Annapolis finance committee approves report, votes to probe county sewer charges and to recommend harbor master be moved in mayor’s budget

Annapolis — The Finance Standing Committee convened May 9 and approved its FY26 committee report after line-by-line edits, and it voted to add two formal recommendations: (1) to investigate a roughly 33% increase passed along by Anne Arundel County for the city's sewer contract and (2) to recommend the relocation of the harbor master position as reflected in the mayor's proposed budget.

Committee members said the report compiles department presentations and flag important budget cautions, including projected increases in debt service and changes to capital-project funding sources. The committee voted to transmit the report and its recommendations to the full City Council for consideration.

Why it matters: The report combines near-term budget recommendations, department performance notes and cautions about longer-term debt-service pressures that could affect future budgets. The added recommendation to probe county sewer charges addresses a direct cost passed to city ratepayers; the harbor master recommendation touches a pending code change that the committee said should be debated by the full council.

Committee action and key outcomes

- Investigate Anne Arundel County sewer charges: The committee added a recommendation to investigate the additional cost passed to the city by Anne Arundel County for the sewer (Stewart) contract, citing a reported 33% increase tied in part to large county capital projects. Director Moran told the committee, "The 25% was calculated based on total debt service," when members questioned growth assumptions in related debt-service modeling. The motion to add the investigation recommendation passed on a voice vote.

- Harbor master placement: Committee members debated whether the harbor master should be moved in accordance with the mayor's proposed budget. Some members said code changes should precede…