This meeting is being recorded. Good evening. This is the Council's May Legislative Public Hearing in which we will hear testimony for legislation introduced on May 5th, 2025. This evening is a hybrid meeting which is being conducted in person and via WebEx teleconference. It is also available to the public through live stream on the county council website and broadcast on channels 44 if you're Verizon 99 and 1071 if you're Comcast sign up to testify in legislation that is the subject of this public hearing was done online and was available in person prior to the start of this session. The cutoff for testimony sign up was at 7 p.m this evening. If this if needed the council will hold a work session on Tuesday May 27th, beginning at 930 a.m. in the seaverning grey room council members Please provide agenda items for the work session to our council administration no later than 9 a.m. tomorrow Tuesday A legislative session for final consideration of certain budget legislation that is the subject of this public hearing will be held on Wednesday May 21st beginning beginning at 12 p.m. in this Banachar room. A legislative session for final consideration of certain non-budget legislation that is the subject of this public hearing will be held on Monday, June 2nd. Thank you. At 7 p.m. in a Banachar room. Public participation for these meetings will be available in person, virtually via WebEx and viewed live stream through the county council website. At this time, I will do a roll call of our council members. Dr. Jones. Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Ms. Young is joining shortly. Ms. Rigby. Here. And Mr. Youngman. Here. We will now recite the pledge of allegiance. A pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation on the ground, responsible for liberty, and justice for all. If there are any students who will be testifying this evening, for those in person please come up to the front row so we can call you to testify first and those virtually please contact Isaiah Anderson by raising your hand on the WebEx or by sending him an email to I Anderson I-A-M-D-E-R-S-O-N at HowardCountyMD.gov. We will allow students to testify first so they make it home at a reasonable time. Please note that while we are receiving testimony this evening, we continue to receive written comments which will be fully considered by the Council prior to taking action. Anyone who signed up to testify this hearing will be called to testify. When you are called upon to testify please state your name in the city or town of your home address. Representatives from nonprofit organizations will have up to five minutes to speak. Individuals and other organizations have up to three minutes. Individuals who have indicated that they are testifying through an interpreter may be allowed a total of five minutes with interpreter translation You may not yield your time to another speaker You will be notified at the 30 second mark to begin wrapping up by the administrator and then you will be notified when your time to speak is up You must please conclude when your time is up if you have written testimony You may also email it to council mail at Howard County MD.gov. Students when you come forward please state your name and also the legislation related to your testimony. We'll be in, well we're going to do them first before you read, right? Okay so do we have students online in a person? Yes. Okay. Would one of you like to come on up? All right Good evening chairwalsh vice chairs Jones and distinguished members the Council. My name is Henry Yarmus, a junior at River Hills High School and a proud student of Howard County Public Schools since I moved here in 2nd grade. Throughout this time, I've had the privilege of listening to concerns of my peers, not just academically but personally. And I'm here to speak in strong support of CB 45, 2025, which would allow access funds to be used towards our public school system. At a score, this bill isn't just about numbers. It's about people. It's about students who are trying to learn in overcrowded classrooms. It's about teachers who barely have time to offer one-on-one help. It's about school struggling to hold on to the very programs that make education so meaningful. Let me tell you what this looks like in real life. This year, a friend of mine was hoping to take a P.A.P. biology next year as a sophomore. Along with at least 50 others, he's planning to go into medicine and he has mapped out his coursework since even before high school. Recently it was decided that sophomores would not be allowed to take any AP STEM courses. Not because there wasn't interest, but because we didn't have the staff or the resources. This isn't an isolated case. More and more students are seeing their course options shrink. And then there's mental health toll. Just like many of my fellow students, my teachers became my support system. I've watched so many students go through the loss of adults they trusted in their building. And it is heartbreaking. I still remember the tears streaming down my friend's face when she learned that one of her favorite teachers was getting cut last year. How are we supposed to thrive academically when we are losing their sport networks year after year? CB45 doesn't stop the bleed but it helps it heal and it uses funds that already exist. To us students that means more than a budget line. It means hope. It means a chance to hold onto the teachers, classes, and support we need to succeed. We've all heard the phrase education is an investment. But investment implies that there's a return, and there is. The students sitting in Howard County classrooms today will become the ones running local businesses managing hospitals serving on councils like this one. But only if they get the support that they need right now, please support CB 45 2025 not just for my classmates and me, but for every student in Howard County who wants their shot. Thank you so much. Thank you. A question, Janaman. Go ahead Dr. Jones. Yes, thank you for your test this evening. You stated that you are not allowed to take AP courses as a sophomore or a freshman at the same time. So just junior and senior are allowed to take AP courses, is that true? So at my school, I'm sorry for that, for the wrong wording, but basically in my school, previously, I think there was over 50 kids who were taking AP BIO, which is one of the STEM classes that my school River Hill High School allows sophomores to take. However, because of staffing and resources, they are now unable to take any AP STEM classes. So they're able to take AP like government or other AP classes, but this is something that for many people was so, so important and it's something that they're losing Okay, so the AP stem teachers at River Hill high school They were I guess maybe resource elsewhere or they cut or something Well, I think that there wasn't enough Resources to provide for the amount of sophomores who wanted to take these classes. Okay, so they just didn't offer it. Well, they previously did, but now they're not this coming year. Okay. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. That's, that's very concerning. Thank you so much for your testimony. I appreciate it. No problem. Thank you. You can, but first we need you to push the button so the green light comes on. About that. Yes. And so if you are and we have the documentation, you would have five minutes or. So you get five minutes. Okay. thank you. Good afternoon, Chairwoman Walsh, Vice Chair Jones and Distinguished Council Members. My name is Gavin Falkone, I'm a student leader in my community and a sophomore at Long Beach High School. While I'm representing Long Beach High School Student Government Association today, I also serve as Maryland Association Student Council's School Safety Liaison and Howard County Association Student Council's President representing 57,633 students, while I'm not directly representing that body though today. Today I'm here in favor of CB45-2025. As many of you are aware, this will allow for excess funds to be further allocated to Howard County Public School System. Being a student myself, knowing the student perspective, this isn't a question of debate. It's a question of necessity. HTPSS is in debt... further allocated to Howard County Public School System. Being a student myself, knowing the student perspective, this isn't a question of debate, it's a question of necessity. HTPSS is in desperate need of funds for a variety of needs and it's simply undeniable. First, when it comes to student voice, these funds are crucial. Currently, because of lack of funds, we can't even afford buses to student leadership conferences. Buses of all things. Being a student athlete myself, we get buses year round for all of our sports, from either an hours away to even just as close as we. leadership conferences, buses of all things. Being a student athlete myself, we get buses a year round for all of our sports from either an hours away to even just as close as B. But we can't get them for three conferences. Three conferences that empower us students to get a say in state legislature stances are state smob even, the person who will represent us to the state board of education with Dr. Josh Michaels. Additionally, counties such as Montgomery, and a rundle, calvert, and fredrick can afford this. But we can't. How is this feasible? Counties with lesser funding per pupil. Josh Michaels. Additionally, counties such as Montgomery, and Arundel, Calvert, and Frederick can afford this. But we can't. How is this feasible? Counties with lesser funding per pupil, and not even rank top 10 in the nation for public education, can empower their students better than us. I'm sorry to say, but this is horrendous. Secondly, there haven't been negative effects always, but in recent budget cuts, the shortfall has had or to affect on our students in our classroom. Consistent increases in class sizes in the past few years have a managing classrooms nearly impossible for teachers destroying an effective learning environment for many of us students. To quote an example, at every single high school in the county is every student is doing something different. Screaming, playing games, skipping class. Our one teacher can't manage it all. I just want to get a good grade, but I don't know if I can anymore. Imagine it. You are trying your best to succeed, progress, better yourself, but you can't. Not because of lack of effort, but because of lack of resources being provided to us students without question. And this doesn't just stop there. These increased classroom sizes also have an impact on who wants to take classes with lesser interest or needing extensive prerequisites. For example, our amazing AP, Advanced Placement Programs, are being offered fewer and fewer in each high school across the county. With increased class sizes, cousin incomes and increased number of students needed to run a classroom. Meaning, students who want to pursue higher education that aligns with their interest are less likely able to do so. Let me just list some of the classes that are offered in schools around the county. AP Environmental, AP OS history, AP comparative government, and AP spanish 5 literature. All classes that are either not allowed or indistribbly allowed at different schools comparative less. And this is just some out of tends to maybe even hundreds of AP classes that our students can't have. Opportunities we are taking away from our students. Next is the constant surplusing as staff. Budget decreases not funding HTPS fully has led to teachers being constantly cut, being surplus across the county with students from many schools seeing the impacts. My school, Longer Child School, is one of the most notable. In the past year, we have lost several of our most loved teachers. Some being the only teachers students actually connect to and were able to event to. We actually had to incident there this year and last year, with our tragic Tar community and those teachers were crucial to help us get used through the times. Some of those most loved teachers were there to guide us and be a part of us. This constant changing of people is statistically not beneficial for us students and mental health. Everyone, not just students, needs to say space where we feel okay to succeed. You guys have it too in your personal lives, maybe your family, your friends, your partner, etc. But some people don't have that outside of school. Those teachers are a safe space. Taking away from very students is detrimental to our education and us as a human being. Beyond this, to have an effective learning environment, you must have a connection with your teachers. But if they're changing and leaving the school every year, there's no way that they can develop in the long term. With that being said, you've probably heard from countless students about the budget and probably this bill today, as Henry has mentioned, and they will go on and on with students, parents, and staff talking about it. But I just want to end off with this. With that being said, on behalf of Longer GTI and myself, please support CB45-2 2025 for all 57,633 Howard County students, especially the ones who need it the most. So we can take AP classrooms needed for our success in our future, have reasonable size classrooms for our teachers and teachers who actually want to build and have the ability to build connections with students and last of all have access to have our voices empowered and a say into decisions that impact us not just at the county level but the state level so we are empowered beyond anywhere else being the best county in the nation as we all know thank you so much for your time I hope you have a great day thank you Sure wall well, it's David. Yes. What building did these guys just testify on? CB 45. Thanks. You got it? Okay. Right. Okay. All right. Are those all of our students this evening? All right. Well done students. Thank you. Ros agrees. Councillor Resilertion 70, 2025, appointment of Ash. Lynn M. Hood to the advisory board on protection board. This is me. I'm trying to adjust you. Good evening. My name is Ashley Inherd. I'm here to petition the board for a seat on the I was been in the rest of our county for over 20 years. I have also been part of the Chamber and the Department of Aging. I was also on that board. I think as someone in our county has lived here for a very long time as a resident is my Julian obligation to at least sit on one of these boards and offer up my talent that I know that I could be a value at this point in time. So I hope that you will consider me for this board. Thank you, Mr. Councillor Russell, there's an 81 2025 appointment of Jennifer Jenkins to the local behavioral health advisory board. Mr. Anderson said that she was having technical problems that she still on her. Yes, she asked if she could join us at her at June Public Hearing. So continue on Council Resolution 82, 2025. Appointment of Frank, the East M Junior to the local children's board. Good evening, Council. My name is Frank Eastham at 9513 Pamplona Road, Columbia, Maryland. And I am humbled to be considered for the local children's board. I have lived my professional life here in Howard County, started at Hammond High School 21 years old as a first-year teacher. Later became principal of the Homewood Center and Oklahoma's High School and concluded my career with the Howard County Public School System as the Chief School Leadership Officer. Currently I am the Chief Operations Officer for Bridgeway Community Church. Howard County has been such a great place for me to grow up professionally and raise my kids and my wife who spent her entire life in Howard County. We are invested and engaged community members. I've served in several ways in the community as a 40-year resident of Howard County. I was a human rights commissioner as well as a human rights chair. I really appreciated enjoying time with Vice Chair Opal Jones on that commission. Also served as a transition team member for County Executive ball and am currently on the Howard County Library Systems Equity Alliance. It's an honor to be asked to serve as a member of the local children's board. I have a strong desire to help our community continue to be a place where every member of our community can thrive. If approved, I commit to work collaboratively with other board members and community agencies to ensure that all families receive the services that they need. Thank you. Thank you. I'm chair. I just wanted to say thank you to Frank for his service. I just want to say thank you to Frank for his continued service He's been serving quite a long time this I have seen with my own eyes. Thank you Frank. Thank you, sir Council resolution 83 20 25 appointment of Kristiana little to the law along the Latina Commission I could even Kristiana you now have been elevated feel free to unmute yourself and begin your testimony when you're ready. Good evening councilmembers my name is Kristiana little and I'm honored to be considered for a position on the Alianza Latina Commission as the liaison from the human rights commission. I was born and raised in Howard County and I'm a proud graduate of wildlife high school growing up in a home that hosted more than 25 international exchange students taught me early on the importance of building bridges across cultures and fostering a welcoming community for people of all backgrounds. Professionally, I've spent my career advancing the rights of immigrant children and families. In my most recent position, I worked on the policy team at Kids in Need of Defense, where I advocated for policies at the state, local, and federal level that supported vulnerable immigrant children fleeing violence and persecution and search of safety in the United States. My work focused on expanding access to education, health care, and legal protections for these children, both locally and across the region. I've also had the privilege of serving on the Howard County Human Rights Commission, where I strived to give back to my community by ensuring that all residents of Howard County are treated with dignity and respect. I would be honored to bring that perspective to La Allianz, Elatina, and to strengthen collaboration between our two commissions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify tonight, and I look forward to the possibility of serving on another commission. Thank you. Thank you. Council Res for this position. I've been pleased to serve on the County's Human Rights Commission for the last three months. In that capacity, I volunteered to serve as a liaison to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission. We are fortunate in our community to have a growing and important AAPI community in Howard County. Women and men who are taking leadership roles in every aspect of community life, from government to nonprofit to private industry. The AAPI community is entitled to the same protections guaranteed by our state, county, and federal laws. As a liaison to the AAPI community, I pledge to advance their needs and concerns to the broader human rights commission. And let me add one personal note. I'm the proud father and law of a member of the Filipino community. My wife and I have been taken in by their wonderful loving family, which is greatly enriched our lives. I have a personal stake, therefore, in ensuring that my new family and my grandchildren, whenever, can thrive in an environment free from prejudice and hatred. I hope that you'll vote in favor of my appointment to this commission. Thank you very much for your attention. Thank you. Council Resolution 85 2025 Reappointment of Nina Besou to the Human Rights Commission. Council Resolution 86 2025 Reappointment of Dr. Daryl J. Willis to the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Authority. Council Resolution 87 2025 the Reappointment of Jimmy Reed to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority. SAO 1 FY 2025 Supplemental Budget and Appropriation Ordnance Department of Public Works, $2 million. My list says Director Cabete is going to be here. Oh, I didn't see you. I was like, where are you seeing? Behind Jen Sager. Good evening Chair Walsh, Vice Chair, Jones and members of the Council. Joseph Cabeta for the Department of Public Works. We are requesting this year transfer from contingency reserve fund of $2 million to cover excess costs associated with store operations in the months of January and February 2025, six no events that essentially doubled our typical budget. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Council Bill 32, 2025, emergency appropriation risk management, self self insurance fund $500,000. And we have Director Bennett on line. Okay. Yes. Yes. Here. Thank you. Good evening. Council Chair Walsh and Vice Chair Jones and Council members. I'm Laji Bennett. The County's Human Resources Administrator to present Council Bill CB32, which is the chair of the bill. Pre-Surf fiscal FY25, spending authority for the First Management Selfish Insurance Fund. Our request is for $500,000 to cover un-intensitly the under-cornerable claims following the adoption of the fiscal 25 budget. In particular, we experienced two large claims which exceeded the total general liability on fiscal 2020 FY25. We're requesting your approval, so we have adequate funding for project and the funding source will come from our prior year surplus in the risk management self insurance fund. Thank you for your question. Thank you. I think we've got the gist of that. Council resolution 88, 2025, Board of Education, physical year 2025, operating budget transfer and supplemental appropriation. Mr. Comforty? Good evening, Chair Walsh, Vice Chair Jones, DARREN Comforty, Executive Director of Budget at the Howard County Public School System, and good evening to the rest of the council. I'm here this evening on behalf of the Board of Education, asking for the Council's approval of CR-88-2025. This is our customary year-end budget management action in this year's year-end categorical transfer seeks to transfer. year end budget management action. And this year's year end categorical transfer seeks to transfer funds into five state categories and then seeks an overall supplemental appropriation of $5.5 million to cover budget overages in those state categories and then to transfer other funds between categories. All right, looks like no questions for you either Mr. Comforty. Thank you. You're welcome. And I have Brian Haudeleasted. I don't know if he was just here for questions or just for questions. Yes, thank you. We've been on council bill 33, 2025, introduced by the chairperson at the request of the county executive co-sponsored by Opal Jones, public safety officer, tax credit auxiliary officers. Okay. Director Ahele. Hey, how's it? Good to have. Orch vise show. Jones, I'm cast you. I'm chair. I'm chair Jones and council members. I'm a few human director of finance. I'm here to ask for the consideration of council be 33 2025. This bill is to expand public officers task credit to our zero area officers. These officers are volunteers and you walk alongside our police officers and the police department. The task-graded is a maximum of 2,500 and currently we have each potential auxiliary officers who leave the county. Thank you and thanks for your consideration. Thank you. I'm calling this name next, aren't I? Okay. Next up we have Paul Bertoulis. My name is Paul Bertoulis and I live in Hanova, Maryland. Members of the Howard County Council, thank you for considering Council Bill 33-2025 regarding the Public Safety Officer, Tech's Credit and Howard County inviting me to speak this evening. Again, my name is Paul Bertoulis and in addition to being a lifelong resident of Howard County, currently residing in District 1, I volunteer with the Howard County Police Department as an auxiliary officer. The HCPD auxiliary police unit was started in 1995 under then Chief James Roby. And since the program's inception, auxiliary officers have volunteered 199,000 hours of service to both the county citizens and visitors. We assist with stranded motorists on the side of the highway, help cross children to get to school, and support sworn police officers with many traffic-related issues, such as parking complaints, abandoned vehicles, and roadway hazards. I've been fortunate enough to be part of this unit since 2007, and in that time, I've personally volunteered 5,300 hours. In 2017, Governor Hogan signed House Bill 979 in a Maryland law, which granted a property tax credit for certain public safety officers. As the bill was written, this included both paid and volunteer firefighters, EMTs, correctional officers, police officers, and deputy sheriff's that work in the county or municipality where they reside. In 2018, our county council adopted council bill 15-2018, which mirrored the language requirements in state law to authorize the tax credit here in Howard County. When I and other volunteer police auxiliaries in the state found out about this tax credit, we were excited that there was potential that it could apply to us as well as our volunteer counterparts in the fire service. When we reached out to state legislators, Many had no idea that police departments even had volunteer programs similarly to how fire departments do. In Maryland, volunteer fire companies deep back to 1818. However, the concept of having volunteer police auxiliaries is not as prevalent. Historically, most jurisdictions had full-time law enforcement agencies and did not rely on citizen volunteers. Today, many local counties have volunteers to supplement the ever-demanding profession. Fortunately, in 2023, Senator Bailey introduced legislation to remove specific definitions of what a public safety officer is. It added that the governing body of a county or municipal corporation shall define by law public safety officer for purposes of the eligibility of the credit. That verbiage is now law and grants the authority to you, council members, to determine who in Howard County is eligible. While we currently have eight auxiliary officers that serve the Howard County Police Department, this tax credit would impact just three of us who are county residents and meet the requirements. It's very fitting that this year in the 30th anniversary of the program, we will eclipse over 200,000 hours of volunteer service to the county. Your vote could help make this milestone an anniversary even more memorable. Please consider a favorable vote to include auxiliary officers in public safety language for Council Bill 33 2025. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up, we have Christopher Slyowitz. Thank you. Next up we have Christopher Salliwitz. My name is Christopher Salliwitz. I live in Ellicott City and I'm in District 5. Good evening Council members. My name is Christopher Salliwitz and I've been a member of the Howard County Police Exilator Programs since 2017. Volunteering has been an essential part of my life since I was little. My parents had always tried their best to give back to the community. They instilled in me growing up. When I moved to Howard County in 2016 to start a new chapter in life, I looked for volunteering opportunities that would impact the community. When I saw the opportunity to volunteer as a Howard County auxiliary officer, I felt this would be perfect, yet different from other types of volunteering I have done in the past. During my nine years as an auxiliary officer, I have helped hundreds of Howard County citizens in countless ways. I've helped stranded motorists change flat tires, performed area checks as senior living facilities to ensure these citizens are safe. Assisted with drivers who locked their keys in their car. Cleaned debris from roadways to make them safe to travel. Toad abandoned vehicles from roadways, issued parking citations, assisted officers in recovering property, provided traffic direction at county functions and during unfortunate events, such as motor vehicle accidents, or when the bad weather knocks out the power and traffic lights and I assisted in as crossing guards helping children cross the street to and from school. But most importantly while these tasks I mentioned may seem minuscule they free up sworn officers from time consuming events so they can focus their attention on more serious emergencies that may be be occurring. In summary, volunteering as an auxiliary officer offers a unique way to contribute to the safety. And I am thankful to the Howard County Police Department for allowing me to help the community and I'm proud to be a Howard County auxiliary officer. I know that Howard County values volunteerism. Today we have a great opportunity to recognize the Howard County Police Anxiety Program as part of what it means to be a public safety officer. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Council Bill 34, 2025, the pay plan for fiscal year 2026. First up we have Bill Chinoweth. Can you hear me? Thank you. Good evening, Chairwalsh, and Vice-Jones, and the members of the council. My name is Bill Chunweth. A proud member of Asmi, and I serve as the late relation specialist for Asmi, local 1810, 3085, and 3888, here in Howard County. Arginians, excuse me, have been negotiating to reach fair contracts with the county management on behalf of the dedicated public employees that served the county residents. Collectively, our unions represent operations supervisors, technical, administrative, park rangers, park staff, support staff, regulatory inspectors, utility workers, front line workers, electricians, wastewater treatment workers, and many other critical operations staff that make it possible for core public services to function in Harrow County. County public employees are dedicated, hardworking, and proud to serve, and we need investments that reflect value and contribute to that we make to our communities. County is the most expensive county in Maryland for cost to live in. Yet, the same time is one of the wealthiest counties in the entire country. Our administration should be doing all it can to support working families who want to live and work here. We strive for a reality where everyone, not just the wealthy, can afford to live here and enjoy our communities, public services. At a time when the federal government is attacking and devaluing the work our federal public servants, our county government can chart a different path and lead by example through investment in public services. When we invest in public services and public employees, everyone benefits and our communities grow stronger. Sorry, our community, excuse me, we continue to negotiate in good faith with the county management over wages for our members. Many of our members are scrapping by and need compensation that reflects their values and address their tremendous in-dressed tremendous impacts of inflation as ad over the past few years. However, management has still not come to an agreement with our members on wages. We ask that you stand with us, support our efforts to secure a wage proposal that would to help secure financial security for our members and their families who dedicate so much to our communities. Additionally, our members continue to advocate for improved health and safety on the job. Our members are calling for an establishment of a heat stress policy to protect workers from extreme heat, which must be done under state law. We also are in need of bloodborne pathogens, respiratory protection along with many others. We need more health and safety training, proper equipment, and materials to keep our workers safe. Collective bargaining is a process that works. Best when all parties afford each other respect and negotiate good faith. It is all, so offers a path to problem solving, mutual challenges, and doing what is right for public employees. For example, we continue to advocate for certain non-represented employees to be included in our bargaining units. These workers engage in comparable work to our represented employees and should enjoy the same rights as our union representative employees. We can work together to find cost savings benefit for all of us, including putting an end to costly contracting out work. That should be done by our public employees. We encourage the county council to support us as we continue to advocate for a final contract that represents our workers and investments in public services. We are neutral to CB34 at this time. We are still actively barging. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Young. Applause. Don't go well. Good. Long day. Yes. We understand. It's good to see you. Thank you. You mentioned nonrepresented employees who specifically are you referring to? So, one of our units is the same. We're not going to be able to do that. We're not going to be able to do that. We're not going to be able to do that. We're not going to be able to do that. then it employees who specifically are you referring to? So one of our units especially we have a clause in the contract that we are trying to work with is they can the county has the ability to say they're confidential. As you know some of these staff that works in the County Council and other locations, they're exempt. We feel that they should be part of the unit and have representation. Also, some of these positions, we feel do not make sense being exempt because they're not appointing authorities. We just recently won an arbitration where the Arbiter ruled that supervisors and managers can be organized if they're not appointing authorities. So with that being said, we'd like to see that and it's caused some stress with different things that have happened with negotiating for our members and then not being able to partake in some of the benefits. One other question, I'm trying to ask this in a way that you could answer. Where are you in the bargaining process right now? Do you feel like you're moving in the right direction? Are you still far apart? Or do you have anything in sight? That's a great question. It really is. And we are really working together to try to come up with a good wage package. We know times are troubling, but our members are really suffering with a lot of the things going on. Spouses have lost jobs. The stress of the benefits coming and going and different things happening. So we are actively in the process. We are trying to exchange proposals and meet face to face. So I am confident with the next 30 days we should come to an agreement. Oh, that's great. Thank you. Good. And I appreciate the Union speaking out about the need to restore the health insurance Peace as well It's important it's important for everybody and Your advocacy is always welcome on those issues. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Anything else? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next up we have Anju Bennett, director. Hey, good evening again, council. For the record, Anju Bennett, on the Office of Human Resources. In CB34, I'm in the presentation. Reconciliation I'm seeing approval on behalf of County Administration for updates to the pay plan for FY26. In the test of an out-year, the demand will be to out all of the amendments and they cover three major categories. The majority of the changes are to the updated pay schedules. Most of the 15 pay schedules, some of the changes reflect the basis, the planning adjustments and other pay and changes. Other amendments simply reflect removal of the date of the pay schedule. As a note, we have some collective bargaining agreement schedules that are required in the changes and I'll go over those. They reflect either currently adopted, but it depends more recent tentative agreements. Some of course remain pending. The second and third category of changes that will cover relate to patrol limits for compensatory leave and the third item is covering the two new positions which are assigned to the newly created Department of General Services. The first set of people in the first set of items one through three of your testimony memo. In there, I will be covering the general salary schedules, the dispatcher lodge 107, which is also the same as the initial and the emergency communications supervisor schedule. For each of these schedules, we are just removing the first individuals to lie first, 2024, adding proposed schedules for F-26, which will be considered on January 1, 2026. In these schedules, each of them reflect a 2% cost of living adjustment. A amendment which accompanied the original filing notes a technical correction on the branding of figures on the at 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 schedules for half of me represented employees in local 1810, where these can take eight and 3085. Essentially for these, we're just removing the now outdated pay scale bodies. We're going to be able to get to 24 as they've already been replaced by the January 2025 pay scales, which will remain innovative. the deals are adopted. Once those scales are developed following ratification of eclectic bargaining agreement for each of those locals, we will return to present those as well. Next two schedules number seven and eight pertain to the police officers lodge 21 and police sergeant lodge 144. I just to these pace schedules reflect previously negotiated CBAs. That's a fiscal impact was presented to the Council as part of the earlier legislation adopting those or like the bargaining agreements. And taking the topic, we're removing the outdated schedules, we're removing two schedules from July 1, 2024 and the schedule for January 1, 2025, and we will replace them by adding two new schedules for each of the employee groups. The first one, we will add a 1% COLA, the fact that it's going to be a full-backed 25, and in the second, we will be adding a 3% COLA, which is effective January 1, 2026. The fiscal impact I mentioned was already shared. And the budget amendment that was filed notes of technical correction which adds back a rate that was inadvertently emitted from the piece get recovering, FLOG 20 more. Under item nine, you will find the proposed I'm sorry. Under item 9, you will find the proposed updates to the police management pay scale. In the scale, we will be removing the salary of the police. We've left with active July 1, 2024, and the one that was effective January 1, 2021, at the point of noon, that's why 26 schedules. The first one is the point of July 1, 2025, will reflect the one percent color across the case. Capsons on the schedule will also receive an annual loan, some specialty of the capsule, which will become effective July 1. Director Bennett, may I? Director Bennett, may I? Director Bennett, become effective. May I stop you? You seem to be having some technical difficulty that the rest of our virtual testifiers are not. There's some glitch on your side. My team tells me. I wonder if we would be better served if this you're going to make me sign off and sign on again. Like that's the fix. Yeah, like, yes. I feel like we can almost hear you, but you're getting so technical the only way I could actually follow along here on this particular bill is because I have the memo. So I do, and I see you're up next to. So I wonder if you would please try that fix, and we'll come back to you.. Or try another device. I just it but it was consistent. Your first testimony was more simplified so we could kind of follow along but this is getting. It's too garbled I think for someone who doesn't have like. Okay. Okay, thank you. I apologize. Let me I will log off and log back on. Thank you. Sorry. No, that's fine. Thank you. So skip ahead to CB 36 and come back. Council Bill 36 2025 budget and appropriation ordinance for fiscal year 2026. First up, we have Cat Carter. My daughter's calling me. I just hung up on her. All right. Good evening. My name is Kat Carter. I'm consumer advocate for the Maryland Board of Examiner for Optometry, VP of Advocacy for the PTA of Howard County PTAQ, a member of the ACPSS Security Task Force, Strategic Planning Task Force, and the Operating Budget Review Committee, the OBRC. I'm speaking in my personal capacity. I'm here today to urge you to fully fund the superintendent's FY26 request for the schools, restoring the county shared to historic home norms. 59% of reoccurring revenues. Using FY22 as a baseline, when the county contribute contribution was 58.2, we see a doubt troubling decline. FY 23, we saw the schools only got 56.7%, which was a loss of 19.3 million. In FY24, we got 56.2%, which was a loss of 27.7 million. We were at 56.8% of the budget, which was a loss of 20.4 million. And in this projected FY 26, we're at 56.2% of the budget with a short fall of 30.6 million. this very disturbing. All together. shortfall of 30.6 million. That is very disturbing. Altogether, that is 98 million just going back, just those few years, I could go back more, in underfunding compared to historical norms, funds that should have been gone to supporting students and educators. When we, while we appreciate the County Executives amendment of 14.5 and the amendments to add 4.2, we are still left with a gap of only over 10 million for FY 26 alone. We ask that you support Council Member Young's and Walsh's amendments. We also want to urge you to improve the transparency and coordination. We urge the adoption of a memorandum of understanding between the county executive and the board of education with clear timeline and a framework for collaboration and budget development. Additionally, the county council should really meet with therow County special education task force. This dedicated, these dedicated educators have spent nearly a year developing practical near term, near and long term solutions, which I included in my testimony are just a few to improve special education services in our country or in a county. The recommendations deserve your attention. And lastly, the county could begin to pay back the 98 million owed by funding an expansion of in-house special education programs. To improve the student outcome, reduce high turnover rates for special education staff, costly non-public placements, and contractor expenses. Thank you. I have a question for Ms. Carter. Thank you. We have a question for you, Ms. Carter. I'm just wondering why did you choose FY22 as the budget year, especially given COVID and that it was such a profoundly unusual budget year? I felt like we have to live in practicalities. I could go back more on what more is owed, But when you look at the 22 and you look at what was proposed in the county executives with their timeline of Hey, it's been steady. It really has not been steady and it has declined So I was trying to align with that But why choose 22 and it had so many additional dollars from from the federal government and so many additional needs as a former teacher and as a parent of five children. I'm not questioning the need. I'm questioning the dollars. And I guess from a mathematical perspective, they are interesting numbers you've chosen. So thank you for your testimony this evening. Thank you for the question. I appreciate your attention. Thank you. Next up we have Anthony de Bella. Virtually. Hi, good evening, Anthony. You've now been elevated. Feel free to unmute yourself and begin your testimony when you're ready. Good evening. This is Anthony de Bella. I live in Laurel. This is Anthony de Bella. I live in Laurel and I'm here to speak in favor go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and So those are the first places to look to counterbalance the additions to the HCPSS operating budget that so many people have emailed in favor of. In fact, you may not need to look very far from where you are right now. Despite flat population growth since 2021, the employees listed under the general government category have grown from 384 in FY21 to 448 in the proposed FY26 budget, with most of the increase coming in FY25. The very year the public schools were forced to cut over 100 school-based positions among similar reductions and other staffing. Students were relying on us to prevent another loss of trusted teachers, the classes they teach, and the relationships they foster as a students who testified before me so eloquently stated. The percentage of recurring funds dedicated to general government was 2.6 in 2021 and is ground to 3% in the proposed 2026 budget. I don't forget about the salaries of those staff whose growth rate mentioned by Ms. Bennett as going up by about 2% this year and they have already outpaced the comparable salaries of teachers by about 10% since 2018. And as the amendment 17 to CB 36 that supports preserving the current through your contract between the public schools and HCEA, maintaining that will go a long way toward the parent relationships with staff who are weary and distrustful of a system focused on cost reductions. The kind of organizational change necessary to deliver education more effectively and more efficiently will not be possible without buying from the educators in it. However, without sufficient financial backing for all current teachers to get the benefit of that contract, amendment 17 is empty words. In voting for Amendment 17, this council must take action to back HCPSS financially. The strongest action would be to reallocate sufficient funds to HCPSS at the initial approval of the operating budget. Failing that, use of HCPSS fund balance can be a useful tool to help manage cash flow. The Board of Education provided a clear response that the fund balances are not as robust as the optimistic figures included in the County Executive's letter of A8. Board of Ed policy is governing use of fund balances will give members pause before using them. The overarching story of this budget is revenue risk and uncertainty. Despite this risk, per capita revenue is predicted to be a steady as ever. Use of fund balances can help maintain staffing while mitigating some of those risks. But the county must coordinate this shared risk the a memorandum of understanding between the county executive and the board of education should the funds be needed during the year. In conclusion, the continual reallocation of funding from the public schools to future needs has left the current needs of students unmet. The current growth in special education costs is an indicative of the system that can't meet its own day-to-day classroom needs and results in costly outsourcing. Continuing underfunding of the school system needs is penny-wise and pounds foolish. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Miss Young. Good evening Mr. Debella. Could you repeat the numbers that you were talking about in terms of employee growth in the county? Yep, yes, Council Member. When I looked in the operating budget for FY21, there were 384 employees listed in the general government category. And then in the FY26 proposed budget, there were 448. And most of the increase comes in added positions in FY 25. Thank you. So that's about 60 or 70 new employees, and that's what we're looking at here. Yeah, thanks. All right, thank you, Mr.. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Debella. Next up we have Jackie Debella. Hi. Good evening, Jackie. You've now been elevated. Feel free to unmute yourself and begin your testimony. Good evening. My name is Jacqueline Debella. I'm from Laurel Maryland. And I'm here to test a pi the driver CV 36. Members of the county council, I'm here to ask for the full funding of the budget for any public schools for the 25 and 26. I mean, I'm sorry, 2025 and 2026 school year. vulnerable students are being left behind. In fact, every time the Howard County budget was underfunded, my son was moved to a more restrictive environment. This is due to staffing being cut. When close adult support is not available, some IEPs cannot be met. For example, the decision was made to remove them. Please, many of those were supported. Supported my son's plan so as determined he would no longer be a candidate for the regional program. What the school system doesn't tell you is that comprehensive schools do not necessarily have trained or certified staffing in special education. This again is a budget issue. Specialized teachers, paris, and temporary employees are working with a variety of IEPs, neuro-type physical and emotional disabilities, and the training is minimal. In fact, most classroom teachers have one or less special class in college, and they responsible for teaching students with an IEP, which is a legal document. Howard County is far behind other counties with its educational offering for autism. There is no in-county specific school for autism needs, and the only autism specialist for Howard County Public Schools is in pre-K. Parents are left with no choice but to attend mediation, apply for a non-public placement. It is a painful, expensive and lengthy process, and some families do not have the resources for a lawyer or an advocate. In addition, these are not only county resources for autistic middle school and high school students. They are very much needed to learn social schools in a typical public and throughout the county. As a result, these students are no longer part of our neighborhood schools or the community at large. Currently, my son, who is historically above grade level, a safety patrol morning announcer can code in C++, high thought, HG Mal scratch, is now in homewood center. He coded a photo of the home with Bascad in linear algebra in a class he was denied at the regional program. Although we are grateful for our home and school has done, we continue to be concerned about his readiness for high school and college. We are not alone in this struggle and we hope you can push through the funding for the school's trained staff, reduced class size, improved special education and include all students in the public education in an equitable way. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Sure, well, should we going back to? Yes, to be 34, do you want me to read CB 35 as well? She signed up to test. I guess so yeah, and then she can go right through. Counts is correct. Council Bill 35 2025 classification plan amendment director and deputy director of the Department of General Services Director Bennett are you with us again? I am and I hope this is much better So far so good. Oh, thank you very much. I had a system upgrade so maybe a few bugs I. I was covering CB34 and just going over some of the changes to the police management schedules, and I think I got the most of it. But we were adding two schedules briefly. One was effective July 1, 2025, which will reflect a 1% COA. And captains on the salary scale will receive a lump sum specialty pay of $5,000 effective July 1. And we'll add a schedule January 1, 2026, which will add a 3% COLA across a pay scale. Additionally, the rank of major in additional pay step is being added to extend the pay scale to recognize longevity and additional service. The budget amendment that was filed notes a technical correction also for a rounding of a pay rate of the pay rates for the police management schedule. This go impact is of course listed in your testimony memo. The next four schedules are covered on page three of your testimony and they cover items 10 13, and they cover firefighters local 2000, the FM schedule for fire management and the local 3080 pay scales covering corrections positions. In all of these, we were removing the outdated pay schedules, their effective July 1, 2024. In addition, there was a budget amendment of course filed, and we've added two new FY26 pay scales for firefighters local 2000 and the FM schedule for fire management. Both scales had a 1% cost of living effective July 1, 2025, and a 3% cost of living assessment effective January 1, 2026. The item number 14, which is on page 3 of your testimony, we've updated the pay skills commonly known as CSDS schedule. Those schedules cover positions assigned to the Sheriff's Office, most of which are covered by collective bargaining. One grade on the schedule covers a position of security officers. These positions are not covered by collective bargaining, so the call is a little different. The adjustments are removing the outdated schedules, which were effective July 1, 2024, and adding the FY26 pay schedule that will become effective January 1, 2026. This schedule will add a 3% callup for sheriffs at grades CS133, out of 3% callup for sheriffs at grades DS5 through 7, and add a 2% callup for the security officers at DS2 to align with a general pay schedule as security officers are also non-represented. This can impact courses listed in your testimony. The last pay schedule, which is identified by item 15 on your testimony page 4, covers our recreational license- license childcare positions. These changes align with the general pay scale changes thus we're removing the outdated pay schedule effective July 1, 2024 and adding the pay schedule that will become effective January 1, 2026. The schedule will add a 2% coal and the testimony will find the fiscal impact. The next two changes of the case of pay plan are also found on page four of your testimony memo. The first one covers the county's compensatory leave policies in your memo, which I will not go over, covers the the effect of the Fair Labor Standards Act on positions which are categorized as non-exempt from the Fair Labor Standards and those that are exempt. The changes to this section of the pay plan specifically cover compensatory leave earned by employees who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. In other words, these are the employees that would earn compensatory leave at straight time. The administration proposes an adjustment in the compensatory leave of parole limits from the current maximum of 80 hours to 120 hours. And the higher limit as outlined in your testimony really is essential for maintaining the county's operational readiness during periods of high service demands. And the adjustment really allows up the county to continue operations while providing departments of flexibility to manage staffing needs within existing budget constraints. Minor amendments have also been made to clarify the existing basis on which compensatory leave is earned and clarify the application of this change. There is no direct impact fiscal impact for this change. The very last change to the pay plan is found on page four of your testimony, and this change simply recognize the new positions that will be assigned to the Department of General Services. These positions were previously considered by the council in council bill 925. And in that bill, the council approved re-organization of the executive branch of the county government to establish the new Department of General Services. So the amendments to the pay plan recognize and add the director of general services at great P and a deputy director at great O. And this concludes the presentation of Council Bill 34. Thank you, let me see if there are any questions. It doesn't seem like it. You want to go into the next one CB 35? Wait, you don't have a question. No, I just don't know if you just heard me speak it. I thought you did read it. Okay. Okay. We're ready to hear from you, Director Bennett about CB 35. Oh, thank you very much. And this one's very, very Similar to the two positions that were added to the pay plan, the classification plan also must recognize the positions. So we have provided you a proposed amendment which would reflect the new class codes for these positions, the classification requirements and fairly standard status for each of these positions. And Thank you very much for your time. Thank you, Director Bennett. Moving on, Council Bill 37, 2025, bond authorizing various general county projects for 103 million, $139,518. Council Bill Bill 38, 2025 bond authorizing general county projects for 54 million, $652,000 capital project CO364. Council Bill 39, 2025 bond authorizing county road construction projects, excise tax projects, 8,131,789 dollars. Council bill 40, 2025 bond authorizing county water and sewer capital projects, metropolitan district, 81 million, 31,000 and 54 dollars. Bill 51, 2025, bond authorizing general county projects, capital projects, CO337, $23,200,000. Council Bill 42, 2025, bond authorizing watershed protection and restoration fund, $14,276,000. Council Bill 43, 2025, bond authorizing non-county government BBI fund and the private sector BBI fund for $1 million. Council Bill 44, 2025, authorizing installment purchase agreement, capital project, G-O-164 for $16,947,400. Council resolution 89, 2025, capital program and extended capital program. Council resolution 90, 2025, Howard County, Howard Community College, fiscal year 2026, operating budget. Council resolution 91, 2025. Howard County Library System, fiscal year 2026, operating budget. Am I calling a name now? I am callingPenalosa. I've been a Howard County resident for 17 years. I serve as a customer service specialist at the Miller Branch of the Howard County Library System, and I'm a proud member of Howard County Library Workers United, ask me. I also served on the bargaining team in negotiating our very first union contract. First, I'd like to send the council for your time, your service, and your commitment to public education and community resources. A couple weeks ago you heard from one of my co-workers and fellow bargaining team members. You heard that the library is walking back from our newly negotiated wage increases. We still need your help to keep the system accountable, to be clear. Management has enough funding to support our legally binding union contract. Our bargaining unit represents full and part-time staff, among whom are instruction and research specialist. You may know them as Liberian. Customer services specialist like myself and many other job titles. The library system has not kept pace with the rising cost of living for years. I personally felt the impact of stagnant wages as housing, transportation and everyday essentials continue to grow more expensive. Like so many of my coworkers, I am simply trying to make a living while doing the work I care deeply about. After more than ten months of contract negotiations, we reached a fair and balanced contract. This agreement was not a wish-lits of once from union members, but a thoughtful compromise between workers and management. It is also a binding contract approved by the Library of Port of Trostis, ratified by union membership and signed by all parties. Notably, Article 18 of that agreement stipulates a 4% cost of living adjustment and a 3% step increase for fiscal year 26 for bargaining unit members who are a step eligible. The 4% cost of living adjustment we negotiated is in just a number. It's a live line that helps me and others like me to continue living and working in the community we love and serve. Within a wake of signing the agreement, library management, publicly announced their intent to only fund 2% COLA in fiscal year 26, citing a reduced overall budget increase from the county executive. This decision effectively bridges our contract and worse since a discouraging message to library workers who have gone above and beyond to serve this county with professionalism and heart. The contract clearly states that renegotiations are only triggered if the county explicitly rejects the wage increases for bargaining union members, which, to our knowledge, has not happened. What we do know is that HCLS is budgeted to receive a 3% increase to their budget for fiscal year 26. An increase that based on all available data is enough to honor the which package we negotiated. In fact, providing the full 4% cola to bargaining union members would cost approximately 240,000 more than the proposed 2% cola. That That's not an insurmountable difference. In a 27 million budget, it's a matter of priority and principle. We understand that HCLS management wants to provide the same COLA to both union and non-union staff, including system leadership. That is admirable in spirit, but it cannot be done at the expense of violating our Union contract. It's important to recognize that Union staff are the frontline workers who perform the essential day-to-day work that keeps each branch running and ensuring our libraries remain vibrant community spaces. Sorry. Non-union staff, many of whom are in management roles, are not partied to the same collective bargaining agreement. If management wishes to match union increases across the board, it is their responsibility to find those additional funds else wearing the budget. Arraces need to be upheld. As union members, we are not here to create division. In fact, we attempted to address leadership last week at our professional development day when a large group of union members stood to speak out about honoring our union contract. We tried to raise our concerns in a respectful manner, making sure there could be no disruptions to the day's events, yet we were expressly shut down and silence before we could even begin to speak. Howard County has a proud history of supporting education, equity and level rights. County Executive Bowl has loan champion working families. We believe that legacy must continue, not just in worst-born in actions. We respectfully request that you hold up the value of accountability and ensure that the funds already allocated to the library are being spent in a way that respects our legally binding union contract and reflects the priorities of our community. Thank you again for your time, your stewardship, and your ongoing support for our county library system and its workers. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to have to put you in the next question. I'm going to have to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. I'm going to put you in the next question. the microphone. I'd like you to expand a little more on what happened last week. You said that you came to talk to the library management and you weren't allowed to have that conversation what exactly happened. That is correct. So we hailed our professional development day last week. Oh, this was on your professional development day. Yes, that is true. I remember there were a number of people I talked to who said that the library, the entire library system was closed down that day. Exactly. And that's one of the few days of the year where the library is closed to the public. Exactly. Okay. So we were, we made sure that we didn't interfere with the daily agenda. So it was in one of our breaks that we stood up and we were ready to address everyone in the room and we were not allowed to do it. And when you say everyone in the room, were all the people who worked for the library in that room, they were all in that room. And were you just told you may not talk to these people? Yes, actually our CEO, Tonya Aikins, took our microphone for my union colleague and member, Eliana, and said, she couldn't be able to talk. And you had negotiated what I remember at the budget work session that we discussed this, you all had negotiated a 3 or 4% wage increase of COLA? A 4% COLA increase. 4% CO, and then- And then year 26. Then your attorney communicated that the county executive said that he would not support a 4% wage increase for the library employees under the contract negotiations. Yes, actually the worst that we were told said that the county rejected our 4% calling increase. And we've just been up here talking about 4% calling increases, haven't we? For our county employees. Yes, okay, thank you Ms. Perez. Thank you. Just please. Continuing to resolution 92. Yes, please. Council resolution 92, 2025. Harris County Board of Education, physical year 2026 operating budget. I'm not a catch on. First up is Lori Raimi. Good evening Councilmembers. My name is Lori Raimi. I live in Alcridge. I'm here testifying on behalf of the PTA Council of Howard County, Olsonanis P.Tac. And our approximately 10,000 members, some of whom are, you've heard, testifying here on their own behalf, and many of whom sent you emails. To ensure a high quality education for all Howard County students, PTAC supports enhancing the maintenance of effort amount provided by the county to achieve a fully funded public school system. We strongly urge the county council to add a minimum, close to $29.2 million gap between what the county executive has proposed, and the amount the school system needs to maintain its current level of services and meet its students needs. PTech stands firmly in support of maintaining the essential programs and services proposed by the HPSS superintendent and board of education. We also believe it is critical that the HPSS health fund remains solvent and not be rated for operating budget funds. We are concerned about the percentage of the county's budget that the school system has received in recent years. The actual dollar amount the school system has received has gone up every year. However, as a percentage of the county budget, the school system share has not increased proportionally. And as below what it is historically received, we hope you will reverse this trend. We are grateful for your continued commitment to prioritizing HCPSS in the county's fiscal year 26 operating budget. Thank you. Thank you. Next up we have Glenda Robertson. Is it on? Good evening, Chairwoman. I'm going to ask the president of Asmi Local 1899. Asmi Local 1899 members are the Frontline workers who make it possible for Harry County public schools facilities and grounds to function each day to make sure that the workers are play and grow. Our members provide critical work in HVAC, electrical, custodial, warehouse, IT, and other building and grounds maintenance work. Without the work of our members, our schools could not open for learning and teaching. I have worked as a custodian with Howard County Public School Systems for 22 years. My favorite part of my job as a building day lead at Wallach Middle has been working with good people to create a positive school environment. Whether it's co-workers in my department, educators, or administrators, I have always felt that we all work together to create a good learning environment for our kids. My co-workers and I take great pride in our work to create clean, healthy, and safe environments for our students. Unfortunately, in the last few years, my co-workers and I have felt that respect and good communication from management has fallen by the wayside. As a result, our members feel ignored, demoralized, overworked, and burnt out. The lack of respect from our work shows in multiple ways. First, our members are not earning enough to get by and make ends meet for our families. Our county should be affordable and welcoming to everyone, not just the wealthy. However, the cost of living in Harrah County has risen dramatically and workers are struggling to afford to live where they work. Far too many of our members are working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. I work evenings at an Amazon warehouse in addition to my job with our school system to make ends meet. And I'm painfully aware that this is true for most of my co-workers. The cost of living in the lack of living wage means that our school system cannot find the people we need to fill key vacancies. Our custodians and maintenance staff are overworked and struggling to complete their duties because of our pay is not competitive enough to attract enough new staff to our system and keep valuable veteran employees. As of recently as April, management implemented a new regional work coverage system for custodians. This system pulls custodians from certain schools to cover work that needs to be done at other schools. And I'm sad to say this has not even come close to solving the problem. When most of our school buildings are short staff, our on custodians and maintenance staff, we cannot solve a shortage by pulling existing staff for their assigned location to cover work at additional locations and expect all the work to get done. We need more people, not fewer people traveling to multiple sites to do more work and more work. This method will only push more people out of our system. School custodians should work approximately 20,000 square feet of buildings for their shift. However, I know many of our custodians are working much more than that and some are working nearly double. When I think of the reality that so many of our members live with, it disappoints me and frustrates me that our employer continues to disagree with our union on a cost of living adjustments so our members can make ends meet. And what is the total amount of disagreement? $97,000. $97,000 is the difference between our members getting a cost of living adjustment that we have earned and our employer's positions. The proposed FY budget for Howard County is 2.3 billion and it was recently announced that county executive ball increased the school budget by an additional 14.5 million. Yet, somehow our employer insists they can't find $97,000 to give a fair cost of living adjustment to our members and again many of whom work multiple jobs. We work hard to create a safe and healthy environment for our students and our staff. We ask that you stand with us and support us in our efforts to get a fair contract that we have earned and one that demonstrates respect and value for our work. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next up we have Cat Carter. My name is Cat Carter. Good evening. I just want to emphasize that the budget that we are looking at for FY26 is 56.2%. Remember that number as I go through the budget years from 2009. This is the lowest it's ever been going back to 2009. In 2009, who was 59.8% 2010, it was 61.2% the schools got of the budget. In 2011, it was 61.4%. In 2012, it was 60% In 2013, it was 60%. In 2014, it was 58.9%. In 2015, it was 58.9 percent. In 2015, it was 59.1 percent. In 2016, it was 58.8 percent. In 2017, it was 58.3 percent. This is in my testimony. In 2018, it was 58.7 percent. In 2019, it was 59.6 percent. In 2020, it was 58.7%. In 2019, it was 59.6%. In 2020, it was 58.1%. And in 2021, it was 58.7%. In 2022, it was going to have a hard time. It was 58.1%. I believe 58.2%. In 2023, it's 56.7% in 2024, it's 56.2% in 2025, it's 56.6% and in this year we are all time low since 2009 records of 56.2%. This is the trend that the data shows. This is Howard County's share of the Howard County, this is Howard County's school share of the budget. You owe us money. I could go back farther. So what we're asking is to help mitigate the costs that have piled up with non-public placement with special ed, with capital costs, with teacher staffing. We're asking you to give some of that back because we have dug ourselves in a hole trying to make up for it on our end. And I just want to end. Fully funding in Howard County Public School System is not just a budget line. It is a strategic investment in our children, our community's future, and our local economy. It is an investment that has paid dividends for decades in workforce readiness, property, values, and the quality of life. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Anthony DeBella. I could even Anthony, you've been elevated again. Feel ready to begin your testimony when you're ready. I like to use my time to remind councilwoman Wigby that we picked FY22 as a reference year because that one and one of the reasons was because that's the year that we started seeing a large amount of Pego and prior years funds in the budget. And that's why we separated that out. But what we see during that time is as the Pego piled up the underestimation of revenue artificially siphoned off money from the operating budget in general to some of these capital and one time expense projects. So the net effect of that was starving operating budgets across across all the county programs, but the school system being the largest it it suffered the most from that reallocation of funds. of funds and what the trend in the allocation given to the school system represents is just this gradual shifting of funds. I know there's been a number of different ways to compute it. You can get different numbers but when you plot consistent numbers over the years back since 2009, every method proposed even the one one proposed by the County's Budget Director, shows a drop-off. So subject to further questions, that concludes my testimony. Thank you. Next up, we have Jackie DeBilla. Okay, that sense and then we have Ryan Powers who is speaking on both CR-92 and CB-45 together. Says my note. I could even Ryan you've now been elevated feel free to unmute yourself and begin your testimony when you're ready. Good evening council members my name is Ryan Powers from Glenwood and I'm speaking only for myself and not part of any group. I'm here to ask that you pass CB 45, 2025, along with amendment one. And then CR 92 with amendments one and two. In your deliberations on Friday, the Council discussed HCPSS in the blueprint. Blueprint. The case was made that HCPSS has to cut upsters because the blueprint is forcing them to do it. It's not an either or dilemma. HCPSS should have both. The quality of the school systems in its programs are why people are willing to pay more in taxes to be here. I also want to say that I believe the point of education is not just to read, write, and perform arithmetic. It hasn't been that way for a long time. Yes, we need to improve things, but we also want to support the development of a whole child. I was one of those kids who did find in English science history and math classes, but for many kids, those subjects are a war. It doesn't speak to them. Sometimes it causes them to feel like failures in that they can't do anything right. But when those kids discovered themselves through art, music, athletics, top classes, or other classes I don't even know about, that is when we truly are educating the whole child. That is when they start to find themselves. The county spends millions of dollars for the arts. I don't need to tell you how much it is investing this year alone. We shouldn't be asking HTPSS to cut its programs in an art for me, but not for the approach. I fully support an independent audit of the school system. However, at this point, I even more unsure if HTPSS has necessary health and balance funds to cover the same service funding yet. The county is proposing HEPS pay for. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Powers. We have a question for you from Mr. Rikby. Mr. Powers, I was wondering, are you aware that the arts grants you speak of in the budget that they do benefit HEPS? Howard Howard County Arts Council program works directly with our schools to fund artisan residents programs. And I think that's great. I'm just worried that in the school system it will be cut. So if we're spending, you know, 68 million on an arts cultural center or repurposing the old courthouse. I know those are capital funds, but that's just an example of, from what our county is investing in the arts. And you're right, it does support the school system. We shouldn't stop that. We shouldn't stop the school system budget. We shouldn't cut that, or the program that they do have that aren't part of any other group. Thank you. And I appreciate your recognition that the capital and operating funds are separate and we could not have spent those. Thank you. Thank you. I'm gonna read from CR-93 onto CR-107. Council Resolution 93, 2025, Health Department and Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget, Council Resolution 94, 2025, Metropolitan District Fees and Charges, Council Resolution 95, 2025, Fees Department of Public Works, Council Resolution 96, 2025, Fees, Fines and Charges for the Department of Suspension Licensing Licenses and Permits, Council Resolution 97, 2025. Fees and charges for the Department of Planning and Zoning. Council Resolution 98, 2025. Department of Police, Fees and Charges. Council Resolution 99, 2025. Schedule of fees, parking citations for the Department of Police. Council Resolution 125, Fees and Rates for various departments, Council Resolution 101, 2025, Watershed Protection and Restoration Fees, Rates schedules, Council Resolution 102, 2025, Health Department Fees, Council Resolution 103, 2025, Department of Fire and Rescue, Inspection Fees, Council Resolution 106, 2025, Department of Finance, Fees Schedules, Council Resolution 105, 2025 Department of Finance, fee schedules, Council Resolution 105 2025, Emergency Medical School Service, Reimbursement Program Rates, Council Resolution 106 2025, Emissions and Amusement Tax Fiscal Year 2026, Council Resolution 107 2025, Building Exxise Tax for Fiscal Year 2026. We have Lisa Markovitz signed up to testify. Hi, I'm Lisa. You have now been elevated. Feel free to unmute yourself and begin your testimony. Hello. I'm testifying on behalf of HECA as vice president and as president of the people's voice in Columbia. Thank you council members. Testifying on CR 107 and CR 110 together because my testimony is identical for us for those two. This is my presentation. This is my quick to speak in one moment. I, I'll read in Council Resolution 110. Council Resolution 110, 2025, VN Lou for moderate income housing. Thank you for that. Okay. Each year the council considers these resolutions, both of which contain a coded cap on increases from the engineering news record construction cost index for the Baltimore region. The problem with this measurement is that instead of being a cap, the ENR rate should be applied as an automatic indexing annually. Having it reviewed every year to decide an increase up to the cap is counterproductive. When inflation is high for the industry, the council does not want to make costs worse by adding large increases. Conversely, when the index is low, that cap makes it impossible to increase using other analyses of getting to appropriate market amounts. In the App The Review Committee, we voted unanimously to create longer sidewalk requirements to bus stops, with a cap that increases with the ENR rate. In that example, the ENR involvement is not an increase that is cap, but a stable equivalency established to their rate each year. This makes sense. Please change the ENR language in the code, especially with regard to these two resolutions, so that the E&R index is just followed. Any increase should equate to the construction industry's own index and end the annual decision and review that has to take place on these topics. As if it's now the public does not even have the information of what the E&R construction index bottom area even is, which should be part of the financial information on the legislation. Googling only produces a national average. The rest is behind a paywall, even though in Howard County it derives an important set of funding. Thank you for considering making the E&R a useful index to allow the construction industry to have automatic indexing equivalents and not a cap when it increases evaluated by the county annually. We request that whatever that current rate is it should be applied to these resolutions. If that is already the case this year great but the code should still be changed and the information should still be provided. Thank you. Thank you. Council resolution 108, 2025, Fire and Rescue Tax, Physical Year 2026. Council resolution 109, 2025, property tax fiscal year 2026. Council resolution 111, 2025, transfer tax fiscal year 2026. Resolution 112, 2025, Recredation Tax Physical Year 2026, and Council Bill 45, 2025, use of excess surplus revenue up to $14,500,000 for FY26 operating budget of the Board of Education Emergency Act. First up, we have Brooke Bammell. Good evening Chair Wolch, Vice Chair Jones and members of the Council. I hope you can hear me. Yes we can. Okay wonderful. My name is Brooke Mammell, I'm with the office of the budget. Before I talk about Council Bill 45, I kindly ask that you would allow me to correct a couple of things I were said previously in previous testimonies. I'll try to make a very brief if that's okay. Let's see how you do, Mr. Memo. No, I'll give up this. I think one of the speakers mentioned that the county rejected a 4% increase that was going to be offered to certain employees of the Howard County Library System. I just want to make it clear that the county provides funding to the library system, but we don't directly negotiate in any of their, you know, pain negotiations. We have no involvement. So I just wanted to set the record straight. And then the last thing I wanted to correct was somebody mentioned there was a significant increase in the general government number of county employees out of the budget book. I just want to make it clear that general government is just one subset of county employees. in Cloutsa, the budget book. Just wanna make it clear that general government is just one subset of county employees. It includes the county admin, executive office, technology, EDA and housing. And what happened in 2025 is we had a major reorganization of certain departments. So there were a lot of positions that were shifted to this category, to county admin and to housing, that increased that category, but the net change and the entire county was very minimal. Another element is this category of positions includes all funding sources. So this category under the Blueprint under County Administration got about 18. the budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. The budget document is a budget document. So I did okay. Doing a quick description here. Okay. you see that major increase. So I hope I did okay. Doing a quick description here. Okay. As far as the CB 45, the administration proposes to amend the charter restriction on use of surplus revenues to support ongoing expenses and provide one time additional funding of 14.5 million to the school system. This is designed to maintain four services with that reducing programs and staffing, without having to increase tax burdens on Howard County businesses and residents, and with that reducing existing public services. This bill would increase the proposed direct county funding to the schools from 800 million, which stands at 52.2% of the general fund budget. It would increase it to 814.5 million, which is a 54 million or a record increase, and that would represent 53.1% of the general fund budget. I've heard a lot of percentages being thrown around and at least if I can give my perspective, I think the valid comparison is to compare direct funding from the county that goes to the school system for recurring expenses. Net of any one time funding that we may provide the schools and compare that to the total general fund ongoing revenues. Net of any prior year surplus revenues because you're dedicated to one time usage. So that's all I wanted to say and I'm happy to try to answer any questions you may have. Oh, I can't resist to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to the, I think, pretty defensible claim that the genesis of all of that excess surplus revenue, is it a very recent year-by-year underestimation of revenues? So you're just holding what would have been operating expenses for the next year to recall them as a one-time or capital expenses. But instead had the actual projections been closer to what actual fact was, then they should have been in an operating budget the year prior rather than in a one-time category the next year. These are estimates that historically our pay go or prior year surplus has been very low. Some years zero. Most years has been 5 to 10 million a year and it's typically dedicated to road resurfacing. So we don't have an under estimation issue historically. Since COVID, this is not unique to Howard County, but it's been in many other places. Revenue is unexpectedly contrary to what a lot of people thought were increasing due to one-time factors. A lot of federal stimulus money, inflationary impacts, things of that nature. So this is not a unique Howard County problem. If we had built in those revenues, we still expect to be one kind by nature. When they go away, it would mean we have to find cuts, significant cuts in the ongoing base budget of county agencies and outside entities. So we make projections. Historically, we're very close, but unlike our colleagues and other jurisdictions, revenues came in unexpectedly high since COVID. And Dr. Sun has talked about that at various work sessions, but I mean, that's just a reality of it. Exactly, but blaming it on COVID when we're now in year 20, you know, fiscal year 26, maybe that, and it did work, right, for the first one or two years of the COVID pandemic, but that that bust has afflicted this budget for the duration of the seven years I've been on this council. And in my view, it's to the detriment of the operating, the true operating costs of particularly our school system. Ms. Rigby, or Ms. Young, did you have questions for Mr. Mimmo? Mr. Mimmo, I certainly agree with you that the county executive does not typically, if ever, get involved in negotiations with entities like the library or the community college, etc. Rather, we simply fund those entities. But I do think that it's important for you to know that we actually received an email where the... the library civically stated in his email to the union negotiators that because the county executive had stated that he would not support the cola that had been negotiated by the Library Union, that the library would not honor those negotiations. Now, that doesn't mean that that's true, that doesn't mean that the County Executive had that conversation, but it was represented and we received a copy of that email. It was represented to the union and we did receive a copy of that email. I just wanted you to know that. No, I appreciate that. I did not know that and I find that surprising but maybe somebody else else can weigh in. But just again, as you mentioned, and based on my understanding, I've never known the county to get involved in direct negotiations with outside entities. So that's why I felt the need to try to clarify that. Right, I get it, and very well, may not have been the case. Mr. Beat, did you have anything? Sure, so specifically to this resolution, Mr. full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. We're going to be able to have a full time meeting. How can you can you say the amount that the fund will end in this year is projected to end that? The Howard County or the S. Howard County. Oh, it's actually in a deficit. And actually if you look at all our internal service funds, you have the health fund, risk management, fleet and technology to make this budget and work, to reduce our expenses to the general fund so that we would have additional funding to dedicate to key priority areas mainly the school system. The one thing we did was we used about 8.9 or so million dollars of fund balance we had in these four funds, putting almost all of them in a negative balance as a hopefully one-time unsustainable solution, but we wanted to try to provide as much the resources to the school system so they don't have to cut key programs and lay staff. Well, I'm glad you recognize that it's unsustainable because while we're last year, we took the extraordinary measure of transferring from our fire property tax to our property property tax so that those funds could go to general fund to be pulled for education. This year, we're going into our policy reserve taking nearly a third of these one-time funds for reoccurring costs and throughout the Howard County budget, we're pulling from one-time funds to cover reoccurring costs. And that makes me feel things I can't say into this microphone that's being broadcast. but it's worrisome. And I'm glad to hear you recognize it's unsustainable because changes will have to be made for next year. That time is coming. So thank you for your explanation. I appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mema. Next up we have Benjamin Schmidt. Good evening, good night, whatever it may be at this point. I'm Benjamin Schmidt, our teacher of 25 years in the Howard County School System and currently the president of the Howard County Education Association representing nearly 64 hundred members dedicated to children and our public school system. I'm testifying today in support of CB 45 as well as amendment 2 to CB 36 and related amendments in urge to the full council support. Together these bills would provide 18.7 million in additional funding to help HCPSS close the 29.2 million budget gap. It needs to maintain existing services. I want to thank the county executive for recognizing the emergent needs of our school system and for providing an additional 14.5 million from the county's fund balance. However, the truth is, what have been needed if schools were funded at the same level that they were prior to 2019, when the county spent 53% of its budget on K to 12 schools. Even with these funds, it leaves HCPSS a shortfall of 14.7 million. To make up the difference, the county executive identified three sources of revenue in the board's FY26 budget, using available balances in this general fund, health fund, and investment income. Let's start the general fund, which is the balance of funds from the operating budget. Because of cuts last year, the system projects it will have a mere five million left over at the end of the fiscal year. To put that in perspective, $5 million is 1 half of 1 percent of the school system's entire operating budget. Here's another way to look at that. If the operating budget were a person earning 60,000 a year, this would be like having $21 left over at the end of every month. Additionally, the school system and the board passed the policy to keep their fund balance at 1% to maintain a healthy amount if there were issues to handle during the school year. Spending down the fund balance completely would be against policy and a very dangerous choice that they would be forced to make. County Executive also wants the school system to do its health care fund, which it uses to pay claims to employees. In 2021, both the HCPSS and the county government used existing funds to eliminate $40 million of $40 million health fund deficit. This deficit was created because it was supplementing the operating budget with the health care fund balance. Now the county executive wants the school system to lower its projections so it can divert 8 million to the operating budget. We could end up in exactly the same position again. The health fund comprises both employer and employee contributions, meaning HCPSS employees could once again be paying for part of the operating budget, putting the system at risk of earning another qualified audit opinion. Meanwhile, the balance of the county's general fund has ballooned to half a billion dollars. That's the county government. I'll say it again for those in the back. Half a billion dollars. The county's balance sheet has grown so large that the county earned an eye popping 40 million dollars in interest income alone last year. Do Howard County residents pay income in property taxes so that they can earn the county investment income? No They pay taxes so that their kids can go to good schools Be taught by great educators and have the resources and support they need regardless of zip code income or ability By short-changing the school system the county is effectively telling parents in our community that they know better than the board of ed Does about the needs of our schools But they don't have the courage to say what they think should be cut. How can the county executive and this council continue to direct the school system to spend its dwindling fund balance while the county government sits on several hundred million dollars? Throughout last year, again, during this year's budget process, the blueprint legislation has taken a pretty good beating. Not only has the legislation been blamed for nearly every problem but so of the legislators and anapolis including lows that represent us and Howard County. If it wasn't for those legislators we'd be looking at less money coming to the school system via blueprint funding this year. The journey began with the Kerwin Commission oh excuse me and please let's not act as though the legislation was a surprise. The journey began with the current commission, a group of professionals that studied this legislation for years, in order to fix it for from the Thornton commission prior to even being voted on an apple. Then the timeline for each part of the blueprint was enacted over several years. This county along with every other one in the state had plenty of time to get on board, and planning for what needed to be funded locally. Instead, the county executive and some members of this council, members of the board, and even the superintendent have proverbially kicked the can down the road. Hoping something would change, we all could have been better prepared with our own implementation for funding like other jurisdictions, namely Interundal, PG and Montgomery counties Next door, Montgomery County's government went so far as to raise taxes over the past two years. While also looking for efficiencies as well, it would be wonderful to see in the same level of dedication here. Quite simply, this year's school system budget doesn't have any fat to cut. Many citizens, educators, and even those of us with HCEA have looked. Without additional funds from the Council, including Council Member Young's Amendment, the Board of Education will face the same choices it did last year to balance the budget. Race class sizes, reduced chairs programs and services, eliminate positions, freeze pay for educators, and possibly furloughs. Last year, the Board was forced to cut 200 positions, and the effects of these cuts are still acutely felt by educators and students. We need all fire to the council members to show our community that Howard County is still a county that places schools at the top of the priority list, and that it's committed to doing everything at Canterbury Store, the school system to its prior level of funding. Thank you. Thank you. Last up we have Cat Carter. My name is I'm so sorry. Don't you hear me? Yes, I can. You My name is. So sorry. I'm checking. Yes, I can. I'm so sorry. I just have a quick question on the last statement that the president of ACA may. And I could just say that loud. I think I heard you say. Prior to, um, we stored a prior level of funding, but I wanted to ensure that that's what was said. Sorry about that, Ms. Carter. Restore the school system to its prior level of funding referring back to the illusion and my further back in my testimony about 2019 levels. Got it. And when you say of a level of funding, do you specifically like the percentage wise that you referred to earlier in your statement? Yes. If we had the same percentage now, we would be looking at at least $108 million. Okay, so but it was based so it was based mostly on the percentage. Yes. Okay, oh, the county government budget that The community. The community. The community. The community. The community. The community. The community. The community. The Carter. I'm speaking on my own capacity. I really appreciate the chair's comments about this because these have direct consequences to the children in the classrooms. You're looking at our middle schoolers. Our proficiency rates in math are still not up there. We have still not regained those that gap that happened during COVID. So we're still needing to apply that. I am on the OBRC committee. There is not we we we have looked almost every Wednesday. I mean, we could have conversations about the transportation window that got compressed and start times and how we were told by the board it would be free. I mean I'm willing to have those conversations and how elementary could possibly have a earlier time. But when you're talking about $98 million, that's a lot. It seems like such a small percentage, but it is a lot and it counts. And you could hear that with the students who were testifying. They are literally losing class options. We came here for the schools because we were seeing, I came here, how old is my daughter? She's 16. So I came 16 years ago and I chose to live in a house with no heat, mold, not clean running water to be used. And I have been slowly repairing that house and investing in my community and pay the price of taxes that I do on one income. I have five children because I saw the investment in the schools. I want you to think about all of those emails you have gotten and you've seen for many of them PTA. I have to go to my PTA delegates who are represented from each school in this system, in June as a VP of Advocacy, and tell them what happened here. You heard them. Those are individual voices. You saw their anecdotes. We have educated them and they see the impact on their students. So we are asking you to listen to your constituents because that is who has been contacting you for all of this time. and they are aware and they are are continuing to be aware, and very concerned when they see the percentage continue to go down. These are individual constituents who have dedicated their time to reach out to you. Please listen to them. Thank you. Thank you. And with that, we conclude our May legislative public hearing. We are adjourned. Thank you. And have a good night. This meeting is no longer being recorded.