New Carrollton City Council Workshop Meeting - October 7, 2026

The New Carrollton City Council held a hybrid workshop meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM to discuss the Board of Elections special election, amnesty collections, stop sign camera implementation, the Four Cities meeting agenda, and FY 2027 budget finalization. A legislative session was held to approve a budget amendment for the special election. Public comments were heard from residents on a variety of topics.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lottie Hammett (Riverdale Road) reported observing a black curtain covering a photo enforcement sign at the Westbrook intersection on Lamont Drive, expressing concern about sign clarity for residents.
• Former mayor (name not provided) argued he was illegally removed from office, stating that the charter amendment used for his removal (Resolution 2526) is legally void under Maryland law because it was introduced and adopted on the same day without the required 21-day public notice. He also cited a pending lawsuit in Prince George’s County Circuit Court regarding the special election.
• Katrina (affiliation not stated) criticized the council for micromanaging and urged using reserve funds instead of cutting staff salaries, comparing the approach to the federal DOGE initiative. She noted many city employees are residents.
• Unnamed resident asked if workers had voted on the right to collectively bargain.
• Marlon (last name not given) expressed hope that the council would make hard decisions and not rely on reserve funds, and welcomed new operations manager Delane Galloway.
• Laura (online comment) congratulated Councilmember Mills on her cancer recovery and urged the council to wait for Delane Galloway’s expert recommendations, suggesting savings could be found in operations rather than personnel.
• Craig (online, then by phone) cautioned against delaying the budget further, emphasizing that the city had already invested in the BRC compensation study and should use those recommendations rather than start over.

Discussion Items

• Board of Elections Special Election: Charles Davis presented the need for a special election, including a breakdown of costs: $12,775 for an election vendor (Elected), $7,179 for the county, and estimated personnel costs of $5,000. The council discussed the number of candidates (two active packets) and the logistics of mailers and registration cards. They voted to allocate $25,000 from prior year surplus to cover the election expenses.
• Chief Alston Update on Amnesty Collections: Chief Alston proposed an amnesty program for past-due citations that would forgive late fees and penalties, allowing residents to pay only the original fine. He presented a sample 60-day amnesty period and suggested using mail notifications. Council members discussed the appropriate look-back period, the role of the collection agency (which adds 35% fee to the violator), and whether to distinguish between resident and non-resident debtors. No final decision was reached; the council asked Chief Alston to return with more data on the number of debtors, postage costs, and other operational details.
• Stop Sign Camera Program: Chief Alston reported that all 25 stop sign camera locations are ready: stop bars have been painted, warning signs installed, and social media campaigns initiated. A warning period will run from October 19 to November 19, with $40 citations starting November 20. Council members confirmed proper signage is in place and expressed support.
• Four Cities Meeting Agenda: The council decided to focus the upcoming Four Cities meeting on amnesty programs, soliciting feedback from partner cities (Greenbelt, College Park, Berwyn Heights) on their experience with similar collections efforts.
• FY 2027 Budget Memo #6 and Budget Finalization: Councilmember Malave presented five options for salary increases and recommended Option 2: a 1% COLA and transition to the next step under a new compensation structure, with a cap on the COLA for employees with salaries under $100,000. To offset the cost, she proposed a 15% reduction in administration and police salary budgets. Council debated the proposal, with some members expressing concern about workforce reductions and wishing to wait for input from new operations manager Delane Galloway. Mr. Galloway requested one week to provide a comprehensive assessment. The council agreed to meet on October 14 to receive his recommendations and aim to adopt the FY 2027 budget by October 21.

Key Outcomes

• Special Election Budget Amendment Approved: The council voted 5-0 to allocate $25,000 from prior year surplus to fund the special election, as presented in a budget amendment.
• Direction to Chief Alston: The council directed Chief Alston to bring back additional data on past-due accounts, including the number of debtors, postage costs for amnesty notifications, and a breakdown of resident vs. non-resident debtors, to inform a future amnesty program.
• Stop Sign Camera Enforcement Timeline: The warning period is set for October 19 to November 19, with $40 citations beginning November 20.
• Budget Timeline Established: The council will hold a special workshop on October 14 to review Delane Galloway’s recommendations, with final budget adoption anticipated by October 21. The council emphasized the need for a sustainable long-term trend rather than continuous use of fund balance.
• Candidate Forum Pro Bono: The council noted that University of Maryland students will facilitate the candidate forum on October 27 at no cost.

Note: Following the workshop, the council moved into a legislative session to approve the budget amendment for the special election and then adjourned.