Mayor Jared Littmann on Monday rolled out his first spending plan for Annapolis, a roughly $233 million budget that keeps the property tax rate flat while quietly nudging up some user fees and steering fresh money toward public safety and infrastructure. The proposal pairs a $204.9 million operating budget with a $29.1 million capital improvement program covering 117 projects, signaling a push for more traffic cameras, fire station upgrades, and a possible consolidation of government offices.
Budget at a glance
According to the City of Annapolis, the FY27 plan includes $204.9 million in operating expenditures and a $29.1 million capital improvement program that lists 117 individual projects. The city’s published breakdown shows department-level allocations that route about $30.3 million to police operations and roughly $28.4 million to fire services.
Taxes, fees and public safety
As reported by The Baltimore Banner, Littmann told the council he would not touch the property tax rate, but his plan leans on targeted fee increases to keep the numbers balanced. The proposal calls for a 7.5% jump in the annual trash collection fee, about $32 more per household, along with modest hikes to water and sewer rates.
The same package sets aside funding for six new fire department hires, $2 million to plan station upgrades, and an expanded network of speed and red light cameras around the city. The message from City Hall is clear enough: taxpayers keep the headline rate, but drivers and utility users will help pick up more of the tab.
Spa Road and city offices
Littmann also pointed to what he described as an “expensive” lease at 145 Gorman St., where several city offices are currently housed, and floated the idea of consolidating operations on city-owned land along Spa Road. According to the City of Annapolis, that kind of consolidation is not included in the FY27 budget, but the mayor asked the council to work on a public vision next year aimed at trimming long-term lease and maintenance costs.
What happens next
City meeting records list multiple Finance Committee budget sessions on the council calendar, according to city records. The schedule targets June 30 for adoption of the final budget, Eye On Annapolis reports, with citizen commissions and the full council able to amend the plan before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
For residents, the near-term flash points are the trash, water, and sewer fee changes and any rollout of additional traffic cameras. Property owners get short-term breathing room on the tax rate, but higher user fees will still be felt in monthly bills. Public comments at the Finance Committee hearings will help shape how the final package looks before the June 30 deadline.
