City of Annapolis Welcomes New Leadership with Inauguration of Mayor, City Council

Annapolis began a new chapter in city leadership on Monday, December 1, with the swearing-in of Jared Littmann as the city’s 138th mayor, alongside the eight members of the newly constituted City Council. The public ceremony was held at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and was attended by hundreds of residents and regional leaders.

Mayor Littmann released the following statement:

"As mayor, I'm looking forward to delivering meaningful progress on the issues that matter most to Annapolis residents - improving the services people rely on every day, from public safety to parking and beyond. Annapolis succeeds when we work together. Our shared goal is a city government that operates smoothly and efficiently for everyone, employees and residents alike.

Four years from now, our commitment to strengthening customer service within city government will result in services that are more reliable and easier for residents to navigate. By ensuring our fire and police departments have the staffing and support they need, Annapolis will be a safer community for everyone. With a unified housing strategy that prioritizes affordability while balancing traffic concerns and preserving green space, we can make the city more accessible through thoughtful mixed-use, mixed-income development. Working with the City Council, we will also make major strides in repairing our transportation systems, reinforcing infrastructure, and stabilizing our finances through creative, practical solutions. And finally, we will achieve significant progress on the City Dock resilience project, protecting one of our most cherished public spaces for generations to come."

Bishop Craig Coates served as Master of Ceremonies, Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, Congresswoman Sarah Elreth, County Executive Steuart Pittman and State Delegate Shaneka Henson also addressed the attendees.

Mayor Littmann took the oath of office and, in his inaugural address, outlined a governance model focused on transparency, streamlined city services, stronger communication, and reaffirmed commitments to the City Dock revitalization. He also unveiled a 100-day plan to establish measurable early progress.

The newly elected councilmembers were sworn in immediately after the mayor. The council consists of returning members Harry Huntley (Ward 1), Karma O’Neill (Ward 2), Brooks Schandelmeier (Ward 5), and Rob Savidge (Ward 7), and new members Keanuú Smith-Brown (Ward 3), Janice Elaine Allsup-Johnson (Ward 4), Diesha Contee (Ward 6), and Frank Thorp (Ward 8).

The ceremony concluded with a public reception benefiting the Anne Arundel County Food Bank.

Several of the newly Inaugurated council members: Diesha Contee, Keanuú Smith-Brown, Frank Thorp, Brooks Schandelmeier and Janice Allsup-Johnson, had been endorsed by the Capital Accountability Project (CAP), along with the Coalition for Atonement and Repair.  Ahsun Powell, President of the Capital Accountability Project and Chief Strategist for the Coalition for Atonement and Repair (CAR), attended the Inauguration. "We celebrate our endorsed candidates for leading with courage and a community-centered vision. Their commitment to equity and repair aligns with the future our communities deserve," Ms. Powell said.  "We look forward to working with the entire City Council to advance that work."

Carl Snowden, Convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders also attended the inaugural events. In a statement to Report Annapolis News, Mr. Snowden said the following: "The incoming Annapolis City Council will soon find themselves the need to address affordable housing and systemic racism. It's my hope that the incoming African American alderpersons will create a legislative Black Caucus and work as a team to address issues impacting their community."

The following individuals were also in attendance:

-Argo Duenas, CAR Co-Founder

-Eliza Mae Robinson, Respected CAR member, Community Activist, Author, and Descendant of Annapolis’ historic Old Fourth Ward

-Renetra Anderson, Influential Community Leader, Regarded CAR member, and Descendant of Annapolis’ historic Old Fourth Ward

-Janice Hayes-Williams, Local Historian 

-Melissa Maddox-Evans, Executive Director, Housing Authority for the City of Annapolis 

-Dr. Mark Bedell, Superintendent, Anne Arundel County Public Schools 

-Courtney Buiniskis, Anne Arundel County Register of Wills Candidate 

-Ratasha Harley, Founder & Executive Director, One Annapolis 

-Bishop Charles Carroll and Pastor Sheryl Menendez, Dedicated Clergy Members & Community Stewards

-Toni Strong-Pratt, People Builders Consulting Founder, Sought After Speaker and Community Leader. Ms. Strong Pratt shared the following statement with Report Annapolis News:"Today, I had the honor of witnessing my friends Keanuú Smith-Brown, Janice Allsup-Johnson, and Diesha Contee—who is also my mentee—being sworn in as members of the City of Annapolis Council,” Strong-Pratt said. “Our young people are making their voices heard, and I couldn’t be more proud. Congratulations to Jared Littmann on becoming our new mayor, and to all the newly elected members of the City Council. May this wave of fresh leadership truly put people above politics.”

The Annapolis City Council will hold its first official meeting under the Littmann administration on Monday, December 8, marking the start of its legislative work for the 2025–2029 term.