Howard County Council Legislative Session Day #14 – October 30, 2026: Final Legislative Wrap-Up

The Howard County Council held its final legislative wrap-up session on Friday, October 30, 2026, as a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting. The Council gave final consideration to previously introduced appointments and legislation, disposed of tabled bills, and delivered closing remarks. Councilmembers present were Opel Jones, Deb Jung, Christiana Rigby, Liz Walsh, and David Yungmann. The agenda listed a 10:00 AM start.

Consent Calendar

• Approved, unanimously, the journal of the October 5, 2026 legislative session and the October 19, 2026 emergency legislative session.
• Approved, unanimously, the minutes of the October 13 monthly meeting, the October 13 joint meeting with the Board of Education, the October 14 special meeting, and the October 19 legislative public hearing.
• Approved, unanimously, a block of 24 appointment and reappointment resolutions: CR163-2026 through CR167-2026, CR169-2026 through CR179-2026, CR181-2026 through CR187-2026, and CR195-2026. These covered appointments to the Multimodal Transportation Board, Interfaith Advisory Commission, Opioid Restitution Fund Commission, Commission on Disabilities, Cemetery Preservation Advisory Board, Commission for Veterans and Military Families, Adult-Use Cannabis Advisory Panel, LGBTQIA+ Commission, Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, SMART Data Center Task Force, Human Rights Commission, Pension Oversight Commission, and Historic Preservation Commission.
• Approved, unanimously, CR168-2026 as amended, appointing Deacon Allen R. Greene to the Cemetery Preservation Advisory Board; Amendment 1 corrected the name used in the appointment.
• Voted unanimously to withdraw CR180-2026, appointing Margaret Melikian to the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Approved, unanimously, CR188-2026 (Department of Police adoption rates for cats and dogs), CR189-2026 (endorsing State financing for Saval Foods LLC), CR193-2026 (conveying about 0.477 acres along Route 1 to the State Highway Administration for the US 1 Pedestrian Safety Action Plan), and CR194-2026 (Board of Education FY2028 submission to the Interagency Commission on School Construction).
• Approved CB60-2026 by 4-0-1, with Councilmember Rigby abstaining, authorizing a multi-year installment purchase agreement to acquire development rights on approximately 62.98 acres at 2698 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine, from the Eugene A. Freeze Revocable Trust for a maximum purchase price of $2,363,100, or no more than $37,520 per acre.

Discussion Items

• CB61-2026 (FEMA/MDE floodplain provisions update): Amendment 1 corrected the agency reference to the Maryland Department of the Environment, required that floodway encroachment not increase flood levels, prohibited using Conditional Letters of Map Revision based on fill to justify otherwise prohibited floodway development, and allowed certain essential Department of Public Works functions such as wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations under conditions. The amendment and bill as amended passed unanimously.
• CB62-2026 (FY2027 Pay Plan specialty pay for Police Captains): Approved unanimously.
• CB63-2026 (new executive exempt Police Colonel position) and CB64-2026 (Pay Plan and Classification Plan amendment for Police Colonel): Both were tabled unanimously. Councilmember Jones said CB63 would expire on December 14, 2026, if not extended, and could be refiled.
• CB66-2026 (Zoning Board procedures): Amendment 1, approved unanimously, made each of the four code changes contingent on the Zoning Board adopting corresponding rule changes at its meeting in two weeks; otherwise the code changes would have no further effect. The bill as amended passed unanimously.
• CB67-2026 (senior property tax credit): An amendment added an annual statement of eligibility for automatic renewal of the senior tax credit, to be administered by the Department of Finance. The amendment and the bill as amended passed unanimously. Beginning in Tax Year 2027, the bill increases the maximum senior property tax credit from 25 percent to 50 percent of eligible county property taxes owed after the homestead credit is applied, and it adds the automatic renewal process. Councilmember Jones thanked HCCA and Alan Schneider for testimony and guidance; Councilmember Jung questioned the difference from the aging-in-place senior tax credit and later noted that the aging-in-place credit still requires a three-page application.
• CB68-2026 (Public Ethics Law confidentiality and technical corrections): Councilmember Jung described the bill's origin in an Ethics Commission request and quoted Ethics Commission Chair Matthew Gallagher's public hearing testimony that the legislation would discourage weaponization of the complaint process. The agenda listed Councilmember Rigby as co-sponsor, but Jung stated Rigby had removed herself as co-sponsor. Councilmember Jones moved to table the bill for the next Council, citing concerns that the county ethics code is too narrow. The motion to table passed 3-2 (Jones, Rigby, and Walsh in favor; Jung and Yungmann opposed).
• CB69-2026 (Inspector General as custodian of Howard County Government public records): Councilmember Jung argued the Inspector General has a right to full access, voters approved the Office of Inspector General charter amendment with 85 percent support in November 2024, and the Inspector General has been denied access to 50 categories of records. She also said no case law prohibits designating the Inspector General as a custodian. County Office of Law counsel said the timing of rulings does not change the controlling effect of the 2011 Shropshire decision, that a circuit court ruling is lower than the Maryland Supreme Court, and that the county is preempted by state law; counsel also stated no case law prohibits making the Inspector General a custodian. Councilmember Jones opposed, saying the issue should be resolved under the Maryland Public Information Act at the state level, that Inspector General Kelly Madigan still has broad record access, and that the bill had not received legal sufficiency. Jung disputed that, saying the bill was not found legally insufficient. Councilmember Rigby opposed, saying county law is preempted by state law, two conflicting court decisions exist, and the bill would put county employees in conflict with state law. Councilmember Yungmann opposed, saying the state should fix the problem and he would testify for legislation by Delegate Chao Wu. Councilmember Walsh supported the bill. The bill failed 2-3 (Jung and Walsh yes; Jones, Rigby, and Yungmann no).

Tabled Legislation Reconsidered

• CR131-2026 (Mary O. Barton, Interfaith Advisory Commission) and CR149-2026 (Meg Boyd, SMART Data Center Task Force) were removed from the table and approved unanimously.
• CB58-2026 (grants for construction and real property): The Council voted 3-2 to remove the bill from the table (Jung, Walsh, and Yungmann in favor; Jones and Rigby opposed). Amendment 1 to Amendment 1, approved 3-2, narrowed the bill to new requirements for grants involving purchase, construction, or redevelopment of real property, including a detailed scope of work, performance outcomes and metrics, long-term public-use requirements, financial performance security, at least a 25 percent private or non-county source match, no lump-sum grant disbursement in one payment, and a minimum two-year operating history for recipient nonprofits. Councilmember Jung cited the $25 million grant to Columbia Community Concepts for the Source Community Center as an example of insufficient oversight. Amendment 1 as amended passed 3-2, and CB58 as amended was approved 3-2, with Councilmember Rigby voting no and saying the matter deserved a more serious process and that nonprofits and the hospital had raised concerns.
• CB59-2026 (solar collector facilities temporary hold): The Council unanimously removed the bill from the table. Amendment 1 to Amendment 1, approved unanimously, removed the moratorium language and the requirement to push existing projects back into the conditional use process. The amended bill instead requires an interagency meeting that includes the State Attorney General's office and County Office of Law, shortens the Department of Planning and Zoning report timeframe, requires an Agricultural Board meeting and a public meeting, and includes an uncodified request for an Attorney General opinion on whether the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (HB 1036) preempts County authority over Agricultural Preservation easement properties. The bill as amended passed 3-2 (Jung, Walsh, and Yungmann in favor; Jones and Rigby opposed). Chair Jones said he remained concerned about solar delays despite the removed moratorium; Councilmember Rigby said RECA still left unresolved issues and state advocacy would be needed.

Key Outcomes

• Senior property tax credit cap increased from 25 percent to 50 percent for Tax Year 2027, with an automatic renewal statement process; approved unanimously.
• Police Colonel position and pay bills (CB63-2026 and CB64-2026) were tabled unanimously; CB63 is expected to expire December 14, 2026, unless refiled.
• Inspector General records custodian bill (CB69-2026) failed 2-3.
• Public Ethics Law confidentiality bill (CB68-2026) was tabled 3-2 for the next Council.
• Grants oversight bill (CB58-2026) was approved as amended 3-2.
• Solar review process bill (CB59-2026) was approved as amended 3-2 after the moratorium was removed.
• CB60-2026 agricultural easement purchase was approved 4-0-1.
• All other final-consideration appointments and uncontested resolutions/bills were approved.
• This was the final legislative session for the outgoing council body, and members delivered farewell remarks before adjournment.

Closing Remarks

• Chair Opel Jones thanked residents, staff, and family, and highlighted legislation he sponsored or co-sponsored, including the racial equity task force, the disposable bag fee, minimum wage legislation, cannabis legislation, and days of commemoration.
• Councilmember Deb Jung thanked county employees and staff, emphasized accountability and transparency, and said she would remain an advocate.
• Councilmember Christiana Rigby reflected on the body's work during the pandemic, school investments, inclusion measures, complete streets, and the HoCo By Design general plan, and said she looked forward to working with new colleagues.
• Councilmember Liz Walsh praised her District 1 office and staff, highlighted green space preservation and the creation of the Inspector General's office, and expressed continued belief in good government.
• Councilmember David Yungmann thanked staff and colleagues, called the service the privilege of a lifetime, and said for the first bills of January, he and others had already planned to be the first to testify in opposition of something, jokingly.