With the County about to update land use and zoning regulation guidelines this Fall, one of the biggest and most talked about proposed changes is increasing homeowner rights to build […]
Lisa Markovitz
Posted inColumns
Opinion | Wants versus needs
Howard County has finished its latest budget cycle. Some specific new high-priced items raised widespread concern, considering expensive infrastructure updates are needed across the County. The council recently applied the […]
Posted inColumns
Opinion | Does Howard County need an Office of Inspector General?
An Office of Inspector General can be described as an independent government office able to conduct investigations to identify waste, fraud and abuse, and illegal acts, while also identifying ways […]
Posted inColumns
Howard County proposes to grow. How much is too much?
The County is updating a 10-year growth plan called HoCo By Design. A rewrite of zoning rules, changing how development is regulated, will follow. Community input to the County’s draft […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Importance of Columbia Association board elections
Editor’s Note: This item was written before the CA board accepted the resignation of President and CEO Lakey Boyd. Consternation between the Columbia Association (CA) Board and its President, Lakey […]
Posted inColumns
Competing business interests plague Ellicott City flood control
Over the past month, Council Member Liz Walsh has been publicizing the status of several residential building projects in the Tiber Branch Watershed, a 3.7 square mile area located in […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Money talks, voters are listening
The 2022 Howard County election cycle was to be the first to include the Citizens’ Election Fund, a public financing system for County Executive and Council races, approved via referendum, […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
The next decade of commercial businesses
Howard County is facing budget shortfalls coming out of the pandemic. The Howard County Spending and Affordability Committee recently advised that projected revenues fall far below our expected expenditures. Short-term […]
Posted inColumns
Development donations pollute politics
We often hear complaints about money in politics at every level impacting national, state and local campaigns. While we all would like to see community interests prioritized over special interests, […]
Posted inColumns
Where have all the trees gone in HOCO?
In Howard County, for decades, more trees have been cut down than State law allows. Development waivers, allowing more tree removal than regulations permit, have been granted because county decision […]