This post is from eyeonannapolis.com <p><a href=”https://abcannapolis.org”>Annapolitans for a Better Community</a> (ABC), a local non-partisan advocacy group, has kicked off a petition drive to place two referendum questions on the City of Annapolis’ November 2025 ballot. The grassroots effort seeks to let voters decide on reducing the homestead property tax credit cap for homeowners and making city elections more inclusive by allowing non-affiliated registered voters an opportunity to vote in the City primary. Organizers emphasize that signing these petitions is not an endorsement of either measure’s merits but simply a step to put the issues before voters for a public decision. The campaign underscores ABC’s broader mission of promoting good governance and civic engagement in Annapolis.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Community Group Pushes Good Governance Reforms</h2>

<p><a href=”https://abcannapolis.org”>ABC </a> is a group of “nonpartisan, community-minded residents” focused on improving city governance and quality of life. The organization has been active in city fiscal issues – from scrutinizing budgets to proposing cost-saving measures – and advocates for transparent, effective management in the City of Annapolis. . Many ABC members serve on city committees and commissions, staying informed to make policy recommendations, and the group welcomes concerned neighbors to join in its advocacy efforts. The current petition drive reflects ABC’s philosophy of citizen empowerment through referendums and accountable government.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Ballot Initiative: Lowering the Homestead Property Tax Cap</h2>

<p><a href=”https://abcannapolis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Voter-Homestead-Tax-Assessment-APR-22-version.pdf”>One petition spearheaded by ABC would reduce Annapolis’s homestead property tax credit cap from 10% to 2%</a>. This cap limits how much the assessed value of an owner-occupied home can rise for tax purposes each year. The proposed change – from the city’s current 10% annual assessment growth limit down to 2% – mirrors the cap already in place in surrounding Anne Arundel County. Under state law, local jurisdictions can set a cap lower than the default 10% to provide a bigger tax credit, and Anne Arundel County uses a 2% limit (as does the small adjacent town of Highland Beach). By contrast, Annapolis has continued using the maximum 10%, leading to significantly higher taxable assessments for city homeowners over time. ABC argues the difference has made the city increasingly unaffordable for many residents and put Annapolis at a “competitive disadvantage” for homeowners on fixed incomes.</p>

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<div class=”wp-block-button”><a class=”wp-block-button__link wp-element-button” href=”https://abcannapolis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Voter-Homestead-Tax-Assessment-APR-22-version.pdf” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Dowlnload Petition</a></div>
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<p>If the voters approve the referendum, the City Council would then have to amend City Code so that homestead tax assessments could only increase by up to 2% per year, effectively capping the annual growth of taxable home value at a much lower rate. The voter approval does not automatically change the City Code. The intent is to provide property tax relief by slowing the rise of tax bills for owner-occupants. “The ballot question proposes to limit the annual growth of property assessments on eligible properties in the City of Annapolis to 2%, rather than the current 10% limitation,” the petition summary explains. ABC leaders frame the measure as long-overdue alignment with county policy: “The vast majority of counties and municipalities in Maryland” already use a homestead cap below 10%, and Annapolis should “adopt the same 2% rate… to align the City with Anne Arundel County”.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Ballot Initiative: Nonpartisan Elections and Open Primaries</h2>

<p>The second petition championed by ABC calls for making City of Annapolis elections more inclusive, which would allow all registered voters to participate in primary elections regardless of party affiliation. Currently, Annapolis holds partisan municipal elections – candidates run as Democrats or Republicans – meaning only voters registered with those parties can vote in primaries. Independents and third-party voters (about 28% of Annapolis’s electorate) are barred from voting in the crucial primary round under the present system. ABC’s proposal would change the city’s elections process to format that is already standard in most Maryland municipalities. In fact, only three cities in the state (Baltimore, Frederick, and Annapolis) still use completely partisan local elections, a recent Annapolis City charter review noted.</p>

<p>With this change to be more inclusive of City registered voters, Annapolis would hold essentially a primary where a registered non-affiliated voters could participate in the primary by selecting a ballot from one of the respective parties. This reform is intended to enfranchise thousands of unaffiliated voters and potentially broaden and improve the candidate pool for local elections.</p>

<p>Past City of Annapolis charter commissions, in 1996, 2002, 2013, and again in 2023, have recommended nonpartisan elections as a way to prioritize local issues over party politics and improve fairness for independent voters. Those recommendations were never adopted by the City Council, but ABC is now pressing to at least create a more inclusive primary system. The group points out that all taxpayers fund primary elections, yet currently a significant segment of residents are unable to vote in them – an inequity they believe the city can no longer justify. If the measure reaches the ballot and is approved, any qualified voter in Annapolis, regardless of party registration, would be able to cast a vote in city primaries for Mayor and Aldermen.<strong> <em>Please note that the petition for this initiative is currently under review for legal compliance.</em></strong></p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Petition Drive: Signatures to Put Issues on the Ballot</h2>

<p>For each of these two initiatives to appear on the 2025 general election ballot, state law requires a successful petition by city voters. Annapolitans for a Better Community has set a June 30, 2025, deadline to collect roughly 2,600 signatures – representing 10% of the city’s registered voters – on each petition. Additionally, at least 250 signatures must come from each of the city’s eight wards to ensure broad geographic support. If these thresholds are met, the questions on the homestead tax credit cap and nonpartisan elections will be certified for inclusion on the November 6, 2025 Annapolis ballot.</p>

<p><a href=”https://abcannapolis.org”>ABC </a> is actively circulating the petitions through community events and downloadable forms on its website (Homestead Property Tax Cap | Non-Partisan Elections). The organization stresses that signing a petition does not equate to endorsing or voting “yes” on the change itself – it simply enables the referendum to be presented to all voters. “If you agree this matter should come before the City’s voters in the November 2025 General Election, please [sign],” the instructions to the public read. Residents can choose to sign one, both, or neither petition. Only City of Annapolis residents are eligible to sign, and each signature must be witnessed by another individual as required by Maryland election law. The collected paper petitions will then be submitted to the city and verified by election authorities. ABC’s goal is simply to empower voters to make the final call on these issues at the ballot box, regardless of one’s personal stance.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Broader Agenda: Transparency, Ethics, Fiscal Policy, and Citizen Engagement</h2>

<p>These ballot initiatives align with ABC’s wider platform of government reform and citizen involvement. The volunteer-led group has long advocated for greater transparency, ethics, and accountability in City Hall, stronger fiscal responsibility, and expanded civic engagement in local decision-making. For example, ABC members have raised concerns about opaque budgeting and planning, notably criticizing a recent $ 100 million+ City Dock redevelopment plan for “deflecting key facts” about funding sources and trade-offs during the public process. The organization frequently weighs in on Annapolis’s budgets and expenditures, urging prudent fiscal policies that keep the city affordable for residents.<br><a href=”https://abcannapolis.org”>ABC</a> is interested in exploring other governance reforms and welcomes citizen input and participation. Overall, ABC’s leadership says their goal is to “improve governance and fiscal policy in the City of Annapolis,” empowering average citizens in the process. By pushing initiatives such as the tax credit cap and nonpartisan elections, the organization aims to make city government more responsive, efficient, and inclusive.</p>