Anne Arundel County Council Work Session – January 13, 2026

On January 13, 2026, the Anne Arundel County Council held a work session. The transcript listed no agenda or minutes, so this summary is based entirely on the raw transcript. The session featured the superintendent’s annual school district update, presentations on two comprehensive rezoning plans, and review of several proposed bills. No final bill votes were taken during the work session.

Schools Update

• Superintendent Mark Bedell reported that Anne Arundel County Public Schools is the fourth-largest district in Maryland and 37th-largest in the U.S., with about 84,000 students. Demographics: 41.6% free and reduced-price meals (down from 45% last year), 12.5% special education, and 10.6% multilingual learners.
• Bedell said retention has improved: about 96% of instructional staff and 94.3% of non-instructional staff stayed. Teacher vacancies have fallen from nearly 300 in 2022 to 39 out of about 5,900 teachers. Food service worker vacancies (72) remain a challenge because of low wages and short hours.
• Chronic absenteeism declined from 25.3% in 2022 to 19.9%. On the state report card, 13% of AACPS schools earned five stars versus 7% statewide; 53% earned four stars or better, and 95% earned three stars or better versus 86% statewide.
• The district expanded PSAT/SAT access: required PSAT for all 9th and 10th graders, paid SAT for all 11th graders, and increased test takers from about 4,800 to about 15,600. Students meeting college/career readiness benchmarks rose from about 1,300 to 6,300. The number of National Merit scholars grew from 1 to 9.
• AP access and outcomes both rose: test takers grew from about 5,000 to 7,700, exams from about 9,000 to 14,000, and the share scoring 3 or better rose from 60.5% to 67.4% despite the larger pool.
• Bedell outlined future priorities: middle school transformation, a new dual-language immersion program at Maryland City, reducing early-release days, continuing magnet program evaluation, and protecting existing staff in a tight FY2027 budget. Board Chair Gloria Dent stressed the district’s “belonging, grow, and succeeding” vision and ongoing operational pressures.
• In council discussion, Councilmember Smith asked about discipline data. Bedell said discipline referrals and out-of-school suspensions increased at elementary and middle schools but decreased at high schools; he said staff would meet later that day about elementary student behavior. Councilmembers also discussed cell phone rules, SAT prep availability, class-size funding limits, AP equity across schools, Algebra I results, and pre-K expansion. Chief Financial Officer Matt Stanski said pre-K expansion continued but tier-one enrollment declined this year.

Legislative Bills Reviewed

• Bill 97-25 (Veterans Affairs Commission): Administration bill to expand the commission’s scope from veterans to active-duty military members and their families, aligning with the state Department of Veterans and Military Families. Co-sponsors added: Councilmembers Pickard, Fiedler, Smith, and Chair Hummer. Administration agreed to clarify that the definition includes National Guard and Reserve members.
• Bill 98-25 (Public Works, Traffic, Zoning Signs): Administration recap of proposed modernized sign code aimed at constitutional, content-neutral regulation, expanded definitions, more commercial flexibility, and reduced variances. Proposed amendments include moving off-site directional sign review from OPC to DPW and removing an outdated fee, and expanding in-kind replacement for older signs without permitting records. Discussion clarified that temporary signs in the public right-of-way would be limited to weekends and holidays, while large temporary signs on private property are limited to three 60-day periods; small non-event temporary signs have no fixed end date. Political signs in the right-of-way would not be allowed on primary election day if it is not a weekend or holiday, but signs placed with property-owner permission at polling places are unaffected.
• Bill 99-25 (Right-to-Farm Disclosure): Council bill supported by the Agricultural Commission requiring buyers of property in RA or RLD zoning, or within 500 feet of an agricultural operation, to sign a disclosure about the right to farm and associated rights/responsibilities; it also clarifies dispute procedures. Administration supports the bill, citing similar laws in Queen Anne’s and Calvert Counties and the goal of preventing nuisance complaints.
• Bill 12-25 (Project Labor Agreements): Sponsor Smith sought a public conversation about PLAs. Under the bill as introduced, PLAs would affect county projects over $10 million; DPW identified about 67 such projects, or about 17 if the threshold were raised to $35 million, as administration suggested. Administration raised concerns about IRS/employment-law language, staff capacity, and the existing lack of a PLA ban. Councilmembers discussed procurement improvements, prevailing wage, and the possibility of an ad hoc committee or work group to study best practices. No vote was taken.
• Bill 101-25 (Landlord-Tenant Eviction Process): Chair Hummer’s bill would set a fixed 10-day eviction date, allow locks to be changed with the sheriff present, and keep belongings inside rather than placing them on a public roadside. It would also remove the need for landlords to have movers on standby. Hummer said reclamation-period details and safety concerns, including feedback from the Maryland Multi-Housing Association, are still being worked out with the Office of Law and the Sheriff. Administration and ACDS expressed support.
• Late Item – College Parkway/MPDU bill (sponsor Councilmember Fiedler): Fiedler described a proposal responding to a Broadneck Peninsula property that changed from 74 planned homes to roughly 135 townhomes using the Housing Attainability Act density bonus. Her bill would tie MPDU/density-bonus approval in a five-mile radius around College Parkway to a Level of Service B standard until the Bay Bridge replacement is complete. Administration opposed the bill, saying it would place a broad moratorium on moderately priced dwelling units, that LOS B is practically infeasible, and that Bay Bridge replacement will occur sequentially over a long period. Fiedler said she would follow up with absent colleagues and asked whether changes to the radius or LOS grade could be acceptable.
• Bill 626 (Indoor Rifle, Pistol, Skeet, and Archery Ranges): Sponsor was not present. Administration said it offered feedback on an earlier draft and is comfortable with the revised bill. No council questions were raised.

General Development Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Presentations

• Planning staff presented Bill 126-25 (Region 6: Crownsville/part of Millersville) and Bill 226-25 (Region 8: South County) along with companion comprehensive zoning maps. Outreach included more than 39,000 mailings, community questionnaires, focus interviews, stakeholder advisory committee meetings, and public open houses.
• Region 6 recommendations generally preserve low-density and rural character. Key changes include expanded open-space zoning, targeted zoning around the Crownsville Hospital site to support a future master plan, town-center zoning for properties in the Parole Town Center, and a W3 recommendation for a long-operating rubble-processing facility on Crownsville Road. Disagreements were noted among OPZ, SAC, and PAB on several commercial requests along Generals Highway and at Millersville Road/Maryland 3.
• Region 8 recommendations are driven by the repeated public message “Keep South County Rural.” Most changes align zoning with existing open space or agricultural use; holding capacity analysis shows enough housing capacity under current zoning through 2040. Staff highlighted only a small number of contested items, including a Davidsonville R1 transition area, a Governor Bridge Road property, Homestead Gardens, and a Lothian intersection where OPZ ultimately recommended retaining RA zoning due to safety and traffic concerns.
• Staff demonstrated the online comprehensive zoning web viewer available at aacounty.org/region6 and aacounty.org/region8. No votes were taken on the plans; the council expects to work on them over the next 45 days.

Key Outcomes

• No final legislative votes occurred during the work session.
• Co-sponsors were added to Bill 97-25, and a clarification was requested for National Guard/Reserve coverage.
• Administration announced opposition to Councilmember Fiedler’s late MPDU/College Parkway bill, while pledging to consider possible adjustments internally.
• Administration raised technical and policy concerns with Bill 12-25 (PLAs), and council discussion pointed toward possible amendments or a future work group.
• The council adjourned until Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. for its next legislative session.