Howard County State Legislation

The following information is presented by the Howard County Office of Public Information as a service to residents on behalf of the members of Howard County's State Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, chaired by Guy Guzzone, Maryland House of Delegates and James Robey, Maryland Senate

For more information or questions contact:

Joan Oliver
Staff to the Howard County House Delegation
phone: 410-841-3360 or 301-858-3360
fax: 410-841-3361 or 301-858-3361
e-mail: hoc1@mlis.state.md.us

Public Notice Hearing on Statewide Issues

The Howard County Delegation of the Maryland General Assembly, chaired by Delegate Guy Guzzone and Senator James Robey, will hold a public hearing for citizen input on statewide issues being considered by the legislature during the current session. The hearing is scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 – 7:30 p.m.
Board of Education, Board Rooms A & B
10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043

The 2010 legislative session began on January 13, 2010 and will conclude on April 12, 2010. Among the issues likely to receive significant focus during this session are the State’s budget outlook and options to address the significant projected revenue shortfall; State aid to local governments; economic growth and job creation; unemployment insurance; education policy, including local government maintenance of effort and competition for federal “Race to the Top” education funding; federal health care reform and its impact on Maryland; sex offender laws; the death penalty; energy and climate change policy; transportation improvements; Chesapeake Bay restoration; alcohol tax and wine shipment; along with other matters.

Full text of the proposed bills can be accessed below, by clicking on the blue bill number. For further information, contact Joan Oliver at the Howard County House Delegation Office at 410-841-3360.

Sign up sheets will be available outside of the Board Rooms at 7:00pm, the evening of the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes.

Howard County Delegation Public Hearing
2010 Proposed Local Bills

HB 230
Howard County Ethics Law –Clarifications and Enhancements
At the request of the Delegation Chairman

For the purpose of clarifying provisions of the Howard County ethics law as it relates to: (l) certain land that is the subject of an application: (2) an application for a zoning regulation; and (3) public access to certain affidavits and disclosures filed under the ethics law.

Ho.Co. 2-10
Howard Howard County- Property Tax Credit – “Water-Only” Property in Metropolitan District
At the request of Senator Allan Kittleman

Authorizing the County Council to grant, by law, a property tax credit against the county property tax, imposed on property in the Howard County Metropolitan District that is located in the ‘water only’ portion of the planned service area set forth in the Howard County General Plan.

Ho.Co. 3-10
Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2010
At the request of Delegation Chairman

For the purpose of Establishing a Class B special beer and wine (off-sale) license in Howard County to allow a license holder – who also must already hold a Class B beer, wine and liquor (7-day) (on-sale) license that is issued for a restaurant – to sell beer and wine for consumption off the licensed premises.

HB 277
Howard County – Tax Sales – Auctioneers’ Fees
At the request of the County Executive

Altering the auctioneer’s fee – currently $10 for any date when 1, 2 or 3 properties are sold and $3 for each property sold when 4 or more properties are sold – allowed at tax sales in Howard County by raising the fee to $10 for each property sold.

HB 231
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Carroll Baldwin Hall
At the request of the County Executive

Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $50,000, to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Carroll Baldwin Memorial Institute, Inc., for the planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction and capital equipping of the Carroll Baldwin Hall in Savage, Md.

HB 228
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Living Farm Heritage Museum
At the request of the County Executive

Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $35,000, to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Howard County Antique Farm Machinery Club, Inc., for the planning, design, construction, repair, renovation and reconstruction of the Living Farm Heritage Museum in West Friendship, Md.

Ho.Co. 7-10
Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class A Licenses – Limitation.
At the request of Delegate Warren Miller and Delegate Guy Guzzone

Prohibiting in Howard County, the issuance of a new Class A alcoholic beverages license, regardless of kind, in a regional planning district if: (1) the aggregate number of Class A licenses already exceeds one Class A license for every 2,600 residents in the regional planning district; or (2) the issuance of the license would cause the aggregate number of Class A licenses to exceed one license for every 2,600 residents in the regional planning district.

HB 234
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Symphony Woods Park.
At the request of Senator Edward Kasemeyer and Delegate Elizabeth Bobo

Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $250,000, to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Columbia Association, Inc., for the design and construction of the Symphony Woods Park, in Columbia, Md.

HB 232
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Troy Regional Park.
At the Request of the County Executive

Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $500,000, to be used as a grant to the County Executive and County Council of Howard County for the design, construction and capital equipping of the Troy Hill Regional Park, in the Elkridge Planning Area.

HB 229
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Alpha Ridge Park.
At the Request of the County Executive

Authorizing the Creation of a State Debt not to exceed $75,000, to be used as a grant to the County Executive and County Council of Howard County for the design, construction and capital equipping of Alpha Ridge Park, In Marriottsville, Md.

HB 235
Howard County – Creation of a State Debt – Watson Telescope Observatory
At the Request of the County Executive

Authorizing the creation of a State Debt, not to exceed $25,000 to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Howard Astronomical League of Central Maryland, Inc, for the planning, design and construction of the Watson Telescope Observatory, in Marriottsville, Md.

HB 233
Howard County Public Schools – Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
At the request of Delegate Miller

The purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to develop and operate a website that includes certain information about certain payments; specifying certain parameters and terms relating to the development and operation of a searchable website by the Howard County Board of Education.

Ho.Co. 13-10
Howard County –Sales of Residential Property – Disclosure of Annual Property Tax
At At the request of Delegate Turner

For the purpose of requiring a seller of residential property in Howard County to disclose an estimate of the amount of the annual property tax in advertisements produced or distributed in connection with the sale of residential property in Howard County.