Mount Rainier council repeals Police Review and Advisory Board after council debate and public comment

Selena Arbenites, mayor of Mount Rainier, presided over the council’s second reading and adoption of Ordinance O4‑2025, which repealed the city’s Police Review and Advisory Board.

The ordinance—read aloud during the meeting—says chapter 4, article 3 of the City Code (Police Review and Advisory Board) “shall be and hereby is repealed in its entirety,” citing the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 and related state changes that, according to the ordinance text, preempted much of the board’s authority.

Council discussion was mixed. Councilmember Danielle said she regretted that the board and its liaison were not given prior notice and said the board had potential to help “build and bridge trust and accountability.” Councilmember Jenny said she agreed the board should be repealed but voiced concern that board members should have been told in advance. Joseph recalled that the board initially pushed county and state actors to advance accountability reforms.

A member of the public, Tony George (3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue), told the council he was “sad to see that this is happening,” and said the board had been restricted from public engagement and had received little follow-up from the city attorney or city management when it had sought clarification on its authority. “We’ve yet to ever get feedback from the city's attorney via the city manager regarding what was allowed and not,” Tony George said.

Mayor Selena Arbenites and other council members responded that state law changes reduced the board’s jurisdiction and that many of the powers the local board once exercised were superseded by state and county accountability mechanisms. The mayor said the city had to respect legal limits and avoid purporting to take actions that the municipality no longer had authority to carry out.

After discussion, Council moved and seconded the ordinance. Councilmember Danielle recorded an abstention; the mayor announced the motion carried with a 4–0–1 result and the ordinance was adopted.

The ordinance text requires a fair summary be read at the meeting at which the ordinance is adopted, public notice be posted and a public hearing be scheduled within 14–45 days of adoption per the ordinance’s publication and hearing provisions.

What happens next: The repeal is effective according to the ordinance’s effective-date provisions after required publication and public hearing steps. Council members said former board members may propose a revised model for council consideration in the future.