Gavin Buckley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gavin Buckley
Mayor of Annapolis
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 December 2017
Preceded by	Mike Pantelides
Personal details
Born	(1963-02-08) 8 February 1963 (age 62) Boksburg, South Africa
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Julie Williams ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2

Gavin Buckley (born 8 February 1963) is a politician from Australia and the United States. He was born in South Africa. Since 2017, he has been the mayor of Annapolis, a city in Maryland, USA. Before becoming mayor, he owned several restaurants.

Buckley is a member of the Democratic Party. He was first elected mayor in 2017. This was his first time running for a political job. He won against the mayor at the time, Mike Pantelides, who was a Republican. Buckley was elected again in 2021.

As Mayor of Annapolis, Buckley started the City Dock Action Committee. This group worked to find solutions for flooding at the Historic City Dock. This is Annapolis's main harbor. His team has also worked on many city improvement projects. One big project is the Choice Neighborhood Initiative. This helps improve public housing areas in Annapolis. In 2021, financial experts gave the city better ratings. This meant Annapolis's money situation looked strong. Buckley was mayor during the Capital Gazette shooting in 2018. After this event, he spoke out for stronger gun control laws.

Early Life and Education

Gavin Buckley was born in Boksburg, South Africa. He lived for a short time in London. He then grew up mostly in Perth, Western Australia. His father traveled often for work and passed away when Gavin was young. Gavin and his twin brother, Paul, were raised by their mother, Pauline Brosnan. She was from Ireland and was active in politics.

Gavin had some challenges in high school. He started working in different countries. He worked in Scotland and France. In 1985, he came to Florida in the United States.

Career

Business Ventures

Buckley arrived in Maryland in 1992 by boat. He had only $200. He found jobs as a waiter and farm worker. He later became a US citizen in 2009.

Buckley eventually settled in Annapolis, Maryland. He started his business career there. First, he opened a coffee shop called The Moon. Later, he opened four restaurants in the West Street area. These included Tsunami Seafood and Sailor Oyster Bar. He also helped renovate old buildings on West Street. This helped bring new businesses to the area. Like many businesses during the Great Recession, his businesses faced some financial challenges.

In 2015, Buckley had a disagreement with the Historic Preservation Committee. This was about a large mural on his Tsunami restaurant. This brought him to public attention. Buckley believed that Annapolis needed to update its rules. He felt this would help the city's economy grow. He said, "We have to celebrate our history, but you can't get stuck in it."

Becoming Mayor

Buckley speaks at the 2018 Women's March in Annapolis

Gavin Buckley ran for mayor of Annapolis in 2017. He had no political experience before this. He won the Democratic primary election. This was a surprise victory. During his campaign, he talked about helping to improve downtown Annapolis. He presented himself as a new voice. He also said he would help people in Annapolis who were struggling. In the main election, Buckley suggested many new ideas for the city. These included replacing street parking with a trolley on Main Street. His opponent, Mayor Mike Pantelides, thought some ideas were not realistic. The election was friendly between the two candidates. Buckley won the election by over 1,000 votes.

As Mayor of Annapolis, Buckley focused on important city projects. He started the City Dock Action Committee. This group worked on ways to stop flooding at the Historic City Dock. A big part of this project, rebuilding Hillman Garage, finished in 2023. Buckley has also worked to build stronger relationships with the city's two universities. These are St. John's College and the United States Naval Academy. With the Naval Academy, he helped create a plan to deal with different types of flooding. This helps the city and the Academy work together on these issues.

His team has also started many projects to improve the city's infrastructure. One is the Choice Neighborhood Initiative. This project works with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis. It aims to improve public housing areas like Eastport Terrace. In 2021, financial groups gave Annapolis better ratings. This showed that the city's financial health was strong.

Buckley was mayor during the Capital Gazette shooting on June 28, 2018. Five people were killed at a local newspaper office. After the shooting, Buckley asked for flags to be flown at half-mast. He asked the federal government for this. At first, the request was denied. But after he spoke to the press, the White House approved it. Following the shooting, Buckley called for stronger gun control laws. He suggested looking into programs where people can sell their guns back to the government. This is like programs in Australia.

Buckley was reelected in November 2021. He won with 71 percent of the votes. This was one of the biggest wins in Annapolis city elections in over 70 years.

Personal Life

In 1996, when he was 33, Buckley had surgery for a health issue. A year later, he married Julie Williams, who is from Annapolis. They have two children together.

Electoral History