A few items at the top of this newsletter. First, I am pleased to share that the scholarship program we approved last term — honoring former Alderpersons Ross Arnett and Sheila Finlayson — is now on a path forward. As some of you may have seen in the Capital Gazette, this took longer than it should have to resolve, but the important thing is that the eight students who were told they would receive these awards will not be left in limbo, the funds will be distributed before the fiscal year closes on June 30, and our Charter-crisis has been averted. I am grateful to Alderman Smith-Brown for stepping forward to develop draft protocols and to the Mayor for ultimately agreeing to move it forward.

Second, this Tuesday's council meeting is your LAST opportunity to testify in person on the FY27 City Budget. The public hearing closes at the end of this meeting and the Council moves into amendments at our June 1^st  meeting. Written testimony is also welcome — submit it at annapolis.gov/testimony. I have published my complete FY27 budget amendment package (v1.4, post-Finance review). You can read the full document here. You can also view what my colleagues on the council are proposing here.

Third, our Ward 7 Town Hall is Thursday, May 28th, 6:00–7:30 PM at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library. We'll cover the FY27 budget, Ward 7 capital projects, and open Q&A. If you can help distribute flyers to your immediate neighbors, please reply and I’ll let you know how to get some fliers.

Finally, if you're able to stay out a bit later on the 28th, I'd love to see you at the fundraiser for James Kitchin, who is running for Anne Arundel County Executive and has my full endorsement. James helped create Anne Arundel County's public campaign finance system — and then chose to use it himself, putting his principles into practice where many politicians would not. He has also earned the endorsement of the teachers union, and I look forward to working with him as a strong partner for our community. I'm going to do my best to wrap up the town hall early so anyone who wants to head to the Sailing School can make it. Details at jameskitchin.com/events.

Stay healthy and safe,

Rob

Budget hearing closes Tuesday — Major Issues & My Asks

The City's finances are in good shape — our reserves are at full strength. The issue is what the Mayor is doing with the flexible funds that sit above those reserves. He is treating that pool as almost spent, when in fact his budget uses only about 29 percent of it — roughly $1.9 million out of a pool of about $6.5 million. For comparison, last year the previous Mayor proposed using 42 percent of a similar pool, and Council ultimately approved 62 percent. The effect this year is that any Council priority not already in the Mayor's budget has to be funded by cutting something else the Mayor proposed — rather than from the millions still available within that pool. Meanwhile, our debt costs are projected to exceed our own 10 percent policy target for five years running, with little cushion left before the 12 percent ceiling the City treats as the hard limit. The Mayor's Office is proposed at its largest size ever ($2.26 million, up 40 percent since FY24, with staffing growing from 14 to 15 positions). The budget also includes about $245,000 in new consulting contracts — a communications consultant, strategic consultants, and a philanthropy consultant.

My amendments redirect those dollars to real service gaps: a third Community Services Coordinator at the Office of Community Services, a second Constituent Services position, a Real Estate Administrator at Central Services to unlock roughly $11.6 million in stalled capital projects, restoration of the Harbormaster's seasonal staffing — a cut the Harbormaster told the Finance Committee her office did not propose — and a phased increase in sworn officers toward the staffing level City Code requires. I am also asking Council to hold back two items pending the data the City says it will produce: the proposed 6-position Fire peak medic unit ($588,000 a year, ongoing) until the Fire Department's own strategic-plan workload analysis is done, and the proposed Police drone program ($247,750) until there is a documented workload case for it.

Several of my amendments are directly important to Ward 7. I am proposing a $50,000 feasibility study for the Annapolis Diesel-Electric Hybrid Passenger Ferry pilot, intended to land at the future Carrs-Elktonia Beach and connect us to downtown without the long bus transfer riders face today. I am proposing $80,000 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund (no cost to the General Fund) for an odor-control retrofit at the Belmont Pump Station serving the King James Landing Road area, where residents have lived with chronic sewer odors. I am proposing interim peak-hour bus service along the Riva Road corridor serving Annapolis High School and Parole, and the elimination of fares on our five fixed bus routes — consistent with the Transportation Board's 2021 recommendation and the basic equity point that the Downtown Shuttle is already free for visitors while residents who depend on the bus pay to ride. The full package, with each amendment's justification, is at the link above. You can submit written testimony here.

Last meeting (May 11) — what happened

It was a relatively short legislative session on May 11, with most of the meeting devoted to the Finance Committee's budget report and three department presentations. On second reader:

• O-2-26 — Mooring Requirements in City Waters: withdrawn by the sponsor for further reworking. I supported the withdrawal — the issues this bill addresses are real and deserve careful attention, but the language needs further development before a final vote.

Three new ordinances were introduced on first reader and referred to the Rules and City Government Committee: CA-2-26 (expanding the membership of the Board of Supervisors of Elections), O-9-26 (which I introduced, updating the Standing Committees section of the City Code — discussed below as a public hearing), and O-10-26 (reducing the Human Relations Commission from 15 to 9 members). The public hearings on the FY27 budget ordinance (O-8-26), Fees Schedule (R-10-26), Fines Schedule (R-11-26), and Position Classifications and Pay Plan (R-12-26) were all left open through second reader.

Next Council meeting — May 26, 2026

(agenda)

The meeting starts at 7:00 PM and will be televised on local cable, YouTube, Facebook, and the City website. Public testimony: http://www.annapolis.gov/testimony. This will be an in-person meeting.

Ceremonial items

The meeting will open with two proclamations: National Gun Violence Awareness Day (ID-129-26) and Pride Month 2026 (ID-130-26).

Council discussion — ID-123-26 Boards & Commissions Governance Modernization

The Community Engagement Strategist will present a proposed set of governance and procedural reforms for the City's advisory boards and commissions — covering meeting templates, the use of AI for minutes, staff liaison training, attendance/removal rule enforcement, and meeting-frequency norms. She will also potentially be speaking to merging a few of the bodies. I’ll report back on this in greater depth in a future email.

Public Hearings

The four FY27 budget public hearings remain open and will close at this meeting. This is your last opportunity to testify in person; written testimony is welcome through annapolis.gov/testimony. My budget summary and amendment package are at this link. 

Public Hearings Continued (FY27 Budget)

• O-8-26 — Annual Budget and Appropriation and Property Tax Levy: The core FY27 budget ordinance ($125.2M General Fund), with the property tax rate unchanged at $0.7380 per $100 of assessed value.
• R-10-26 — FY27 Annual Fees Schedule: Includes notable increases for residential trash (to $463.72/year), water and sewer (~5%), stormwater (~15%), short-term rental licenses ($400 → $650), and the Truxtun Boat Launch ($10 → $15 per launch).
• R-11-26 — FY27 Fines Schedule: Minor updates as introduced; my budget package proposes additional adjustments to environmental, tree, floodplain, and crossing-guard fines.
• R-12-26 — FY27 Position Classifications and Pay Plan: Approves the City's position structure and pay plan effective July 1, 2026.

New Public Hearings

• O-9-26 — Updating the Standing Committees Section of the City Code (introduced by me, co-sponsored by Smith-Brown and Schandelmeier): expands the Environmental Matters Committee's jurisdiction to environmentally-related chapters of Title 17 and Title 21 (stormwater, floodplain, critical area, forest conservation, green buildings), modernizes the Economic Matters Committee's scope, codifies a referral procedure, and adds a written description for the Rules and City Government Committee.
• O-10-26— Reducing the Human Relations Commission from 15 to 9 members (introduced by Alderwoman Contee): reduces membership through attrition during a transition period, updates term-staggering, and adds an explicit quorum rule.

Legislation being introduced on First Reader

• O-11-26— Allowing Long-Term Room Rentals in Private Homes (the "Bedrooms for People Act"): establishes a regulatory framework for rooming houses — up to 4 sleeping rooms rented for periods exceeding 90 days in owner-occupied residences — with a per-building operator's license, homestead-tax-credit verification, and operating standards. I am a co-sponsor and have no overall objection. I do have a narrow amendment in the works (more below).
• O-13-26 — Permitting and Zoning, Stadium Accessory Structures (introduced by Alderwoman O'Neill): expressly allows certain temporary structures accessory to a stadium without requiring successive temporary-structure permits, subject to ongoing compliance with building and fire safety codes.
• R-17-26 — Fees Related to O-11-26: adds a $125 per-building Rooming House operating license fee and updates the descriptions of existing rental license fee categories. Companion to O-11-26.
• R-18-26 — Human Resources Director, Charles A. Hall, Jr.: Mayor's nomination of Mr. Hall as HR Director at $197,500/year, effective June 9, 2026.

My current thinking on first-reader items

O-11-26 (Rooming Houses): I am pleased to co-sponsor this bill. Annapolis is in the middle of a real housing affordability squeeze, and modest, owner-occupied rooming houses are exactly the kind of "missing middle" option that can expand housing choice for working individuals, students, seniors, and lower-income residents without changing the residential character of our neighborhoods. It's worth noting that Annapolis actually had these housing options on the books not long ago — the City Code section authorizing rooming houses served our waterfront economy and the Naval Academy for years before it was repealed in 2008. This bill thoughtfully reintroduces that option with modern licensing, inspection, and operating standards. I plan to introduce one narrow amendment to address a timing gap in the bill's Homestead Tax Credit requirement: SDAT can take 6–18 months to process a new homeowner's HTC application, which would unintentionally lock out legitimate new owner-occupants. My amendment authorizes a provisional license while the HTC is pending, with documentary safeguards to preserve the bill's anti-fraud intent. The Law Office and I are finalizing the language now.

O-13-26 (Stadium Accessory Structures): No issues at the moment. The bill is narrow, the safety scaffolding (ongoing Fire Marshal and Building Official inspections, propane prohibition, unsafe-occupancy bar) is solid. I will be watching for the Planning Commission and Rules Committee recommendations.

R-17-26 (Rooming-House Fees): No issues at the moment, though I want to make sure the language is reconciled with R-10-26 so the FY27 fees schedule does not unintentionally overwrite it on July 1.

R-18-26 (HR Director, Charles A. Hall, Jr.): I am inclined to support this nomination after speaking with the candidate, but I will not support any suspension of the rules — I think the public should have a chance to chime in before we vote, which is the entire reason we have first reader, public hearing, and second reader as separate steps. On the substance: Mr. Hall comes with extensive HR experience in DC and other large organizations. Most recently he served as Director of the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources, the cabinet-level HR agency for DC government. Before that, he was Assistant Vice President of HR and Payroll at Baltimore City Community College, and from 2013 to 2022 held a series of HR leadership roles at Baltimore City Public Schools, including Director of Employee Engagement and Manager of School-Based Staffing. He began his HR career at Under Armour. He has more than 15 years of HR leadership experience across the public, private, and education sectors.

Community & Political Updates

Ranked Choice Voting voter guide — County and State primary, June 23

RCV Maryland surveyed 340 candidates across Maryland running for county, state, and federal offices about their positions on ranked choice voting and related democracy reforms. The results are now available in their Stronger Voices Voter Guide. With early voting June 11–18 and primary day on June 23, this is a useful resource for figuring out where the candidates stand. I am a strong supporter of ranked choice voting for several reasons: it ensures the winner of an election has majority support rather than a plurality; it reduces strategic voting and the "spoiler" dynamic; it tends to lower the temperature of campaigns because candidates need to appeal to voters who might rank them second or third; and it gives voters a more honest way to express their preferences when more than two candidates are in the field. Take a look at the guide — and please vote.

Annapolis Juneteenth — Carrs/Elktonia concert (Friday, June 19) and Parade & Festival (Saturday, June 20)

The City's sixth annual Juneteenth celebration runs across two days. On Friday, June 19 from 3–7 PM, the Department of Recreation and Parks will host a free Juneteenth concert at two adjacent Ward 7 locations: Carr's/Elktonia Heritage Park on Bembe Beach Road and the Annapolis Maritime Museum Park and Pavilion at Ellen O. Moyer Park on Edgewood Road. Two music stages, food trucks, and a free shuttle from Bay Forest Shopping Center, Hillsmere Elementary, and PAL Park. Bring a chair or blanket; the terrain is uneven in places. On Saturday, June 20 the Juneteenth Parade steps off at 12 PM downtown at Calvert and Bladen Streets, followed by the Juneteenth Festival at Bates Athletic Complex from 1–9 PM. Expect parking restrictions along the parade route; full details and parking guidance are in the City's press release and at theAnnapolisJuneteenth.org.

Draft Climate Action Plan presentation — Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 PM

The Annapolis Environmental Commission will present the Draft Climate Action Plan on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. The session will livestream on the Boards and Commissions YouTube channel at youtube.com/@AnnapolisBoardsandCommissions/streams.

City Dock Update — Burtis House returns to its footprint

A short video update from the City's Public Information Officer shows the new, elevated foundation poured at the original Burtis House footprint and the deployable flood barrier foundation now in place. The Burtis House is scheduled to be moved back to its position in the next week and a half, sitting roughly six feet higher than it did before to keep it dry during sunny-day and tidal flooding. The deployable flood barrier is designed to protect this part of City Dock from storm surge events on the scale of Hurricane Isabel and last January's storm surge. The full 2-minute video is here: 2026 May City Dock Update — Burtis House (Vimeo).

Patriot Point Day Trip for Youth Ages 8–16 — Tuesday, July 7

The Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Offices of Hispanic, African American, and Community Services, is hosting a day trip to Patriot Point for youth ages 8–16. Patriot Point is an outdoor retreat in Taylor's Island, Maryland, that supports wounded, ill, and injured active-duty service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers. Departure is at 8:00 AM from the Pip Moyer Recreation Center on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, with return at 5:30 PM. Transportation, meals, and chaperones are all provided. Spots are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Only parents or legal guardians may complete the registration; learn more about Patriot Point at patriotpoint.org/property-tour/.

Sidewalk and Curb Repairs — Timber Creek Drive and Glade Court

The Department of Public Works will begin sidewalk and curb repairs on or about Tuesday, May 26, 2026 on Timber Creek Drive and Glade Court. The work involves removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete sidewalk and curb, followed by seeding and stabilization of disturbed grass. Residents are asked to remove any objects in the road right-of-way (basketball backboards, etc.) before May 26.

Once construction begins, parking will be prohibited from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, until the work is completed; vehicles parked in posted "No Parking" zones during those hours will be relocated. Parking is permitted at night and on weekends even if signage remains posted, so please read the dates on the signs. Travel-lane closures and flagging are expected during work. Questions: Allyson De Matteo at [email protected] or Remi Sonneville at [email protected] (DPW, 410-263-7949).

Save the date — Ward 7 Town Hall, Thursday, May 28

Thursday, May 28, 6:00–7:30 PM at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library. I will review the FY27 City Budget and what it means for our neighborhood, with updates on Ward 7 Capital Improvement Projects — road repairs, pedestrian and safety improvements, sidewalks, and mobility studies. After my remarks the floor is open for Q&A on any topic you'd like to raise. If you can help distribute flyers to your immediate neighbors, please reply to this email — door-to-door is the single most effective way to fill the room.

Thank you, as always, for your engagement.