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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Howard County Council FY2027 Capital Budget Public Hearing - April 13, 2026

County Council & Boards — Monday, April 13, 2026

BodyHoward County, Maryland

SessionCounty Council & Boards

DateMonday, April 13, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:06:10

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

This webinar is being recorded and summarized.

0:06

Good evening, everyone.

0:07

Thank you all for being so patient.

0:09

We are having broadcasting issues, so we want to make sure everyone who's supposed to see us tonight, whether you're in person or virtual, or um being broadcast to uh Comcast or GTV, that you can all see us.

0:22

So that's so there may be I know right.

0:24

So there may be uh a little delay in our broadcasting, but we hope that you all join us uh shortly.

0:30

This is the council's first budget public hearing in which we will hear testimony for the FY 2027 executive proposed capital budget.

0:39

This evening is a hybrid meeting which is being conducted in person and via WebEx Teleconference.

0:44

It is also available to the public through live stream on the County Council website and broadcast, hopefully on channels 44 for Verizon and 1071 for Comcast.

0:54

Sign up to testify on the FY 2027 executive proposed capital budget.

0:59

That is the subject of this public hearing was done online and was available in person prior to the start of this session.

1:04

The cutoff for testimony sign up was at 6 p.m.

1:07

this evening.

1:08

The council will hold various work sessions for the FY2027 Capital and Operating Budget.

1:14

Agendas can be found on the council's website.

1:16

Please check our website regularly for updates of the various budget sessions taking place in April and May.

1:22

This time going to do a roll call of the council members.

1:25

Ms.

1:25

Rigby?

1:26

Here.

1:26

Miss Young.

1:28

Here.

1:29

Ms.

1:30

Walsh is with us virtually.

1:31

She'll be back in a second.

1:32

Mr.

1:32

Youngman.

1:34

Here.

1:35

And I am Opal Jones.

1:37

Good evening, everyone.

1:38

Before we begin this evening's proceedings, we will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:46

Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

1:51

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:55

Underground, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

2:08

All right.

2:09

We will now proceed with our first FY 2027 budget public hearing.

2:15

If there are any students with us virtual with us in person tonight or virtually, please come up to the front row so that we can call you to testify.

2:23

If you are virtual with us, please contact Isaiah Anderson by raising your hand on the WebEx or simply send him an email at I Anderson at Howard County MD.gov.

2:36

So if you're a student, you come up to the front row.

2:39

Please note that while we are receiving testimony this evening, we continue to receive written comments, which will be fully considered by the council prior to taking action.

2:48

Anyone who signed up to testify at this hearing will be called to testify.

2:51

When you are called upon to testify, please state your name in the city or town of your home address.

2:56

Representatives from nonprofit organizations will have up to five minutes to testify.

3:01

Individuals and other organizations have up to three minutes to testify.

3:05

Individuals who have indicated that they are testifying through an interpreter may be allowed a total of five minutes with interpretive translation.

3:12

You may not yield your time to another speaker.

3:14

You will be notified at the 30-second mark to begin wrapping up by the administrator, and then you will be notified when your time to speak is up.

3:21

You must conclude when your time is up.

3:23

If you have written testimony, you may also email it to CouncilMail at Howard County MD.gov.

3:30

Students, when you come forward, please state your name before beginning your testimony.

3:36

This evening, the council will hear testimony on the proposed FY2027 Capital Budget.

3:41

This includes capital projects in the following categories.

4:06

Okay.

4:07

Um first up.

4:09

You may come on up and just tell us what your your name and you can tell us uh what you're testifying for.

4:17

Hello, good evening.

4:22

Hello.

4:24

Awesome.

4:25

My name is Maybelle Liu, and I'm testifying in support of increasing educational access for students with disabilities.

4:34

Okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parks and Recreation██████████████████18%

Education Policy██████████████14%

Budget Equity Analysis█████████████13%

Arts And Culture██████████10%

Workforce Development█████████9%

Economic Development██████6%

Public Engagement██████6%

Affordable Housing██████6%

Disability Rights█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

Howard County Council FY2027 Capital Budget Public Hearing

The Howard County Council held a hybrid public hearing on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to receive testimony on the County Executive's proposed FY2027 Capital Budget. The budget covers capital projects for education (Howard County Public School System, Howard Community College, Howard County Library System) and general county functions (police, fire, recreation, roads, etc.). The council heard from 17 speakers, including students, nonprofit representatives, elected officials, and residents. No votes were taken; the hearing was solely for public input.

Public Comments & Testimony

Education – Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)

Maybelle Liu (junior, Marriotts Ridge High School, student leader of Branch Out) testified in support of expanding educational programs for students with disabilities and implementing an inclusive curriculum highlighting contributions of people with disabilities.
William Barnes (Superintendent, HCPSS) expressed appreciation for the council's partnership and strongly encouraged the council to fully fund the county executive's proposed $98.6 million capital budget allocation for the school system, calling it a move from a wish list to an action list. He noted the county executive's proposal fully funds the Board of Education's requests.
Dr. Lin Feng Chen (Board of Education member) expressed gratitude for the historic $98 million capital investment in school facilities, highlighting that most of the 80+ school buildings were built before 1980 and require significant renovations. He thanked the council and county executive for their collaborative approach.
Anthony De Bella (resident, Laura Holland) argued that Howard County Investment Income could generate an additional $10 million in FY27 to fund school budgets, recommending that the county executive allocate up to $34 million in investment income to fully fund both capital and operating budgets for HCPSS.

Education – Howard Community College (HCC)

Maureen Evans (VP of Government and External Affairs, HCC) thanked the council for funding and urged continued support for the county executive's proposed FY27 capital budget, which fully funds HCC's capital requests at $3 million for deferred maintenance and systemic renovations. She highlighted progress on the Kathy and Danny Bell Workforce Development Skilled Trade Center, which will start its first cohort in fall 2026.
Vivian Moore Lawyer (Chair, HCC Board of Trustees) stressed the importance of the capital request for maintaining campus infrastructure and supporting the Bell Center. She noted that more than one in five households in Howard County are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and that HCC awards more degrees than the next two institutions combined.

Education – Howard County Library System (HCLS)

Tonya Aikins (President and CEO, HCLS) provided data on the deteriorating condition of the current Central Library (45 years old): 72 facilities/maintenance requests since January 2024, 33 related to elevator issues; both elevators currently out of service; 143 HVAC work orders; five closures since 2024 due to unsafe conditions. She expressed gratitude for the council's December vote to acquire the lakefront site for a new Central Library and requested support for the county executive's capital budget, which includes no additional local funding for FY27.
Councilmember Deb Jung (District 4) expressed shock at the broken elevators, calling it an ADA issue, and asked whether a new elevator is in the capital request (it is not). She urged expedited action.
Rob Mints (Chair, HCLS Board of Trustees) emphasized that the current Central Library lacks adequate space for early literacy, teens (81% smaller teen space than smallest branch), and adult programming. He noted that a new library directly supports strategic goals and the county's priorities.
Ann Santos (Friends and Foundation of HCLS) thanked the council for approving land purchase negotiations and asked for approval of the capital budget with no new local funding needed for FY27. She described the current facility as an eyesore.
Angie Boiter (former president, Friends of HCLS) testified against the proposed lakefront library, arguing it would reduce access to open space at Lake Kittamaqundi and that funds should instead be invested in e-books. She called the e-book collection disgracefully small compared to Baltimore County.

General County Government

Jessica Zuniga (CEO, Benton Communities; VP, Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation) expressed strong support for the new Central Library at the lakefront, arguing it will accelerate affordable housing development in downtown Columbia under the 2016 Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA). She noted that only 15% of required 900 affordable housing units have been delivered one-third of the way through the 30-year plan.
Zach Dickerson (Track and Field Coordinator, HCPSS) advocated for building an indoor banked track facility in Howard County, saying it would be the first in the state, keep spending local, attract regional meets, and serve as a year-round community resource for health and wellness.
Kevin Chin (District 1 resident) testified in support of the $34 million for the Elkridge Community Center, noting Elkridge's 150% population growth since 2000 and the need for equitable capital investment in the community.

Discussion Items

No formal discussion or deliberation occurred among council members during the public hearing. Councilmember Deb Jung briefly questioned Tonya Aikins about elevator repairs and indicated she would pursue funding for a new elevator.

Key Outcomes

No votes or decisions were taken; the hearing was solely to receive public testimony.
The council will hold budget work sessions through April and May, including an April 27th session with HCC staff.
Written comments will be accepted and considered by the council prior to taking action on the FY2027 Capital Budget.

Meeting Transcript

This webinar is being recorded and summarized. Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for being so patient. We are having broadcasting issues, so we want to make sure everyone who's supposed to see us tonight, whether you're in person or virtual, or um being broadcast to uh Comcast or GTV, that you can all see us. So that's so there may be I know right. So there may be uh a little delay in our broadcasting, but we hope that you all join us uh shortly. This is the council's first budget public hearing in which we will hear testimony for the FY 2027 executive proposed capital budget. This evening is a hybrid meeting which is being conducted in person and via WebEx Teleconference. It is also available to the public through live stream on the County Council website and broadcast, hopefully on channels 44 for Verizon and 1071 for Comcast. Sign up to testify on the FY 2027 executive proposed capital budget. That is the subject of this public hearing was done online and was available in person prior to the start of this session. The cutoff for testimony sign up was at 6 p.m. this evening. The council will hold various work sessions for the FY2027 Capital and Operating Budget. Agendas can be found on the council's website. Please check our website regularly for updates of the various budget sessions taking place in April and May. This time going to do a roll call of the council members. Ms. Rigby? Here. Miss Young. Here. Ms. Walsh is with us virtually. She'll be back in a second. Mr. Youngman. Here. And I am Opal Jones. Good evening, everyone. Before we begin this evening's proceedings, we will recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Underground, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. We will now proceed with our first FY 2027 budget public hearing. If there are any students with us virtual with us in person tonight or virtually, please come up to the front row so that we can call you to testify. If you are virtual with us, please contact Isaiah Anderson by raising your hand on the WebEx or simply send him an email at I Anderson at Howard County MD.gov. So if you're a student, you come up to the front row. Please note that while we are receiving testimony this evening, we continue to receive written comments, which will be fully considered by the council prior to taking action. Anyone who signed up to testify at this hearing will be called to testify. When you are called upon to testify, please state your name in the city or town of your home address. Representatives from nonprofit organizations will have up to five minutes to testify. Individuals and other organizations have up to three minutes to testify. Individuals who have indicated that they are testifying through an interpreter may be allowed a total of five minutes with interpretive translation. You may not yield your time to another speaker. You will be notified at the 30-second mark to begin wrapping up by the administrator, and then you will be notified when your time to speak is up. You must conclude when your time is up. If you have written testimony, you may also email it to CouncilMail at Howard County MD.gov. Students, when you come forward, please state your name before beginning your testimony.

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