Finance committee approves moving grant funds to police for Adopt-a-Community, backs placeholder for speed cameras

The Finance Standing Committee voted May 8 to recommend that the city allocate money for two community public-safety programs to the Annapolis Police Department and to reserve funding to expand speed-camera enforcement pending cost estimates.

Committee members instructed staff to include $200,000 in grant funding for the Adopt-a-Community program, $100,000 for a Downtown Annapolis Ambassador program, and funds for one staff person to manage the programs, with the expectation those amounts would come from currently budgeted but unfilled sworn-officer positions in the police department. The committee recorded a motion recommending inclusion of the programs in the police budget and moved the item forward to the committee’s report.

Committee members said they had discussed the proposal with police command staff. Police leadership told the committee they could accept the programs and the staff support, but that details about exactly which sworn positions would be reduced and whether the change would be recurring or one-time need further follow-up from the department and the budget office. Budget manager Caitlin Trudeau told the committee staff would follow up with the department on recurring cost and position impacts.

Separately, the committee approved a recommendation to fund additional speed cameras and study sites, while leaving the exact dollar amount as a placeholder until the police department provides a detailed cost estimate. Committee members and police staff discussed operational constraints: Captain Meguez (Annapolis Police Department) told the group that Maryland law currently requires sworn officers to review citations generated by automated speed enforcement, which affects staffing needs. Committee members asked the department to return with an estimate of the cost to deploy cameras, including any staffing or monitor costs and the likely revenue, and to check whether vendor capabilities and state requirements allow second-offense tracking and tiered fines.

The committee also discussed the police department’s unmanned aerial systems (drone) line items and contractual costs. Members said they had been concerned that contract services listed in the budget were high, but after follow-up they were satisfied with contractor-hourly costs that the department expects to incur to stand up a program.

What happens next: The finance committee’s recommendations will be included in the committee’s FY26 report to the full council. Budget staff and police will return to committee with detailed cost and staffing breakdowns for the Adopt-a-Community/ambassador staffing plan and for proposed speed-camera expansion before final budget adoption.

Ending: The committee recorded its recommendations as part of its budget report schedule and instructed staff to return with the departmental cost details required to finalize any budget amendments.