Annapolis Rules and City Government Committee Meeting - July 23, 2026
Annapolis Rules and City Government Committee Meeting - July 23, 2026
The Rules and City Government Committee of the Annapolis City Council met on July 23, 2026, from 12:13 PM to 1:58 PM under the chairmanship of Alderman Smith Brown. The committee considered five pieces of legislation and received a presentation on ranked choice voting. Key actions included postponements, favorable recommendations on several bills, and extensive discussion on election reform.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda – Moved and seconded; passed unanimously.
- Approval of Minutes – Minutes of the June 4, 2026, regular meeting and the July 9, 2026, special joint meeting were approved separately without objection. (Alderman Shannemeyer recused from voting on the July 9 minutes as she was not present.)
Discussion Items
- CA226 – Expanding Board of Supervisive Elections Membership – Alderman Savage and Chair Smith Brown are working on a merged amendment. The committee voted to postpone action until the next meeting to allow completion of the draft amendment.
- O0926 – Updating Standing Committees Section of City Code – Three amendments were considered (two from Mayor Littman, one from Alderman Huntley). After discussion, the committee voted favorably on amendment three (inserting that if legislation is referred to more than two standing committees, the council shall hear it in a committee of the whole). The bill as amended received a favorable recommendation.
- O1426 – Art in Public Places (Definitions, Duties, Membership) – Laura Richards, Community Engagement Strategist, explained the need to reconstitute the AIPPC board. City Attorney Tony Cooper Smith noted the six-month deadline (set by an uncodified ordinance) runs in August and suggested an extension. The committee voted to postpone action on the bill and its seven amendments, and will recommend the City Council extend the deadline to September 30, 2026, to allow further public input.
- O1626 – Forest Conservation Program Amendments (Conforming to State Law) – Alderman Savage proposed several amendments to align city code with state law. After discussion, the committee voted favorably on amendments 4, 5A, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (as a block), with amendment 5 withdrawn in favor of 5A. Amendment 11 clarifies that exemptions do not apply to subdivision or site plans. The bill as amended received a favorable recommendation. (Projects approved before July 1, 2026, are unaffected.)
- General Discussion – Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Presentation – Michelle Whitaker (Executive Director) and Owen Anderson (Deputy Director) of Ranked Choice Voting Maryland presented on RCV mechanics, history, and benefits. They cited examples from Tacoma Park, Greenbelt, and Berwyn Heights (Maryland), New York City, and others. Key points: RCV ensures majority winners, reduces spoiler effects, and can increase diversity of candidates. They offered voter education support. Committee members asked about costs (estimated $225,000–$465,000 per election currently), error rates (1–2%), and data on candidate diversity. Whitaker and Anderson agreed to provide additional data. The committee expressed interest in potentially placing an RCV charter amendment on a future ballot.
Key Outcomes
- Postponed: CA226 and O1426 (with recommendation to extend deadline).
- Favorable Recommendations (with amendments): O0926, O1626.
- Received Presentation: Ranked choice voting – committee will consider possible ballot question.
- Next Steps: Amendments for CA226 to be drafted before next meeting; City Council to consider deadline extension for O1426; additional data on RCV costs and diversity to be shared with committee.
Meeting Transcript
I call this meeting to order of the rules and city government committee today, July 23rd, 2026, 1213 p.m. We're going to start our agenda with a roll call. Is Alderman Brooke Shannemeyer present? Here on the screen. Thank you very much. Is Alderman Frank Thorpe present? Present. Awesome. And then myself, uh Chair Alderman Smith Brown. We will move forward with the approval of the agenda. Is there a motion to approve of the agenda? So moved. All right. And there is a second from that two motions. Thank you. With no objection, we will move forward on that. All right. We have the approval of the minutes from our last two meetings. We have the June 4th, 2026 regular meeting minutes, and we have the July 9th, 2026 special joint meeting minutes. Yes, Alderman Shannemeyer. So I cannot make any vote on the joint meeting since I was not there. So yes, make the motion. So let's move to the first then. Do you mind making a motion to the first meeting? Uh June 4th, 2026 meeting? So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Okay, if there's no objection, we'll move for the second one for the July 9th meeting. So moved. All right, and I will second that. No objection. Uh the first uh legislation we have is CA226, which is 2026, expending the board of supervisive elections membership. Um we appreciate Alderman Savage and myself. We are working together. We have an amendment that will uh merge both of the piece of legislation that I've been working on as well as that he has been working on. Uh, thank you to Cynthia as well, who's helping us to do so. And so we're gonna ask that this is postponed to our next meetings for us to make an official recommendation if that is all right with our members. Um, and we will make sure that you all have in hand that amendment as soon as it's done being drafted. All right, move to uh postpone action until the next meeting. Thank you. Is there a second? All right, all in favor? Aye. Thank you. Um the next we have is 0926, um, which is updating the standing committee's section of the city code. Uh is there a motion for a favorable recommendation uh for the legislation? Did we okay? What let's look at the amendment.
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