Howard County Council Legislative Session – July 6, 2026

The Howard County Council met virtually on July 6, 2026, for its legislative session. The meeting included introduction of new legislation, final consideration of previously introduced bills, and votes on multiple appointments and financial measures. Key debates centered on a bill to establish official days of commemoration, a bill requiring administrative agency appearances before the Board of Appeals, and a bill requiring annual reporting of student yields from PILOT developments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Journal and Minutes: The journal from the June 1, 2026 legislative session and minutes from closed sessions on June 1 and June 8, 2026 and the public hearing on June 15, 2026 were approved. Councilmember Walsh abstained on the minutes due to lack of review. The rest voted yes (4-0-1).
• Appointments (Final Consideration): Council Resolutions CR100-2026 through CR103-2026 (appointments to Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission, Commission for Women, and La Alianza Latina Commission) were approved unanimously.
• Financial Bills (Final Consideration):
  • CB40-2026 (lease of 38,285 sq ft at 7138 Columbia Gateway Drive) – approved unanimously.
  • CB41-2026 (fourth amendment to lease at 6095 Marshalee Drive, Elkridge) – approved unanimously.
  • CB42-2026 (issuance of up to $18,169,588 in water infrastructure bonds) – approved unanimously.
  • CR104-2026 (endorsing state financing for First Source Electronics) – approved unanimously.
  • CR105-2026 (adopting HUD Annual Action Plan) – approved unanimously.
• Tabled Appointment: CR56-2026 (appointment of J. Jason Zhao to Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission) was removed from the table and approved unanimously.

Introduced Legislation

• Appointments: CR108-2026 through CR119-2026 (seven appointments and six reappointments to various boards and commissions) were introduced.
• Financial:
  • CB46-2026 (emergency act increasing HCPSS capital budget by $6,068,000 due to additional state aid).
  • TAO1-FY2027 (transferring $2,947,000 among school roofing projects).
  • CB47-2026 (authorizing $2,947,000 in bonds for school capital projects).
  • CR120-2026 (amending Board of Education operating budget: general fund increase of $6,818,972, restricted funds increase of $21,287,647).
• General:
  • CR121-2026 (endorsing Elkridge as a Sustainable Community).
  • CR122-2026 (delegating environmental review authority to Director of Housing).
  • CR123-2026 (conveying 48.635 acres at Troy Park to Board of Education for future school).
  • CB48-2026 (Clean Air Integrity Act, introduced by Councilmember Rigby, modifying smoking prohibitions).

Discussion Items

• CB43-2026 – Howard County Designated Days of Commemoration: Introduced by Council Chair Jones, this bill establishes an official list of days of commemoration to recognize the religious, ethnic, and cultural heritage of county residents. During debate, Councilmember Jung asked whether commemoration would trigger a prohibition on meetings (citing County Code §6-305). The Office of Law clarified that commemoration alone does not restrict meetings; separate action would be required for closures or meeting prohibitions. Councilmember Walsh noted that commemoration did not imply cessation of government business. The bill passed unanimously (5-0).
• CB44-2026 – Board of Appeals: Administrative Agency Required to Appear: Introduced by Councilmember Walsh, this bill requires a representative from the administrative agency (e.g., Department of Planning and Zoning) to appear before the Board of Appeals when named as a party. An amendment clarifying circumstances was approved. During the final vote, Councilmember Jung explained her no vote, citing lack of similar requirements in other counties. Councilmember Walsh expressed strong support, arguing the Board of Appeals is “reckless and lawless” and that this was a needed process fix. The motion to approve CB44 as amended failed, despite a 3-2 vote in favor (Jung, Rigby, Walsh in favor; Jones, Yungmann opposed). (Note: The Chair declared the motion failed, though the tally showed a majority in favor – a discrepancy in the transcript.)
• CB45-2026 – Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreements: Reporting Student Yields: Introduced by Councilmember Walsh, this bill requires the Director of Housing and Community Development to include annual reporting of student yields from housing developments with approved PILOT agreements. Two amendments were considered: Amendment One (from the administration) clarified that the director receives student generation data from the school system. Amendment One to Amendment One (sponsored by Councilmember Jung) required the director to obtain actual student yield data from HCPSS, modeled after the school capacity chart requirement. Both amendments passed. On final passage, Councilmember Rigby voted no, stating the bill unfairly targets affordable housing developments. Councilmember Walsh argued that data from PILOT projects (e.g., Robertson Overlook) is needed to inform school capacity costs. Councilmember Yungmann supported the bill, noting that targeting government-subsidized housing is fair. The motion to approve CB45 as amended passed (4-1, with Rigby opposed).
• CR106-2026 – Adopting School Capacity Chart: Passed 4-1 (Walsh no).
• CR107-2026 – Adopting Housing Unit Allocation Chart: Passed 3-2 (Jung and Walsh no).

Key Outcomes

• Approved:
  • Journal and minutes (with one abstention).
  • All introduced appointments (CR108-119) – set for public hearing July 20.
  • Final consideration appointments: CR100-103, CR56 (all unanimous).
  • Financial bills: CB40, CB41, CB42, CR104, CR105 (all unanimous).
  • CB43 (Days of Commemoration) – passed unanimously.
  • CB45 (PILOT student yield reporting) – passed 4-1.
  • CR106 (School Capacity Chart) – passed 4-1.
  • CR107 (Housing Unit Allocation Chart) – passed 3-2.
• Failed:
  • CB44 (Board of Appeals administrative agency appearance) – motion failed even though three members voted in favor. The transcript shows a 3-2 vote but the Chair declared it failed.
• Next Steps: A public hearing for introduced legislation is scheduled for July 20, 2026 at 7 p.m. (hybrid). A work session may be held July 27, 2026 at 10 a.m. if needed.