Dec. 1, 8:30 a.m.
Meet with Neilye
It’s the very first meeting on the first day of Jared Littmann’s first five months as mayor of Annapolis.
The keys to understanding Littmann’s administration are entries like this one tucked into his work calendar — a meeting with chief of staff Neilye Garrity.
Access to his electronic diary, granted through a public records request, provides a unique view of his priorities, partners and style. Over the 134 days from his inauguration to his first State of the City address on Monday, Littmann as mayor began to emerge.
That’s why Garrity came first.
“She knows the answer to ‘What would Jared do?’” the mayor said in an interview last week. “What would Jared say? And so she can represent me.”
The former co-chair of Littmann’s campaign, Garrity met the future mayor after she sold her education company and wanted to get more involved in civic life.
Now she’s his gatekeeper and surrogate, stationed in a windowless room outside his City Hall office and on his calendar weekly.
“She helps, I’d say, keep the better side of me forward-facing,” Littmann said.
Dec. 5, 3:30-4 p.m.
Law Office Update
Mayors meeting with their lawyers, it’s just routine. But Littmann soon realized he wanted to replace City Attorney D. Michael Lyles, and announced his departure Dec. 10, five days after their first official meeting.
“I came in with a truly open mind about all the directors and chiefs. And frankly, I wasn’t intending to make any quick decisions.”
Littmann said the need became apparent during roundtable discussions with department heads and key staffers. Lyles’ embarrassing use of an AI-generated legal citation in a court filing, he added, was not the trigger.
Dec. 9, 2-3 p.m.
City Dock Weekly
The project to remake City Dock dominated Littmann’s early calendar.
He met more than 25 times with architects, engineers, staff members and business owners to understand the biggest public works project in city history.
The plan to elevate the city’s waterfront public square as a flood barrier, and build green space and a maritime welcome center atop it, was $35 million short.
“It was, how do we make sure we get that $35 million and what do we do if we don’t?” Littmann said.
Littmann wrote U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Gov. Wes Moore to urge one more push to free the grant stuck at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. And he asked FEMA if the city could proceed without the grant.
FEMA approved the money March 4. The plan still faces lawsuits, although construction may settle everything.
Dec. 12, 5:30 p.m.
Call Karma
A former alderman, Littmann relies on council members when their interests align. He did it with Alderwoman Karma O’Neill to limit short-term rentals and suspend the Art in Public Places Commission.
“I cannot do everything by myself, and so to the extent where, that I have alignment with City Council members, I’ve asked them to take the lead.”
Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m.
Coffee with Joe Toolan
Littmann meets with candidates for the County Council seat representing Annapolis, but has no plans to endorse
Jan. 7, 1:30-1:45 p.m.
Jared calls Shaneka
His calendar is filled with notes like these — first-name phone calls, lunches and short meetings that require a degree in city life and politics to decipher.
Littmann’s first months include multiple brief conversations with state lawmakers, members of Congress, lawyers, lobbyists and dignitaries.
Shaneka is state Sen. Shaneka Henson.
Jan. 15, 3 p.m.
Budget brief
It’s the first calendar reference to the budget, giving him 88 days to pull together his first spending plan.
“I’m really focused on still providing better service, not just for the sake of providing better service, but for answering the calls and demands for service that people are expecting.”
Jan. 21, 6-8 p.m.
WORA meeting
The mayor kicks off a series of town hall meetings by attending the Ward One Residents Association at Metropolitan, a West Street restaurant co-owned by his predecessor, Gavin Buckley.
The first round runs through May, with a second set planned for later this year.
Jan. 26, 5 p.m.
APD letter decision
In a letter, Littmann asked Police Chief Edward Jackson to retire.
“I was asking the police chief to be aligned with my thinking on how we should proceed, and I felt strongly about that, of needing to be aligned, on how we, how we act in concert.”
Jackson refused and was fired the following Monday. The decision faced fierce criticism from the chief’s supporters.
Feb. 27, 9 a.m.
Premium Post parking
Parking fines and fees have been a consistent complaint since the city turned over enforcement to private companies.
“We’ve had bimonthly meetings ... talking about how can we get parking to be more predictable, more easy — easier, excuse me — and to be less punitive.”
One week after the meeting, the city launched its “Golden Pass,” providing two hours of free downtown parking for those 62 and older to help ease some complaints.
March 3, 10 a.m.
Watermark/ferry/landing
With the Trump administration’s shift away from electric vehicles, the proposed electric ferry connection between downtown Annapolis and Eastport is now a hybrid.
Littmann hasn’t decided to move forward, although the city already has $3 million in grants. One option is asking companies like Watermark, which operates water taxis and tours, for proposals.
“I’m trying to understand and assess,” Littmann said.
March 14, 9 a.m.
Neighborhood walk
Littmann began a series of neighborhood tours in Ward 6, centered on Eastport Terrace and Harbour House, two apartment complexes owned by the Housing Authority.
He called it a chance to see issues that normally don’t make it up to the mayor, like laundry rooms with machines that only take coins if they work at all.
“So, this is the living conditions for our city residents, and that’s very real to them.”
March 21, 5:15 p.m.
Birthday dinner for Marlene
The mayor schedules time with his wife, Marlene Niefeld, and their two children.
He said he often misses meals with his family, so they appear on his calendar as baseball games, phone calls and even birthday celebrations at a French restaurant in Baltimore.
He’s also joined a pickleball league.
April 1, 9 a.m.
Budget
Over a four-hour meeting, Littmann finalizes his budget plans with staff and department heads.
“It is, I think, reflective most, with a strong focus on what the department directors expressed as needs. It includes enhancements, meaning more spending on certain things. It includes cuts to things that I didn’t think work.”
April 13, 7 p.m.
State of the City
Littmann unveiled his budget proposal in an address before the City Council.
The $204.9 million budget includes no new taxes and a $29.1 million capital budget to cover 117 infrastructure projects.
“For this, my first State of the City, I want to start by talking about both the residents we serve and the dedicated staff who show up every day to keep the city moving forward.”
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