Council adopts gender‑neutral charter amendment; Board of Appeals expansion fails after procedural vote

The Howard County Council voted to submit a charter amendment to make the county charter gender neutral, approving Council Resolution 23-20-26 after council member Christiana Rigby said the change responds to a request from the county LGBTQIA Commission and “makes our charter gender neutral.” The motion was moved, seconded and approved by recorded assent from members present.

Separately, the council took up Council Resolution 24-20-26, a proposed charter amendment to expand the Howard County Board of Appeals from five to seven members and to add selection rules for two additional positions. Council member Christiana Rigby moved an Amendment 1 to clarify selection procedures, provide for two at‑large positions, and require supermajority agreement of the body selecting the appointees; the amendment was described on the floor as responding to advocacy from the People’s Voice organization and was adopted.

During the main motion on CR 24 the council proceeded to a vote that initially appeared to carry, but the chair then clarified that because the measure is a charter amendment it requires four affirmative votes for adoption. After that clarification, the motion failed to meet the required threshold and did not pass. On the floor one council member (Miss Young) expressed broader concerns about the board of appeals and suggested further reforms (for example, barring board members from running for elected office or revisiting the de novo process), and Miss Walsh recorded a negative vote on the main motion.

Outcome summary: CR 23-20-26 (gender-neutral charter language) was approved and will be submitted for the amendment process; CR 24-20-26 (Board of Appeals expansion) saw its technical amendment adopted but the charter amendment itself failed to achieve the required votes and therefore did not pass.