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Council questions permanence, placement of Annapolis United and other mayoral outreach positions
Summary
Council members pressed city staff on whether outreach positions in the mayor’s office—Annapolis United, No Harm community coordinator and similar liaison roles—are permanent, political or program-funded, and asked for clearer budget book labeling and program metrics.
Several aldermen used the Finance Standing Committee meeting on May 5 to ask whether programs and staff in the mayor’s office—specifically Annapolis United, the No Harm violence-prevention work and liaison outreach—are permanent positions, political appointees or program-funded, and whether the budget book clearly shows funding sources.
Mayor’s office staff and city managers explained that many outreach posts referenced in the meeting are part-time, temporary positions funded through program budgets (for example, Annapolis United’s program budget and a supplies line), not permanent full-time positions. Ms. Pettit said Annapolis United is funded through a supplies budget line that contains $220,000 for the program and related services; she said roughly half of that also funds work in other departments. She added that part-time positions in the staffing summary are temporary and have no permanency attached.
Committee members including Alderman O’Dea and others raised concerns about the placement of constituent services, communications and community-engagement functions on the city org chart. Some members argued these functions should report to the city manager to reduce politicization and preserve continuity across administrations; others, and mayor’s office staff, argued the mayor’s liaison model creates trust and visibility for communities and that the mayor’s office already coordinates extensively with departments.
Ms. Fettig (mayor’s office) and Ms. Buckland (city staff) said the question of where outreach functions should live is appropriate for the incoming administration and that staff will bring clearer documentation to the council. Pettit said she has shared a report with committee members containing program data and offered to re-circulate it; staff also said they will add coding clarifications in the staffing summary in the budget book so funding sources and permanence are explicit.
Ending: The committee requested clearer budget-book labeling of which positions are temporary program-funded roles versus permanent positions in the general fund, and requested program metrics for Annapolis United and related initiatives.
