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

The Howard County Delegation of the Maryland General Assembly will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 on the proposed 2010 local bills listed below. The hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education, Board Rooms A & B, at 10910, Route 108, Ellicott City, Md. 21043. Should the public hearing carry over to a second evening, the hearing will continue on Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

The full text of the proposed bills is available below. For further information, contact Joan Oliver at the Howard County House Delegation office at 410-841-3360.

Persons may provide oral and/or written testimony. Sign in sheets for individuals wishing to testify in person will be available outside the board room on the evening of the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to three (3) minutes. Written testimony should be limited to one page and contain the name, address, and phone number or email address of the person providing the testimony. The Delegation requests fifteen (15) copies of any testimony that is to be distributed on the night of the hearing. Written testimony may also be emailed in advance to hoc1@mlis.state.md.us for distribution to the Delegation members.

Howard County Delegation Public Hearing
2010 Proposed Local Bills

Ho.Co. 1-10
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.

Ho.Co. 4-10
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.

Ho.Co. 5-10
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.

Ho.Co. 6-10
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.

Ho.Co. 8-10
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.

Ho.Co. 9-10
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.

Ho.Co. 10-10
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.

Ho.Co. 11-10
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.

Ho.Co. 12-10
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.