College Park council hears legislative update, flags UMD "game-day" surcharge and annexation bills
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Summary
City staff briefed the council on a package of state bills including a proposed 3% game‑day surcharge near the University of Maryland that could shift some local revenue, several annexation bills that could affect municipal authority, and transportation and tenant-related proposals; councilmembers asked staff and lobbyists to monitor and consider letters or testimony.
College Park councilmembers on March 3 heard an informational briefing from Assistant City Manager Reams on roughly 40 state bills the city is tracking during the current legislative session.
Reams told the council staff is monitoring measures ranging from municipal voter-registration rules to annexation and local revenue proposals. She called particular attention to SB945, which would authorize a 3% game‑day surcharge on food, beverage, alcohol and hotel sales within a three‑mile radius of the University of Maryland, College Park. Reams said the bill would route revenue into a state fund tied to university athletics rather than keeping it at the municipal or county level and that staff will continue to work with the city’s lobbyist on next steps.
"This one is interesting," Reams said, noting the bill’s potential regional impact and a hearing scheduled the next day.
Councilmember Hernandez described local concern about SB945’s potential effects on College Park’s budget, saying the city recently received about $1,500,000 in related amusement‑tax revenue. "If they're going to add 3%, they should at least kick us a percentage back," Hernandez said. Several councilmembers suggested coordinating with the city’s lobbyists and state legislators and discussed options including a formal letter or requesting amendments.
Reams also reviewed annexation bills (HB1178 and HB99), which would add procedural guardrails or limit how municipalities change zoning on recently annexed land; she said the measures are still in committee and that the Maryland Municipal League (MML) is monitoring and, in some cases, taking positions. Other items discussed included HB708 on municipal voter-registration lists, HB1381 seeking to prohibit stopping or parking in bike lanes, HB774 (the "good cause" eviction bill), and a range of revenue modernization proposals.
Councilmember Mitchell urged clearer city priorities for the session so the council can direct staff and lobbyists. Multiple members asked staff to return with bill status updates and recommended that the council consider taking written positions on time‑sensitive measures. Reams said staff will provide follow‑up information and coordinate with contracted lobbyists to recommend advocacy steps.
No formal votes were taken on any state bills at the March 3 meeting; staff described the presentation as informational and the council did not adopt a legislative position that night.