence of the Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole just outside of city limits.

"Ward 3 is a gateway to our city and it's unlike any other gateway to our city," Bowling said.

According to county voter-registration data, there are 1,786 Democrats, 368 Republicans and 368 independent voters in the ward. Ward 3's boundaries were redrawn in spring 2000 to create an African American majority.

Both candidates said the ward's voters are concerned about growth in the area, particularly along West Street.

Bowling said he would like to see the scale and density of development stay as it is now.

Hoyle said she would like to see West Street have fewer car dealerships - currently there are at least seven. She said she thinks some of the larger developments in the area, like 1901 West, were a good use of the space, formerly the home of Johnson Lumber Co.

The candidates said they have different approaches to get the sentiment of their constituents on pending legislation. Hoyle said she will wait to hear if someone she represents speaks up about an issue. Maybe she'll include it in her newsletter, she said.

Bowling said he plans to reach out to gauge the winds. If Hoyle had done this in the past, there wouldn't have been as much of an uproar with the sidewalk tax and increases in parking garage fees, he said.

"Not everyone has the time to follow the city Web site," he said. "They rely on their elected leaders."

According to the most recent round of campaign-finance reports, Hoyle's warchest has $1,947; Bowling's has $1,735. While the incumbent has more to spend, the challenger spent $1,181 in the last reporting period, $218 more than his opponent.

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Editor's note: This is one in a series of previews of contested races for the Annapolis City Council prior to the Nov. 3 election.

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Tomorrow: The Ward 5 race.