Bel Air commissioners oppose moving district court out of downtown, plan outreach to county delegation

Bel Air commissioners publicly discussed the state’s purchases of properties near the Target on Marketplace Drive and said relocating the district court there would harm downtown businesses and remove tax‑generating parcels from the town rolls.

Chair Eddy said she requested the item so the Board of Town Commissioners could discuss it publicly. “My concern about moving the district court is gonna be very disruptive to our downtown economy,” she said, adding that the state has purchased several properties but may still be negotiating for the Walgreens parcel.

The commissioners framed the issue as both a local economic concern and a countywide service question: keeping a fully staffed district court downtown supports attorneys, court staff and the small businesses—cafés and shops—that rely on courthouse foot traffic. “Hollowing out that property is going to be terrible for the town of Bel Air,” Commissioner Taylor said, noting that courthouse visitors and employees “still eat lunch” and “walk across Thomas Street.” Commissioners also raised the prospect of a satellite location in the Route 40 corridor to serve residents in the southern part of the county while retaining downtown court functions.

Several commissioners said they planned coordinated outreach. Chair Eddy said she had called state and local officials and would contact the administrative judge for the district court, the county sheriff and the state’s attorney. Commissioner Taylor urged bipartisan support and recommended lobbying the Maryland Department of General Services and the governor’s office with a packet of local endorsement letters. “When they go to lobby DGS and the governor's team … they need to be armed with all the local support letters in the world,” Taylor said.

The board did not take a formal vote. Commissioners agreed on two next steps: 1) Chair Eddy will circulate a draft list of stakeholders and contacts for outreach, and 2) the town will consider endorsing or joining any similar Harford County position letter. Chair Eddy said she would reach out to Senator James, the administrative judge she identified as Judge Miller, State’s Attorney Allison Healy and Sheriff Jeff Gaylor to solicit perspectives and potential support.

Commissioners described alternatives and precedents in other jurisdictions, including satellite district court offices in Baltimore County and other Maryland jurisdictions where attorneys travel between locations without full local offices. They noted uncertainty about which state agencies will remain downtown if the courthouse function moves and stressed that losing courthouse traffic could reduce patronage to downtown small businesses.

No formal motion or ordinance was introduced at the meeting. Commissioners signaled intent to pursue coordinated advocacy with the county and local stakeholder groups, including business associations on Route 40 and the Downtown Alliance.

The commissioners said they will continue discussions as responses arrive from state and county officials; Chair Eddy will circulate her proposed contact list and suggested stakeholders for the town’s outreach.