Annapolis Rules and City Government Committee Meeting - October 1, 2026

The Rules and City Government Committee met on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The committee considered four legislative items: expanding the Board of Supervisors of Elections, amending the Resilience Authority membership and appointment process, updating the City Charter preamble, and legalizing long-term room rentals. Several amendments were debated and voted upon.

Consent Calendar

• Approved agenda as amended (O-21-26 moved to top of legislative action).
• Approved minutes from September 3, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No formal public testimony was taken, but during discussion of O-11-26 (room rentals), the committee noted concerns from a resident about inspections and privacy, which were addressed by a simplified amendment.

Discussion Items

• O-21-26: Resilience Authority Membership and Director Appointment

  • Matt Fleming, Resilience Authority Director, presented the legislation to revise membership requirements and the director appointment process, allowing up to two non-local members for specialized expertise. He noted the Authority has secured over $80 million for city and county projects.
  • Two amendments were introduced by Alderman Savidge: Amendment 2 restored a city residency requirement for board members; Amendment 1 required city council confirmation of mayor's appointees.
  • Amendment 2 passed unanimously. Amendment 1 prompted legal concerns about consistency with county code and potential conflict. The committee voted to give a favorable recommendation to Amendment 1 pending law office review and coordination with the county.
  • The committee then gave a favorable recommendation to O-21-26 as amended.

• CA-2-26: Expanding Board of Supervisors of Elections from 3 to 5 Members

  • Liam, Board of Supervisors of Elections Chair, explained the need for expansion: quorum challenges with a three-member board and lack of unaffiliated voter representation. The 2020 Charter Review Commission had recommended this change.
  • Alderman Savidge proposed an amendment based on voter registration (50% Democrat, 25% Republican, 25% unaffiliated at the time of drafting). Alderman Smith-Brown offered a competing amendment giving the mayor appointment authority with council confirmation, opening nominations to self-recommendations and central committee recommendations, and setting a 3% threshold for third parties.
  • After debate, the Smith-Brown amendment was amended to raise the third-party threshold from 3% to 10%, and passed 2-1 (Alderman Schandelmeier dissenting, preferring the clean bill). The committee then voted 3-0 to give a favorable recommendation to CA-2-26 as amended.

• CA-3-26: Expanding the Preamble of the City Charter

  • Alderman Savidge presented the legislation, based on the 2021 Charter Review Commission report, adding statements on diversity, equity, inclusion, environmental stewardship, climate change, and other values.
  • Alderman Thorpe offered an amendment simplifying the preamble, removing operational language and focusing on strategic identity. The committee discussed language regarding the "three pillars of Annapolis" (historic, maritime, universities).
  • After debate, the committee adopted the Thorpe amendment as modified, striking the three-pillars phrase and instead beginning with "The foundation of the city of Annapolis is its residents." The amendment passed unanimously, and CA-3-26 as amended received a favorable recommendation.

• O-11-26: Allowing Long-Term Room Rentals in Private Homes ("Bedrooms for People Act")

  • Alderman Schandelmeier, the sponsor, explained that the legislation legalizes renting single rooms in owner-occupied homes for 90 days or more. He offered Amendment 2, which simplified the original bill to just declare such rentals legal, based on Planning Commission recommendations.
  • Alexis Robinson, Senior Comprehensive Planner, noted the department's support for a simplified approach, with no new land use definitions and clarifying that locked doors must not inhibit emergency egress.
  • Discussion addressed inspections, enforcement, and the current $1,000 per day fine for illegal room rental, which disproportionately targets minorities. The committee agreed inspections were not necessary for informal arrangements.
  • Amendment 2 passed unanimously. The committee then gave a favorable recommendation to O-11-26 as amended.

Key Outcomes

• O-21-26: Gave favorable recommendation as amended (residency requirement + pending law office review on council confirmation).
• CA-2-26: Gave favorable recommendation 3-0 to legislation as amended (mayor appoints, council confirms; 10% third-party threshold; expanded nomination pool).
• CA-3-26: Gave favorable recommendation unanimously to legislation as amended (simplified preamble focusing on residents, equity, environment).
• O-11-26: Gave favorable recommendation unanimously to legislation as amended (legalizes long-term room rentals in owner-occupied homes without rental license requirement for informal arrangements).
• All items will proceed to the full City Council for final action.