• Following the RETF’s recommendations last year, I introduced and passed legislation with Councilmember Jones in December to raise the minimum wage to $16 dollars per hour over the next several years and tie future increases to inflation. This legislation raised wages for roughly 40,000 Howard County workers and established one of the strongest minimum wage laws on the East Coast. As part of this legislation, the minimum wage for County employees was also increased (CB82-2021).

• The Council approved legislation to expand the County’s prevailing wage policy to include sole-source contractors that have contracts with the County (CB76-2021).

• The County Council approved funding for a comprehensive review and study of the compensation and classification of all county employees, which is expected to formally begin this Fall.

• I am currently exploring opportunities to enhance and expand access to apprenticeships in Howard County.

• The County Council office approved and participated in racial equity and unconscious bias training for Councilmembers and all Council staff. The Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) recently developed its Equity Strategic Plan and is conducting ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training throughout the county.

• I have been working with several nonprofits and community leaders to advocate for significant investments in Howard County’s childcare infrastructure. Specifically, we requested that the County Executive allocate a portion of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds toward childcare initiatives. In a recent announcement, County Executive Ball committed $7 million in ARP funds for childcare to improve affordability and availability.

• In the FY23 Operating Budget, the County Council approved funding for additional liaison positions in the HCPSS budget, including 5 Black Student Achievement Program liaisons, 4 Hispanic achievement liaisons and 2 international achievement liaisons.

• In December, the County Council approved legislation introduced by the County Executive to expand housing protections and strengthen the prohibition on housing discrimination by source of income, including Housing Choice Vouchers (CB85-2021).

• I have shared the Land-Use and Housing Policy Subgroup’s full recommendations with the Department of Planning and Zoning to be considered in the ongoing “HoCo By Design” process of developing the County’s next General Plan. The General Plan’s first draft chapter, Dynamic Neighborhoods, which focuses on housing, was released in March and includes several key recommendations from the Housing subgroup, including legalizing missing middle housing, expanding more affordable housing options in Howard County, revising the MIHU program, and more. You can learn more and read this draft chapter here. The development of Howard County’s next General Plan is still underway and is a key opportunity to influence the future of our county. You can learn more about this process and get involved by visiting HoCo By Design’s website.

• Earlier this year, I testified before the Maryland General Assembly in support of HB878, legislation to create a Housing Opportunities Trust Fund for Howard County. This past May, the County Council approved $5 million in seed funding for the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund.

• In October, the County Council approved legislation (CR146-2021) introduced by the County Executive to join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, also known as GARE.

• Several of the Legislative Process subgroup recommendations pertained to expanding access and understanding to government. The Council is currently undergoing a website redevelopment process to create a new Council website, and our office has strongly expressed our support for many of the RETF recommendations on expanding access on the new website. As part of this website update, translation options will be available for the 5 most commonly spoken languages in Howard County.

• The Council has expanded its internal facilities to allow for permanent hybrid meeting participation, thereby increasing public access in the legislative process.

• Notice has been added to all Council announcements indicating that accommodations and translation services are available upon request.

• The County recently completed a review and reorganization of the Community Service Partnership (CSP) Program, which invests grant funding into local human services organizations. The CSP Redesign calls for a decision-making process that relies on the use of equity-related metrics and a commitment to organizations that prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (CSP Redesign Report).

• In February, the County Council approved legislation (CB83-2021) from the County Executive to create a Police Accountability Board (PAB) for Howard County in alignment with the Maryland Police Accountability Act. The inaugural members of this new board were recently approved by Council vote and they officially began their work on July 1. There is an upcoming Public Hearing on the PAB's proposed Rules of Procedure on November 30th, 2022.

• Howard County has partnered with neighboring jurisdictions, health departments, local hospitals, and organizations like the Horizon Foundation to establish the Greater Baltimore Regional Integrated Crisis System (GBRICS) Partnership. The goal of this partnership was to establish a comprehensive call center to connect residents with mental health services and support they need in our county and region. Through this effort, the Call988 number officially launched this past July in Howard County and our partnering Central Maryland jurisdictions (Call988).

• Earlier this year, I requested funding from County Executive Ball to improve the maternal health outcomes for pregnant people in Howard County. The funding would improve access to maternal health care for uninsured and underinsured individuals seeking care with the goal of reducing health disparities and improving maternal health outcomes for Black and Hispanic mothers. This program will also include funding to train doulas to provide guidance and support to women during labor. Funding for this initiative was approved in the County’s FY23 budget (Maternal Health Program).

• In the FY23 Operating Budget, the County Council approved additional funding to expand student well-being and mental health services in the HCPSS budget, including the addition of 6 new counselors and 8 new psychologists.

• In the FY23 Operating Budget, the Council approved funding for a Health Navigator position in the Howard County Health Department’s budget. The Navigator position will provide connections to care and facilitate referrals to treatment services and community resources.