Overview

• Effective Dec. 1, Deputy Chief of Staff J.D. Merrill will become Scott’s fifth chief of staff since 2020, with current Chief of Staff Calvin Young moving to interim deputy mayor for community and economic development.
• The deputy mayor role has been vacant since Justin Williams left in August to lead the new Department of Permitting and Development Services after the city overhauled its permitting system.
• Scott cited “renewed economic uncertainty driven by the federal government” in explaining the reshuffle and said he is deploying trusted talent where it is needed most.
• Merrill has led emergency and programmatic work since 2023, including the city’s Key Bridge collapse response, the launch of the Office of Overdose Response, youth engagement efforts and vacant housing strategy projects.
• Young, a longtime ally who oversaw a budget that closed an $85 million deficit and led negotiations on a five‑year, $48 million PILOT deal with 14 nonprofits, shifts to focus on major economic initiatives, with compensation for the new roles still being determined according to Scott.