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Mayor proposes dissolving No Kill advisory committee; council members push to repurpose it
Summary
Mayor Michael Sidnor introduced Resolution 5‑2026 to dissolve the No Kill Community Animal Shelter Citizens Advisory Committee, saying the task force stopped meeting and the city lacks land and funding; several council members objected and recommended repurposing the committee or pursuing multi‑jurisdictional options instead. The council indicated consensus not to move forward with dissolution at the work session.
Mayor Michael Sidnor presented Resolution 5‑2026 late in the July 1 work session, asking the council to dissolve the No Kill Community Animal Shelter Citizens Advisory Committee, which was established by Resolution 6‑2023.
Sidnor told the council the task force had stopped meeting and that the city does not currently have the land, funding or resources to establish a no‑kill shelter. He said he had reported those findings to the task force when he became mayor and asked the council to approve dissolution.
Several council members responded strongly. Councilman Mills said he was “definitely against not having this task force,” told the council he had long advocated for a shelter, and urged the city to pursue creative options for land and funding, including using recently acquired or repurposed properties. He encouraged community members and former committee members to attend the in‑person July 13 meeting and to provide history and testimony.
Councilwoman Clark said she had received calls from residents concerned about dissolving the committee and proposed an alternative: amend the committee’s charge to create a broader animal‑welfare advisory body that does not depend on immediate shelter funding, mirroring approaches used in neighboring jurisdictions.
Mayor Sidnor pushed back that the committee had stopped meeting “on their own” and that he had not prevented meetings, while other council members said there were conflicting accounts about whether members were discouraged from meeting. Councilman Cole and Councilman Simmons suggested the committee could facilitate cross‑jurisdictional discussions with Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties to explore shared solutions.
By the end of the item Council President Smith said there appeared to be a consensus not to proceed with immediate dissolution and expressed support for repurposing the committee and keeping community engagement channels open. No formal vote on the resolution was recorded during the work session.
The matter will remain on the council’s radar and council members asked staff to solicit input from committee members and to consider ordinance language to change the committee’s charge if appropriate.
