ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball last night announced that the State of Howard County is strong, and that by igniting innovation, Howard County is on the path towards “unleashing progress, unlocking results, and unveiling tomorrow.” During his annual State of the County address, Ball provided updates on increasing affordable housing opportunities, improving access to healthcare, achieving energy independence, expanding public amenities, and taking major steps to strengthen the County’s infrastructure and economy.
Full text of his speech can be found on the County’s website and pictures from his address on the County’s Flickr page.
In Howard County, we are igniting innovation as we sit at the forefront of building a thriving community and we are taking bold steps to unleash progress, unlock results, and unveil the promise of tomorrow. We have faced every obstacle and embraced opportunity with data-informed, people-driven solutions, and while we have made substantial progress, we know there is more work ahead.
Livability: While Howard County is nationally recognized as one of the best places to live in America because of its high quality of life and access to opportunity, there is still much to be done to ensure the county is accessible and affordable for all.
In August, Ball announced the launch of Howard County’s first Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot program in partnership with the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). Through this pilot program, CAC is providing 20 families with $1,000 a month for 12 months, to prioritize household needs to build long-term stability on their terms. Additionally, just this past week, Ball joined the CAC to break ground on its new Route One Corridor Campus. Located at 7525 Montevideo Road in Jessup, once complete, this campus will include a new flagship Food Bank location and Early Childhood Education Center serving residents across Howard County and especially those living in Elkridge, Jessup, Savage, and North Laurel. This Campus will increase access to these and other critical services for hardworking families in one of Howard County’s highest-need areas.
Additionally, recognizing the vital importance that access to childcare plays in ensuring our workforce thrives, Ball announced the purchase of a 100,000 square foot space in the Patuxent Woods Campus that will be transformed into a childcare center for local government employees, nonprofit workers, and community members. This space will also serve as the County’s Office of Workforce Development new location, where community members, including displaced federal workers, experiencing job loss can be upskilled and reskilled, attend training workshops and receive job coaching and consulting. Additionally, the space will also house the County’s Department of Housing and Community Development, and Department of Recreation & Parks’ childcare services team.
While investing in our youngest residents, Ball also highlighted the importance of prioritizing the County’s older adult population as it continues to grow. He recently submitted legislation to the Howard County Council that would expand eligibility for the Senior Tax Credit and Aging-in-Place Tax Credit, and extend the length of time eligible property owners can receive the Aging-in-Place Tax Credit.
Housing and Homelessness: During his speech, Ball also spoke about how access to safe and stable housing plays a vital role in uplifting our community and economic growth, and the steps the County is taking to further its commitment to affordable housing solutions.
In July, Ball helped break ground on Enterprise Community Development’s newest affordable housing redevelopment projects, The Vision at Parkway and The Legacy at Cedar Lane. Both projects will replace aging rental communities in Columbia and create more than 200 new, mixed-income rental units. Ball also broke ground earlier this year on the new Performing Arts Center and Artists Flats in Downtown Columbia. A first of its kind mixed-use building in the county, the Artists Flats will feature 174 mixed-income units serving a full spectrum of household incomes when complete in 2029. Moreover, Ball shared he will join Mission First Housing Group this October to open Patuxent Commons, a 76-unit apartment community designed to address housing instability among low-income adults with disabilities, older adults, and young adults and families in Howard County.
In addition to furthering his administration’s commitment to housing affordability and accessibility, this past July, Ball unveiled his transformational plan to address homelessness and achieve ‘functional zero’ in the next five years. This plan aims to create long-term solutions with trusted community partners to achieve functional zero and support everyone who is experiencing homelessness.
During his speech, Ball also shared that this November, Grassroots Emergency Shelter will complete its second expansion project, adding 17 additional beds to its emergency shelter; the first phase added 20 new beds in 2024 with the assistance of $1 million in County funding. In follow-up, Ball also announced that this December, the County will break ground on Howard County’s first non-congregate shelter. Once complete, this 20-room facility will provide short-term private shelter, comprehensive assessments, and immediate referrals to housing and vital services.
Health and Hospitals: Access to healthcare, overburdened emergency departments, and care coordination challenges have persisted for years across our state and nation. Maryland has the longest ER wait times in the nation. Since taking office, Ball’s team has worked tirelessly to improve the health outcomes for every resident and made meaningful strides to address ER wait times and ease the strain on our county’s healthcare system, including:
- Investing $3.2 million in maternal health;
- Opening a new Behavioral Health Unit at HCMC;
- Breaking ground on Howard County’s newest residential crisis facility at Sheppard Pratt after contributing $2.25 million; and
- Partnering with the Maryland Hospital Association and HCMC to launch a discharge hospitality suite, serving more than 6,500 patients.
During his speech, Ball announced that this November, construction will commence at HCMC on its new Emergency Department observation unit, adding 29 beds and marking the first bed expansion at HCMC since 2009.
He also highlighted the recent establishment of his innovative Howard County Provider Forum. Launched in response to growing healthcare access challenges and increasing strain on emergency services, this first-of-its-kind initiative brings together healthcare and human service leaders from across disciplines to build coordinated, community-driven solutions.
Public Safety: Howard County has long been recognized as one of the safest counties in America due in large part to the County’s ongoing commitment to prevention, accountability, and collaboration.
Since taking office, Ball’s administration has worked tirelessly to fund the County’s public safety departments to ensure they have the staff and resources they need to efficiently and effectively respond to every call for help. During his speech, Ball highlighted how this funding has paid off with the County’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services (DFRS) now being fully staffed following the graduation of Trainee Class 39. Reaching this staffing level not only achieves the gold standard in the fire industry but increases the DFRS’s overall human capital and financial responsibility.
Ball also noted meaningful progress is being made on future Fire Station 15, to be located adjacent to Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS) Applications and Research Laboratory and Homewood Center.
Additionally, Ball, who has prioritized solving all cases, including cold cases, highlighted how his administration’s investments are ensuring all who commit a crime in Howard County are held accountable. This past March, Howard County Police Department (HCPD) provided closure to the surviving family of Roseann ‘Ann’ Sturtz, who had been reported missing in August of 1975, and most recently, identified the body of a woman from a 1971 cold case as Sadie Belle Murray.
Ball has noted investments being made throughout the county to increase HCPD’s community’s policing progress and ability to build better relationships with community members. These investments included the opening of HCPD’s satellite office at the Green Valley Marketplace in Elkridge, unveiling its impactful “Crime Reduction Plan” for Downtown Columbia, and creating new assignments and additional permanent police resources in and around The Mall in Columbia.
Expanding Youth Programming and Opportunities: Recognizing the need to truly reduce violence and tragedies involving our young people, Ball’s administration over the years has created numerous programs to expand the number and type of opportunities available to Howard County’s youth. One such program is the County’s Department of Recreation & Parks’ free Teen Kick Backs program, which experienced record-breaking engagement this past summer. Additionally, since its launch in 2023, the County has invested more than $2 million in nearly 40 Youth Engagement Programming initiatives, reaching more than 13,000 young people, including more than 3,000 individuals this year alone.
Ball also highlighted the importance of forming vital partnerships, like the one between the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore and Howard Community College that has afforded approximately 100 young people with a safe, enriching environment with pathways to higher education. Also, as recently announced, the Baltimore Ravens, Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), and the County’s Department of Recreation & Parks have partnered together to bring girls flag football to Howard County. Starting this month, Recreation & Parks will begin hosting free flag football clinics and training for girls in preparation for HCPSS’s high school fall 2026 season.
Lastly, Ball noted that progress is being made in Elkridge with the design and development of the County’s future Elkridge Community Center, 50+ Center, and Park. When completed, this vibrant community space will include a dedicated Teen Zone to welcome young people in the Elkridge area. Ball expects to break ground on this new facility in spring 2026. He also announced that this spring, Recreation & Parks will open its long-awaited North Laurel Pool.
Education: As an educator, Ball understands firsthand the value of education and lifelong learning. That is why his administration over the years has made historic investments in Howard County’s students, educators, and schools.
In his Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget, Ball included $1.2 billion for HCPSS, exceeding the state-mandated Maintenance of Effort (MOE) by $53.8 Million. In fact, in the last five years alone, the County has provided HCPSS with more than $240 million above MOE. The record funding does not stop there; the County has also:
- Increased local per pupil spending by more than 34% during the last seven years
- Increased recurring special education funding by more than $70 million since Ball took office;
- Was one of the first in the state to raise starting teacher pay to $60,000; and
- Provided nearly $445,000 to approximately 310 teachers to pay down their student loan debt, through his groundbreaking Teacher Loan Repayment Program.
During his speech, Ball also showcased the new pathways being forged and opportunities being unlocked in skill trades careers at Howard Community College (HCC). To date, Ball’s administration has committed $11 million to bring HCC’s new Workforce and Trades Center to fruition, which is expected to open next year.
Transportation: Since 2019, Ball’s administration has overseen the implementation of the County’s best-in-the-nation Complete Streets Policy and Design Manual, establishing more than 110 new miles of transportation connections across Howard County.
In his speech, Ball also plugged programs, initiatives, and partnerships the County has undertaken to enhance transportation planning and connections in areas of greater need and focus. Earlier this year, Howard County earned the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) designation of a Bicycle & Pedestrian Priority Area (BPPA) in Elkridge. Through this State program, SHA and the County will collaborate on developing a BPPA plan to prioritize safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians within the designated Elkridge area. As part of the process, Ball invited community members to join the County’s Office of Transportation on Wednesday, October 8th for a public meeting to discuss the designation and the preliminary findings of SHA’s BPPA study.
He also highlighted:
- The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) reaching a milestone one million passenger trips within a single fiscal year this June; a first time in RTA’s 10-year history;
- The launch of HoCo RapidRide, the County’s transformational microtransit program that connects residents living in Elkridge, Jessup, and Savage with popular destinations along and just west of the Route One Corridor; and
- The unveiling of the Old Ellicott City Trolley to better connect residents, employees, and visitors to businesses and historical resources in historic Ellicott City.
Progress in Historic Ellicott City: The County and its partners continue to make significant progress towards fully implementing Ball’s Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan. Just recently, Ball cut the ribbon on the plan’s H-4 Flood Mitigation Pond. The third and largest retention pond to be substantially completed as part of the Plan to date, the H-4 Pond can hold more than 5.5 million gallons of water.
Ball also highlighted progress is underway on the County’s largest public works project to date, the Plan’s Extended North Tunnel. Kiewit-Traylor’s expert team has been hard at work constructing the shaft through which the tunnel boring equipment will enter starting this winter when “Rocky,” the 300-foot-long tunnel boring machine, arrives on site. As Ball announced during his speech, work on the Extended North Tunnel is progressing on schedule and expected to be substantially complete by fall 2027.
In addition to progress being made on the Plan, Ball also announced renovations are coming along at the historic Circuit Courthouse in Old Ellicott City. Ball unveiled the new name for the old Courthouse as the Capitoline Center after its location atop Capitoline Hill. The former Circuit Courthouse will be transformed into a new 80,000 square foot center for arts, culture, and history. With the first phase of construction set to be completed this fall, the Capitoline Center will soon welcome the new headquarters of the Howard County Arts Council and the County’s first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center, breathing new life into this treasured landmark. The Center is expected to open in January 2026.
Environment: Since taking office, Ball’s administration has implemented several key initiatives and set bold goals that have positioned Howard County as a leader in climate action. This includes:
- The County’s Department of Recreation & Parks preserving more than 10,000 acres of open space, including the 100-acre Longwood property in Glenwood that will be transformed into the County’s first Public Garden.
- Near completion of the 2020 solar power purchase agreement projects, advancing the County’s energy independence; the County currently generates enough clean electricity to meet half of all its government buildings power needs, savings taxpayers approximately $30 million over 25 years.
- Planted nearly 151,000 trees throughout the county since 2019; this includes the approximately 48,000 trees planted this past spring in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. These plantings place the County one step closer to achieving Ball’s goal of achieving 50 percent tree canopy cover by 2030.
- Preserved 448 acres of quality farmland since reopening the County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program in 2019. Ball also opened the County’s first-ever Office of Agriculture earlier this year and committed $1 million in his Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Budget to design a modern Agricultural Center at West Friendship Park, to provide much-needed space for innovation, collaboration, and demonstration to further advance farming operations in the county.
Additionally, as unveiled in the County’s “HoCo Climate Forward: 2025 Annual Report” last month, Howard County has reduced its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent and is now more than one-third of the way toward the 2030 goal of reducing climate-warming emissions by 60 percent.
During his speech, Ball shared the County under a new solar power purchase agreement and in partnership with the Howard County Public School System and Howard Community College, will begin work to further expand its clean energy supply and deliver important additional cost-savings throughout the community in early 2026.
Moreover, Ball also announced the County will break ground on Ilchester Park this Tuesday, October 7th. Located on the former site of Camp Ilchester, the County purchased the property from Girl Scouts of Central Maryland in 2022 to preserve this natural space from development. The park is expected to open in the fall of 2026.
Innovative and Efficient Government: Ball also touched on moves the County has made to improve efficiency, like the recent establishment of the County’s Department of General Services, and partnerships formed to better deliver services, like partnering with the Office of Statewide Broadband and Verizon to deliver fiber and internet services to residents in western Howard County. Thanks to this partnership, less than.001 percent of Howard County’s total population is now without internet service.
Finally, in recognition of the County’s work toward innovation and efficiency, Ball touted the record-breaking 83 achievement awards the County received from the National Association of Counties in July.