2022 Local Bills and Bonds Requests - Legislative Summary
The following Howard County local bills were passed and enacted this session:
- HB0840 Howard County Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2022 Ho. Co. 13-22
- HB0868 Circuit Court for Howard County – Judges Sitting as Orphans’ Court Ho. Co. 06–22
- HB0878 Howard County - Department of Housing and Community Development - Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Ho. Co. 05-22
- HB0885 Howard County - Sheriff - Salary Ho. Co. 03-22
- HB1247 Howard County - Property Tax - Credit for Seniors to Offset Property Tax Rate Increase Ho. Co. 10-22
- HB1308 Howard County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Notifications Ho. Co. 14-22
In addition, bond initiative requests for local projects were funded as follows:
- Bain 50+ Center: $350,000
- Barnard Fort House: $300,000
- Blandair Regional Park: $1,700,000
- Centennial Park West Area: $200,000
- Days End Horse Farm Rescue: $600,000
- East Columbia 50+ Center: $250,000
- Ellicott City Jail Rehabilitation: $500,000
- Ellicott City Vehicle Drop Arm Barrier: $175,000
- Historic Downtown Ellicott City Signage: $250,000
- Historic Oakland Elevator: $300,000
- Howard County Veterans Monument: $650,000
- Leola Dorsey Community Center: $150,000
- Living in Recovery: $150,000
- Maryland Innovation Center: $200,000
- Outpatient Mental Health Clinic and Grassroots Crisis Services: $500,000
- Patuxent Commons: $320,000
- Rockburn Branch Park: $150,000
- Safe Haven Equine Warriors: $100,000
- The Howard County Conservancy: $130,000
- Waterloo Park: $550,000
- West Friendship Park: $400,000
2022 Proposed Local Legislation
- Howard County Board of Education – School Safety Personnel Ho. Co. 1-22
- By: Delegate Atterbeary
- FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to develop a plan to implement certain school safety guidelines that replaces school resource officers in public schools in Howard County with adequate law enforcement coverage provided by school coverage officers, effectively addresses the need for certain personnel, and requires school coverage officers and school security employees to complete a certain model training program; defining the term “school coverage officer”; requiring the county board to solicit and incorporate input from stakeholders in the Howard County Public School System and school community; and generally relating to school safety personnel in Howard County.
- Howard County – Due Process Proceedings for Children With Disabilities – Burden of Proof, Ho. Co. 2-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22) HB0865
- By: Senator Hester
- FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to bear the burden of proof in due process proceedings that initiate from a due process complaint regarding the provision of special education services or a program for a child with disabilities in Howard County except under certain circumstances; and generally relating to the burden of proof in due process proceedings and the Howard County Board of Education.
- Howard County -- Sheriff -- Salary, Ho. Co. 3-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22) HB0885
- By: Chair, Howard County Delegation
- FOR the purpose of altering the salary of the sheriff of Howard County; and generally relating to the salary of the sheriff of Howard County.
- Howard County – Department of Housing and Community Development – Housing Opportunities Trust Fund, Ho. Co. 5-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22) HB0878
- By: Delegate Feldmark and Senator Guzzone
- FOR the purpose of establishing the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund as a non-reverting special fund to be used to promote equitable access to affordable housing for households of limited income in Howard County; requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development for Howard County to report on the activity of the Fund during the prior fiscal year on or before a certain date each year; and generally relating to funding for affordable housing in Howard County.
- Circuit Court for Howard County – Judges Sitting as Orphans’ Court, Ho. Co. 06–22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/26/22) HB0868
- By: Delegate Atterbeary
- FOR the purpose of requiring the judges of the Circuit Court for Howard County to sit as the Orphans’ Court for Howard County; repealing a requirement that the qualified voters of Howard County elect three Orphans’ Court judges for the county; exempting Howard County from a provision of law authorizing a party to appeal a final judgment of an orphans’ court to the circuit court of the county; and generally relating to the Circuit Court and Orphans’ Court for Howard County.
- Howard County – Commercial Building Excise Tax – Board of Education Deferred Maintenance, Ho. Co. 8-22
- By: Delegate Atterbeary
- FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Council of Howard County to impose an excise tax on commercial building construction; requiring the excise tax revenue to be used only for deferred maintenance needs identified by the Howard County Board of Education; and generally relating to a commercial building excise tax in Howard County and deferred maintenance in the Howard County Public School System.
- Howard County – Public Schools – Alternative Instruction Model Policy, Ho. Co. 9-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED 2/2/22) HB1306
- By: Delegate Watson
- FOR the purpose of providing that the use of an alternative instruction model constitutes a certain public school being open for pupil attendance for the purposes of meeting certain school day and hour requirements; authorizing the Howard County Board of Education to adopt a policy allowing a public school in the county to use an alternative instruction model under certain circumstances; and generally relating to an alternative instruction model policy in Howard County public schools.
- Howard County – Property Tax – Credit for Seniors to Offset Property Tax Rate Increase, Ho. Co. 10-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 2/2/22) HB1247
- By: Senator Lam
- FOR the purpose of authorizing the governing body of Howard County to grant, by law, a certain property tax credit against the county property tax imposed on a dwelling owned by an individual who meets certain age, income, and residency requirements; authorizing the governing body of Howard County to provide, by law, for certain matters relating to the credit; and generally relating to a property tax credit for senior citizen homeowners in Howard County.
- Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Limitation on Issuance and Renewal of Class A Licenses, Ho. Co. 11-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED 2/16/22) HB1461
- By: Delegate Hill
- FOR the purpose of prohibiting the Board of License Commissioners for Howard County from issuing or renewing a Class A license in a certain geographic sector of an election district if the issuance or renewal will result in the proportion of Class A licenses within the geographic sector exceeding the proportion of the population of the election district that resides in that geographic sector; requiring the Board to publish and regularly update certain information on the Board’s website; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in Howard County.
- Howard County - Disposable Bag Fees - Exemption, Ho.Co. 12-22
- By Delegate Hill
- FOR the purpose of prohibiting a disposable bag fee imposed by Howard County from being applied to the sale of products purchased with certain federal nutrition benefits; and generally relating to disposable bag fees in Howard County.
- Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Consumption Only Shopping Mall Plaza License and Special Event Permit, Ho. Co. 13-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22) HB0840
- By Senator Guzzone
- FOR the purpose of authorizing the Board of License Commissioners for Howard County to issue a consumption only shopping mall plaza license and special event permit to the owner of a commercial shopping mall if the mall meets certain criteria; authorizing the license holder to allow the consumption of beer, wine, and liquor in a designated outdoor area if the beer, wine, or liquor is purchased from certain restaurants; establishing a shopping mall plaza special event permit; providing that the permit authorizes certain restaurants to operate additional bars or service counters for the sale and service of food and alcoholic beverages in a designated outdoor plaza during a special event; and generally relating to a consumption only shopping mall plaza license and special event permit in Howard County.
- Howard County– Alcoholic Beverage Licenses– Notifications, Ho. Co. 14-22 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED (2/16/22) HB1308
- By: Chair, Howard County Delegation
- FOR the purpose of altering the notice requirements for an applicant for a new alcoholic beverage license or changes to an existing license in Howard County; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in Howard County.
- Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Repeal of Petition of Support Requirement, Ho. Co. 15-22 (DID NOT PASS 2/16/22)
- By: Chair, Howard County Delegation
- FOR the purpose of repealing the requirement that an application for an alcoholic beverages license in Howard County include certain petitions of support signed by certain individuals; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in Howard County.
- Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages Licenses – Residency Requirements Ho. Co. 16–22 (DID NOT PASS 2/16/22)
- By: Chair, Howard County Delegation
- FOR the purpose of providing that a resident of the State meets certain residency requirements for an applicant for an alcoholic beverages license in Howard County; and generally relating to residency requirements for alcoholic beverages licenses in Howard County.
- Howard County Board of Education – Student Member – Voting
- By: Delegate Ebersole
- FOR the purpose of authorizing the student member of the Howard County Board of Education to vote on budgetary matters; and generally relating to the Howard County Board of Education
2022 Proposed Legislative Bond Initiatives
- Accessible Trail Extension: $130,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Bain 50+ Center: $350,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Barnard Fort House: $150,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Blandair Mansion: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Centennial Park West Area Playground: $200,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Days End Horse Farm Rescue Firehouse Redevelopment: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Existing East Columbia 50+ Center: $250,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Ellicott City Drop-Arm Barriers: $175,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Ellicott City Jail Rehabilitation: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Grassroots Crisis Services: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Historic Ellicott City Downtown Wayfinding: $250,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Howard County Last Mile Fiber and Public Wifi: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Howard County Veterans Monument: $650,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Leola Dorsey Community Resource Center: $150,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Maryland Innovation Center: $300,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Patuxent Commons: $500,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Rockburn Branch Park Playground: $150,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Route 40 Pedestrian Bridge: $150,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Safe Haven Equine Warriors, Inc Capital Campaign: $100,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Waterloo Park Playground: $150,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- West Friendship Park: $400,000 (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 1/19/22)
- Living in Recovery ($150,000) (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 2/16/22)
- Historic Oakland Elevator ($600,000) (PASSED BY THE DELEGATION 2/16/22)