On the opening day of Maryland’s General Assembly Session, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced that the new library on West Street will be named after late Maryland Speaker Mike Busch.

In a statement released by his office, it was revealed that the library will be named Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library. Pittman sent a letter to the chair of the Anne Arundel Public Library Board of Trustees notifying them of the decision.

From The Capital Gazette:

“Speaker Busch was a strong advocate for Annapolis and for education, access, and youth,” Pittman said in the release. “I firmly believe having the Michael E. Busch Library in Annapolis is a fitting tribute to an extraordinary public servant. There is no more appropriate time than on the opening day of legislative session to publicly announce this honor.”

The library board had been mulling naming the library after Busch for some time, but some board members raised concerns that naming the library after Busch could hurt fundraising chances or was disrespectful to donors. In the end, the board compromised, approving a statement recognizing the county as having the final say to name the library after Busch, not the board. Pittman said he would name the library after the long-time Anne Arundel delegate once the county law office ironed out logistics.

State and local officials have offered support for naming the library after Busch, including Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, D-Annapolis, and new Maryland Speaker Adrienne Jones, who was nominated to replace Busch after he died in April.

“Mike Busch held a deep belief in the power of education to lift up children and families,” Jones said in the release. “He cared a great deal about his community and worked tirelessly to make sure their needs were met. That’s why it is so fitting that the Annapolis Library, just a few blocks from his home, will be named in his honor.”

For the full story, visit The Capital Gazette’s website.