17 Facts About Gavin Buckley

Gavin Buckley was born on 8 February 1963 and is a South African-born Australian-American politician and former restaurateur who has been the 137th mayor of Annapolis, Maryland since 2017.

Gavin Buckley's administration has undertaken numerous infrastructure projects, including HUD's Choice Neighborhood Initiative, a partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis to revitalize distressed public housing properties at Eastport Terrace and Harbour House.

Gavin Buckley was born in Boksburg, South Africa, and lived briefly in London before growing up in Perth, Western Australia.

Gavin Buckley was expelled from two Australian high schools, St Norbert and Belmont Senior High School, for poor attendance; and began working in the countries of Scotland and France, and the US State of Florida, where he arrived in 1985.

Gavin Buckley came to Maryland in 1992 by boat, with only 200 dollars in cash; in the region, he found work as a waiter and farm labourer, among other jobs.

Gavin Buckley overstayed his initial visa, but was granted amnesty under Reagan administration-rules through his agricultural work, and was naturalized in 2009.

Gavin Buckley eventually settled in Annapolis, Maryland, where he began a business career, first opening a coffee shop called The Moon, and later four restaurants in the West Street area.

Gavin Buckley was one of several partners in West Village LLC, which renovated a strip of dilapidated buildings on West Street near Tsunami in 2001 and restored a variety of businesses to what had become a "relatively desolate" part of the city.

Gavin Buckley's businesses accrued several debts and contract disputes between 2006 and 2012, which he attributed to cash flow problems due to the Great Recession.

Gavin Buckley was cited by local authorities for failing to display boat registration numbers and failing to obtain a rental license.

Gavin Buckley ran for mayor of Annapolis in 2017 with no prior political experience.

Gavin Buckley defeated longtime Annapolis State Senator John Astle in a Democratic primary with unusually high turnout, a "stunning" result after a primary campaign in which he presented himself as a contributor to the renewal of downtown Annapolis, a fresh voice from outside the political system, and an ally of underprivileged Annapolitans.

Gavin Buckley has worked to strengthen ties with both of the City's two universities: St John's College and the United States Naval Academy.

Gavin Buckley's administration has undertaken numerous infrastructure projects, including HUD's Choice Neighborhood Initiative, a partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis to revitalize distressed public housing properties at Eastport Terrace and Harbour House.

Gavin Buckley was in office during the Capital Gazette shooting on 28 June 2018, in which five people were killed at a local newspaper's office.

Gavin Buckley was reelected in November 2021 with 71 percent of the vote, one of the largest vote margins in City municipal elections in more than 70 years.

In 1996, Gavin Buckley underwent surgery for intestinal cancer at 33.