Annapolis Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Budget Proposals

Tensions rose at the first Annapolis mayoral forum since the September 16 primary, where candidates debated the future of the city’s budget. Democrat Jared Littmann, a former alderman, and Republican Robert O’Shea, a business consultant, will face off in the November 4 general election. This election will determine the successor to two-term Mayor Gavin Buckley and includes races for all eight seats on the City Council, with four incumbents not seeking re-election.

The forum, organized by the League of Women Voters of Anne Arundel County, allowed participants to challenge each other’s views directly. A key theme emerged early: the question of whether Annapolis’ budget is excessively large. This debate became a focal point throughout the evening.

O’Shea has consistently argued that Annapolis suffers from a spending problem rather than a revenue issue. He highlighted significant increases in the city’s budget over recent years, noting that the operating budget soared from $106 million in fiscal year 2018 to $201 million projected for fiscal year 2026. This represents an increase of approximately 89.6%. Similarly, he pointed out that the capital budget rose from $18 million to $31 million, marking a 72.2% increase.

In contrast, Littmann challenged O’Shea’s perspective. He presented audited financial reports indicating that average annual city spending increased by only 3.8% from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2024. During the debate, Littmann initially misstated the figure as 2.8%, but later corrected it to the Capital Gazette. He argued that the increases O’Shea cites were necessary to address previous under-budgeting during the administration of former Mayor Mike Pantelides.

“The budget increased only to recognize the faults of the prior administration,” Littmann stated, referencing his experience as an alderman during the fiscal year 2018 budget. He contended that funds originally earmarked for water and sewer projects were diverted to cover other expenses, such as fuel.

O’Shea countered Littmann’s assertions by suggesting that the current leadership has manipulated budget figures to present a more favorable image. He remarked, “Numbers lie, and liars figure. I can make numbers say what I want; my opponent can make numbers say what he wants.”

Proposing a reduction of $20 million from the city budget, O’Shea believes this would allow for substantial savings, half of which he intends to reinvest in vital services such as police and fire departments, as well as infrastructure improvements. Littmann, however, argued that such cuts would inevitably impact crucial infrastructure funding.

“It requires money, and anyone who’s telling you that we’re going to cut a quarter of our budget, of our non-police and fire safety, doesn’t have a plan to actually provide you solid infrastructure,” Littmann explained, emphasizing the need for adequate funding in these areas.

The current annual salary for the mayor of Annapolis stands at $98,000, with a proposal currently under consideration to increase it to $120,000 by the end of the term.

As the candidates prepare for their final campaign push ahead of the election, the debate over budget priorities will likely continue to resonate with voters in Annapolis.