Politics

Citing a judge’s ruling that Annapolis does not have enough police officers for its population, the Annapolis Police Department and the city’s Office of Law say they will no longer sign off on major construction projects in Maryland’s capital. The policy change has indefinitely stalled all in-process major construction projects that had not yet received what’s called an adequate public facilities certificate. Since 2005, those certificates have been required to affirm that Annapolis has sufficient public services to support the new construction, including sewer systems, stormwater management facilities and police officers. The city’s adequate public facilities ordinance mandates that a minimum of 3.2 police officers be employed for every 1,000 residents.

Maryland’s Gov.-elect Wes Moore announced additional Cabinet appointments on Tuesday, a day before he’s scheduled to be sworn in as governor. Salisbury Mayor Jake Day will be the housing and community development secretary, the incoming administration announced. Kevin Atticks has been named the state’s agriculture secretary. Atticks founded Grow & Fortify to support value-added agricultural organizations and the businesses they represent. Moore also has appointed Serena McIlwain to be the state’s environment secretary. She has served as undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Baltimore Deputy Mayor Faith Leach has been named city administrator, the second person to hold the newly created post in the city. Leach, the deputy mayor of equity, health and human services, joined the administration in 2021. She has been a visible representative for Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott, leading the city’s outreach programs to squeegee workers and working on the city’s guaranteed income pilot program. The appointment announced Tuesday requires confirmation from the Baltimore City Council. Scott said in a news release that Leach has proved herself as a “transformational leader.”

Former Del. Brooke Lierman of Baltimore City made history Monday as Maryland’s 34th comptroller and the first woman ever elected to the position. During a nearly 45-minute ceremony outside the Goldstein Treasury Building in Annapolis, Lierman thanked her family, former General Assembly colleagues and Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who conducted one of his final official duties as governor to swear in Lierman.

Similar to Maryland’s outgoing governor, Wes Moore is slated to take office next week without any legislative experience, creating an environment where those around the state’s chief executive have a particularly important role to play. This week, Gov.-Elect Wes Moore, whose inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 18, filled out more of his team, announcing the appointment of 10 cabinet secretaries to lead the state’s executive branch agencies. One of the secretaries is a Maryland senator, seven were state residents and at least five have worked in D.C.