Anne Arundel County Council Legislative Session (April 20, 2026)

The Anne Arundel County Council held a legislative session on April 20, 2026, covering a wide range of topics including proclamations, public comments, land use and zoning amendments, affordable housing tax credits, ethics reform, and a sewer moratorium. The session featured multiple public hearings, votes on resolutions and bills, and consideration of a veto override.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution 726 designating April 30, 2026 as National Therapy Animal Day was adopted unanimously (7-0) following a brief public hearing and comments from handlers.
• Minutes of the April 6, 2026 legislative session were approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Invitation to Audience (Freetown community concerns):
  • Dayan McLaren Johnson (resident of Freetown) spoke about preserving the legacy of Freetown, one of the oldest Black communities in Anne Arundel County, opposing overdevelopment that disregards Plan 2040's designation of the area for neighborhood preservation. Emphasized 'Freetown is not just land, it's legacy.'
  • Deborah Spears (Freetown resident) expressed concern that building 177 homes to get only '30-something affordable homes' gives builders permission to disregard zoning rules and infrastructure capacity.
  • Beverly Giles, Pastor Jackie Bell, Colin Nemhart, and others testified against the scale of the development, citing traffic congestion on Route 3 and St. Stephen's Church Road, impact on schools, and incompatibility with the rural character of the community.
  • Kurt Svenson (retired county budget officer) testified on impact fee methodology, alleging government capture in the 2023 cost study that reduced attributed travel miles per home from 32 to 7.83 per day.
• Public Hearing on Bills 1726 and 1826 (Region 5 Plan and Zoning):
  • Numerous residents spoke against proposed rezonings (e.g., 2419 Blooming Way, Brandy Farms, St. Stephen's Church Road area), arguing that higher densities (R5) contradict Plan 2040, would worsen traffic, strain infrastructure, and alter neighborhood character. They requested maintaining low-density (R1, RLD) zoning.
  • Speakers included Janice Delph, James LaRoc, Andrea Lauf, Jason Hay, Fred Circo, Oliver Bell, and others who described the rural nature, safety concerns, and cumulative impacts of nearby projects.
  • Nika Kelly asked about subdivision of family property on Evergreen Road to build additional homes.
• Public Hearing on Bill 2326 (Campaign Contributions/Ethics):
  • Multiple speakers (Alpha Stevens for League of Women Voters, Mary Beth Love, Matt Johnston, Andy Plattner, James Kitchen, Kyle Nimhart, others) voiced strong support for the bill, calling it a good governance measure to increase transparency and reduce undue influence of developer money in land-use decisions. No opposition was voiced.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 826 (Electric Hybrid Bus Grant Appropriation): Ethan Hunt (Administration) requested appropriation of $900,551 federal grant to purchase one electric hybrid bus, replacing originally planned four buses due to supply chain and tariff delays. Council members discussed costs: county share $180,000 vs. estimated $350,000+ for a standard diesel bus. Concerns included high per-bus cost (~$1M vs. ~$350,000 for diesel), delivery timeline (12-13 months), and whether hybrid options are preferable. Supporters cited maintenance savings (Ms. Rodvian noted her electric car's low costs) and environmental benefits, plus the need to retain federal funds.
• Bill 926 (Battery Energy Storage Systems Zoning): Sponsored by Ms. Fiedler, the bill adds new use to zoning charts, aligned with state code. A public hearing had one speaker (Adam Dobitsky of Land and Liberty Coalition) in strong support, citing grid benefits, no cost to ratepayers, and revenue for county.
• Amendments to Bills 1726 and 1826 (Region 5):
  • Amendment 4 to 1826 (Evergreen Road mining expansion): Changed zoning from RLD to RA to allow sand/gravel mining on ~99 acres, reducing truck traffic by sourcing materials on-site. Administration noted some tree-clearing preempted by state law. Passed 6-1.
  • Amendment 2 to 1726 (Brandy Farms, 8.7 acres to R5): Failed 3-4 after extensive debate. Council members expressed difficulty: property owner wanted development after losing memory care facility; community opposed density. Some wished for R2 compromise but that option was not available.
  • Amendment 1 to 1726 and Amendment 3 to 1826 (Route 3 commercial rezoning): Later reconsidered and adopted unanimously after property owner obtained signatures from nearby residents, confirming support for the change to C4/C2 highway commercial for an auto restoration use.
• Bills 2026, 2126, 2226 (PILOTs for Affordable Housing): Three PILOT agreements for affordable rental projects (Homes at Shelley, Glen Burnie; Odenton Junction 4 and 9) were approved, each with 40-year terms, 4% annual payment increases. Projects serve households at 30-80% AMI. All passed on similar 4-3 votes, with Ms. Ledbetter and Mr. Volkey in opposition consistently citing fiscal concerns.
• Bill 2326 (Ethics: Campaign Contribution Limits): Sponsored by Ms. Rodvian, the bill would restrict contributions from developers when land-use decisions are pending. Administration and all testifiers supported it. However, the bill failed 2-5 (only Ms. Rodvian and Ms. Fiedler in support) after an amendment to delay effective date (to avoid affecting current election cycle) failed for lack of a second.
• Bill 2426 (Sewer Moratorium): Sponsored by Mr. Volkey, aimed to codify a moratorium on new development due to sewer capacity issues. Administration argued it was unnecessary. The bill failed 3-4.
• Veto Override: The council overrode the county executive's veto of Amendment 3 to Bill 426 (Governor Bridge Road rezoning from RA to RLD), which allows existing homes on the parcel but restricts further subdivision. Override passed unanimously (7-0).

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 726 adopted (7-0) recognizing April 30, 2026 as National Therapy Animal Day.
• Resolution 826 adopted (5-2) appropriating grant funds for one electric hybrid bus.
• Bill 926 adopted (7-0) zoning for battery energy storage systems.
• Amendments to Region 5 bills: Amendment 4 to 1826 (mining expansion) adopted (6-1); Amendment 1 to 1726 and companion Amendment 3 to 1826 (Route 3 commercial) adopted (unanimous) after reconsideration; Amendment 2 to 1726 (Brandy Farms residential density) failed (3-4). The Region 5 plan and zoning bills as amended will be heard again on May 4, 2026.
• PILOT bills: Bill 2026 (Shelley) passed 4-3; Bill 2126 (Odenton Jct 4) passed 4-3; Bill 2226 (Odenton Jct 9) passed 4-3.
• Bill 2326 (ethics) failed 2-5.
• Bill 2426 (sewer moratorium) failed 3-4.
• Veto override of Amendment 3 to Bill 426 succeeded (7-0), implementing the council's zoning decision.
• The council moved into closed session to discuss personnel matters.