Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed an Executive Order establishing a Howard County planning group to organize a celebration in honor of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary in July 2026.

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) meets at 7:00 p.m., generally on the first Thursday of each month at 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043.

The Office of Children and Families promotes the well-being of children birth to five years old by providing services and supports to their families and caregivers and supports the initiatives of the Early Childhood Advisory Council. The Office offers a wide array of services and resources to promote healthy development, school readiness and strengthen families.

The Health Department bureaus and programs strive to make Howard County a community in which health equity and optimal wellness are accessible for all who live, work and visit.

The Howard County Sheriff's Office has been in existence and serving the citizens of Howard County since 1851. The Sheriff's Office offers a broad range of law enforcement services, such as Judicial Security, Summons Service, Warrant Service & Fugitive Retrieval, Domestic Violence Service & Assistance, Prisoner Transportation, and Landlord/Tenant Services.

The North Laurel Community Center is one of Howard County's community centers, built to serve the southeastern portion of the county. The facility is shared by the Departments of Recreation & Parks and Health, Howard County Police and the Office on Aging and Independence. Features include a fitness room, game room, dance and aerobics room, double gymnasium, pre-school classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, senior activity room, and more.

The Howard County Office of Agriculture is dedicated to preserving Agriculture in Howard County as a viable industry. The Office provides the agricultural industry with business support, technical assistance, promotion and acts as a liaison between farms and other county agencies.

The Department strives to deliver recreation and leisure opportunities that improve the health and well-being of the community and serve as model stewards of the environment by managing, protecting, and conserving our resources for a sustainable future. The Department maintains 9,768 acres of public lands and over 50 parks. It offers approximately 7,000 recreation programs (including leagues, classes and camps) each year.

The mission of the Board of elections is to ensure federal, state and local elections are conducted timely, responsibly, and with the highest level of professional election standards, accountability, security and integrity, intended to earn and maintain public confidence in the electoral process.

The Howard County Police Department provides a secure environment for the citizens of Howard County by protecting life and property, reducing the opportunity for crime and disorder, enforcing the law, assisting victims and providing other police-related services as required by the community in a manner consistent with the values of a free society.

Doing what it takes to keep the traveling public safe and moving.

To finance, or operate cultural, recreational (excluding golf courses), and parking facilities.

Every ten years, after each census, Congress realigns congressional districts, the state legislature realigns legislative districts, and the Howard County Council, after considering advice from a seven member redistricting committee, realigns councilmanic districts. April 1, 2010, was the last Census Day. States received redistricting counts on April 1, 2011.

The Office of Cable Administration oversees the performance of cable providers in Howard County and the operation of the public access cable channel. The Office of Cable Administration advises the County Executive and the County Council on matters related to the cable operators.

Employees operate the County landfill, implement and manage recycling programs, oversee residential curbside collections and administer stormwater management.