Ready to Lead on Day One - Jared Littmann’s First 100 Days

While you may have seen me out on the campaign trail, door-knocking or answering questions at debates, there’s a lot more happening behind the scenes. I’m putting in the work now to be fully prepared for December 1, Inauguration Day. To run a great city, you have to get your own house in order first, and that’s exactly where I’ll start.

Here’s a preview of my “100-Day Agenda” to ensure that the Littmann administration launches on day one with a solid roadmap.

• Meet with every department director, chief, and senior leader to evaluate performance and set clear expectations

  • Conduct national searches for key vacant positions

• Lead roundtable conversations with city staff

• Develop a plan to improve communications with residents 

• Take steps to tackle the top issues, identifying a lead within the city to advance each: the City Dock, permitting, parking, public safety, and short term rentals (STRs)

• Build a proposed city budget that is connected to community priorities and performance-based outcomes

These actions will come out of the following principles, which will guide my work in the early days as mayor:

#1 Put leadership and accountability first.

Every part of the city government must have effective and motivated leaders working together to serve you. Right now, the city manager position is temporarily filled, key roles are vacant, and other staff may soon retire. After the November 4 election, I’ll start meeting with every department director, chief, and senior leader to assess needs, evaluate performance, set clear expectations, and fill critical vacancies. Annapolis deserves a team that’s ready to deliver from the start.

#2 For best results, engage employees.

I’ve spent nearly two years listening to Annapolis residents, and now it’s time for current city staff to be heard. In December and January, I’ll lead roundtable conversations with city staff so every voice and idea is considered. Together we’ll look honestly at what’s working and what’s not and seek solutions that build on our strengths. Our goal is an effective city government that delivers high-quality services with a customer-service culture.

#3 Open government comes from open ears and open doors.

I mean it when I say I’m committed to stronger, more transparent dialogue with the community. I will make a plan to walk through neighborhoods regularly with city directors, community leaders, and residents to see things firsthand, such as parking struggles, blocked sidewalks, crosswalk problems, and other daily frustrations. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors across the city, and I’ve learned there’s no substitute for seeing what you are describing.

My plan also includes regular town halls in all wards, open office hours at City Hall, and better use of the city website to provide timely responses to questions you raise at City Council meetings.

#4 Some issues can’t wait, so I will tackle them immediately.

Big-stakes items to address include the City Dock project. Construction has begun, and the first phase of the project aims to protect downtown Annapolis from flooding and sea-level rise. I will ensure we have a plan in place to continue with the resilience aspects of this project, regardless of outside funding.

We need to audit police and fire staffing so we have the right levels for our population and competitive salaries. These are immediate needs, as union contracts will be negotiated in the first 100 days and then incorporated into the FY2027 budget, shared in mid-spring. Working with unions is essential to address staffing and overtime approaches.

We will audit the law office case load and self-insurance fund to ensure that the City is adequately protected and prepared to address all pending suits.

To streamline permitting, I will begin a collaborative, inclusive, and transparent process to rewrite the city code, maintaining high standards while reducing costs, time, and uncertainty for residents, small businesses, and other applicants. This process will take more than 100 days to complete, but within the first few months of my tenure, we will initiate planning and proactively communicate progress to the public. 

To improve the parking experience, we will meet with our parking vendors to create a friendlier, more welcoming parking experience by providing clearer signage and eliminating unnecessary fines by using existing license plate reader technology to charge for actual time used rather than penalizing people for underpaying in advance.

And here’s a big one ─ at the first City Council meeting on December 8, I’ll introduce a 12-month moratorium on short-term rentals to halt new licenses while working with the council and staff to better enforce licensing and reduce STR quantity and density.

#5 Our budget must connect to community priorities.

For example, connecting the budget to priorities like improved transportation and safer sidewalks. I’ll take steps to further align city resources with residents’ key priorities to make sure the city delivers reliable services that people want. Internally, this means developing a strategic plan to guide city staff and track expected outcomes.

As owner and operator of an Annapolis hardware store for two decades, I’ve led, strategized with, and worked alongside employees as we navigated economic highs and lows, including the Great Recession and the pandemic. I’ll do the same as your mayor.  My collaborative approach is a key reason why I’ve earned the endorsement of all four city unions, representing fire, police, and public service workers. Please vote for a responsive city government ─ that is, me, Jared Littmann ─ on November 4.