Council confirms four election-board appointees after brief legal dispute over swearing-in authority

The Glenarden City Council on March 17 confirmed four residents to the city’s Board of Elections and later completed their swearing-in after a last-minute procedural dispute.

Council adopted Resolutions R-47 through R-50 by voice vote to appoint Cynthia Gray, Richard Arroyo Montgomery, Ricky Arroyo Montgomery and Karen McGill Butler to four-year terms on the Board of Elections. After the confirmations, the mayor attempted to administer the oaths but council members raised a point of order about the charter requirement that appointees be sworn in by the mayor. The city paused the ceremony to consult the city attorney.

After a short recess the city reported that it had consulted the attorney and proceeded with the swearing-in. The mayor administered the oath; each appointee raised a right hand, repeated the prescribed oath and was seated as a board member. Council members reminded appointees not to begin election duties until the attorney’s guidance was provided and recorded for the municipal record.

Why it matters: the city’s Board of Elections will oversee Glenarden’s municipal election processes. The appointment and oath process briefly exposed ambiguity about the swearing authority and the need to follow the city charter; council members and staff discussed ensuring a clean legal record for any future challenges to election operations or eligibility of board action.

Meeting detail: the council read and adopted the four resolutions (R-47–R-50) together, using individual voice votes for each nominee. Following attorney confirmation the mayor completed the oath of office on the record. Council instructed the clerk to file the appointment certifications and to confirm with the attorney whether any additional procedural steps are required before the board begins work on the May 5, 2025 election.