Howard County Council Votes On Final Bills

The Howard County Council completed its final legislative session on Friday, casting votes on a batch of bills before four of its five members depart for new roles or elections. The current council has served together since 2018, and this session marked the end of that eight year tenure for most of its members.

A central focus of the final day was a bill regarding records access for Inspector General Kelly Madigan. Councilwoman Deb Jung proposed the measure to make the inspector general an official custodian of county records. Jung argued that passing the bill would avoid lengthy litigation between the county executive and the inspector general office. She stated that the change was less contentious than the legal battles that have plagued the position.

The inspector general had previously cited a 2011 Maryland Supreme Court ruling that blocked similar access in Montgomery County. Howard County law interpreted that ruling to require mandatory denials for personnel records under the Maryland Public Information Act. Despite these arguments, the council rejected the bill 3 to 2. Several members cited legality concerns and suggested the issue should be resolved by state lawmakers.

Council Chair Opel Jones noted that the state level is the appropriate place to fix the problem. Councilman David Yungmann agreed, criticizing the state supermajority for refusing to address the gap. He committed to testifying in Annapolis to support legislation currently being drafted by Del. Chao Wu to resolve the records issue.

Other measures passed with amendments. A solar project bill, originally a moratorium, now strengthens the role of the Agricultural Preservation Board in approvals and shortens public meeting timeframes. Another bill aimed at tightening county grant requirements for nonprofits now applies specifically to grants involving construction, redevelopment, and property purchases.

Councilman David Yungmann will leave the body, citing his commitment to protecting the agricultural industry in Western Howard County. He expressed hope that his successor would share that focus. Council Vice Chair Christiana Rigby is the only returning member. She reflected on the challenges the council faced, including government shutdowns, the pandemic, and federal budget cuts. She said the body met those system shocks with cohesion.

Kevin Chin, Jessica Nichols, and Janssen Evelyn have already won their seats because no Republicans ran in their races. District 5, Yungmann’s district, is the only one with a competitive race. Democrat Cat Carter and Republican Ryan O’Connor are running for that final seat.