Hey folks! Alderman Brooks here. Tomorrow’s meeting is going to be a BIG one. Not only will Mayor Littmann be presenting his State of the City address, he will also be unveiling his city budget for the 2027 fiscal year. AND ON TOP OF THAT, Mayor Littmann will be presenting his nominees for our next City Manager and City Attorney.

The simplest thing first. The State of the City address is presented annually by our Mayor to present to the public what condition the City is in, what we have accomplished, and where we want to move forward to. Even though we are still in the first year of this term, we have been VERY active with fantastic infrastructure projects (I detailed many of the ones impacting Ward 5 on a prior newsletter and blog post) and of course we cannot forget securing the funding for City Dock! Watching the State of the City is a great way to keep in touch with the City’s fantastic progress.

Second, our budget. A budget reflects our values as a city. I do not like the drama of going through amendments to create budget items, and I have again pushed the Mayor to include my priorities early. Rental assistance, afterschool care funding, public safety funding, and funding for apprenticeships are all included in the first round. I am going to defend these from potential cuts, and take a hard look at the proposals of my colleagues for potential amendments brought forward. 

During the budget I like to stress the connection between land use and city finances. I share folks’ frustration that city services do not seem to keep pace with what they pay in property taxes, but the truth is, the City’s development pattern prevents this. Low density sprawl prevents the city from being able to collect enough revenue to provide proper infrastructure and proper services for our population. We previously conducted a study which actually showcases which parts of Annapolis are revenue positive and which are revenue negative, along with the development patterns that are the most financially sustainable. 

If you are curious and would like to READ THE REPORT for yourself or WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATION to the council I HIGHLY encourage you to do so. If you do not have the time to do a deep dive into land use and finance (I get it, people are busy) Strong Towns did two quick videos covering our study that you can watch. Video 1 and Video 2 are combined less than 4 minutes. 

Third Mayor Littmann will be presenting his nominations for City Manager and City Attorney. Deputy City Manager Victoria Buckland has been serving as our “acting” manager for over a year and doing a fantastic job, but the position is overwhelming, and leaving that hole in our government means that less work gets done for our citizens. Yolanda Lewis has been nominated to fill the role. Ms. Lewis comes to the City having served as the Chief Administrative Officer for Fulton County, Georgia, where she managed a $30 million budget and directed operations for a million residents.

Our new City Attorney will be “Tony” Kupersmith. Mr. Kupersmith’s experience is a blend of public service and private practice. Previously the County Attorney for Talbot County, Maryland, he served as the chief legal advisor to the County Council and county boards and commissions. In private practice with the Annapolis firm of McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker LLC, he has represented businesses, individuals, and nonprofits in land use, real estate, and environmental matters.

I have met with each of these candidates and I am so incredibly impressed by their backgrounds and I look forward to supporting them. We will be suspending the rules tomorrow evening to confirm them during the first meeting. 

Finally I do want to call attention to my first bill coming up for final vote. O-1-26 will provide property tax credits for childcare providers. Childcare costs and wait times are holding back our working families, forcing too many parents to choose between their career and their children’s success. O-1-26 is one of the tools that we have to bring down those wait times and costs. I am very proud of this legislation and look forward to it passing. 

Now onto the agenda! 

CALL TO ORDER

Moment of Silence, Pledge of Allegiance & Roll Call

State of the City Address - Mayor Littlam

Approval of Agenda

PETITIONS, REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS

Update from Mayor and Reports by Committees

Comments be the General Public

A person speaking before the City Council with a petition, report, or communication shall be limited to no more than three minutes. Comments must be limited to things not up for Public Hearing on the agenda.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

CA-1-26 - Updating Requirements for Publication of the Charter and Code of the City of Annapolis - Currently the City Code requires us to publish the City’s Charter and Code in a loose leaf binder. This updates the ruling to allow us to move to a primarily digital online version, because… it’s 2026.

O-6-26 Oversight of the City’s Firing Range - Currently, only the Mayor has the authority to decide who can use the City's police firing range. This ordinance adds the Police Chief as an approver.

CONSENT CALENDAR

Journals of Proceedings

CCM 3.9.26 Regular Meeting Minutes

CCM 3.23.26 Regular Meeting Minutes - This is voting to approve the minutes from our 3/9 and 3/23 meetings.

Fund Transfers 

FT-7-26 Transfer - Enterprise Funds - This transfer moves $25,000 from the stormwater fund, $25,000 from the water distribution and rehabilitation fund, and $25,000 from the sewer fund to the Standard Specs and Construction Detail project. This will enable the Department of Public Works to ensure that land developers and engineers design and construct infrastructure that meets Annapolis's requirements.

FT-10-26 Transfer - Debt Services - Nonallocated/ Mayor - This transfer moves $36,300 of appropriations from the Nonallocated Debt Service account to the Mayor’s Office Salaries and Benefits account.

Council Acceptances

ID-70-26 Fiscal Year 2026 City of Annapolis Audit - Accepting the findings our our 2026 fiscal year audit.

End of Consent Calendar

LEGISLATIVE ACTION 

O-8-26 Annual Budget and Appropriation and Property Tax Levy - This ordinance includes the Annual Operating Budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1, the Capital Budget, the Capital Improvement program, appropriates money for all City spending over the next fiscal year, and levies the City's property taxes for FY 2027.

-Operating Budget: The list of all the regular day-to-day city expenses. 

-Capital Budget: Expected long-term spending (e.g., building construction, machinery replacement). 

-Capital Improvement Program: Expected future capital projects. 

-Appropriations: Council approval to spend the money allocated in the budget.

-Property Tax Levy: The City's income source.

R-10-26 - Annual Fees Schedule - The list of all the City's fees and the corresponding sections of the Code requiring each fee.

R-11-26 - Annual Fines Schedule - The list of the City's fines and the corresponding sections of the Code.

R-12-26 - Position Classification and Play Plan - The list of all the City's jobs, their pay rank, and the actual salary for each position.

R-8-26 - Fee Waivers for City Supported Special Events in Fiscal Year 2027 -- Authorizes fee waivers for major annual special events in Annapolis, such as parades. The fees include police services, traffic control, post-event cleanup, and related services. 

R-9-26 - Filing of Grant Application with the Transit Administration -- The City applies for a state transit grant each year. The Transportation Department must include Council approval of the application when submitting it. 

R-13-26 - Compensation of Acting City Manager Victoria Buckland -- This continues Vickie's acting city manager-level pay until the City hires a new City Manager, or for six months, whichever comes first. 

R-14-26 - Confirmation of Anthony Kupersmith as City Attorney --  Previously the County Attorney for Talbot County, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. He served as the chief legal advisor to the County Council, county boards and commissions. He begins as Annapolis City Attorney on May 7, 2026, with an annual salary of $185,000. It is the plan to suspend the rules and confirm Mr. Kupersmith that night. I will be supporting this action and voting to confirm.

R-15-26 - Confirmation of Yolanda L. Lewis as City Manager -- Soon to be former Chief Administrative Officer for Fulton County, Georgia, where she managed a $30 million budget and directed operations for a million residents. She begins as Annapolis City Manager on May 21, 2026, with an annual salary of $270,000.  It is the plan to suspend the rules and confirm Ms. Lewis that night. I will be supporting this action and voting to confirm.

Second Readers

O-1-26 - Property Tax Credits for Child Care Centers, Family Child Care Homes, and Large Family Child Care Homes - As stated earlier this will authorize the City of Annapolis to provide property tax credits for licensed childcare facilities in the city. The legislation as written provided up to $10,000 but there were concerns about the large potential fiscal impact. After doing a deep dive into what many of these properties were paying in city property taxes, I shrank the proposal down to $4,000 via amendment. This will still allow room for growth while providing a generous benefit for our providers. I will be supporting the legislation. 

O-3-26 - Annapolis Harbor Lines at Hawkins Cove - Allows the City to change the harbor lines at Hawkins Cove to get the Hawkins Cove Restoration project underway. This is a great restoration project that will provide public water access for more families. I am supporting it. 

ADJOURNMENT