On May 21, the Council passed Bill 24-04, Revising the Frederick County Building Code by 7-0 vote. Also passed were Bills 24-05, Revising the Frederick County Electrical Code and 24-06, Revising the Frederick County Plumbing Code, both by 7-0 vote. I sponsored these Bills on behalf of the County Executive. Relevant documentation and the text of all Bills were linked to the May 21 agenda and all documentation can be found on our website.

Additionally, the Council adopted the fiscal year 2025 operating and capital budgets on May 21. I was happy to introduce a final motion transferring almost a half a million dollars to the Board of Education.

The Council also enacted a five-cent property tax increase. The tax rate increase is expected to generate $21.5 million annually dedicated to older school renovations. This is the county’s first property tax rate increase since 2001, and the added dedicated revenue will allow FCPS to renovate older schools such as Catoctin, Walkersville, Brunswick, and Middletown.

The Council also has several Bills advancing through our legislative process in the coming weeks. Bill 24-07 Updates the Definitions of Bodywork and Adds New Approval Criteria. This Bill is sponsored by Council Members Renee Knapp and M.C. Keegan-Ayer on behalf of the County Executive. Bill 24-08 Establishes a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund. I am sponsoring this Bill on behalf of the County Executive. Bill 24-09, sponsored by Council Member Mason Carter, Regulates Backyard Chickens. Finally, Bill 24-10, sponsored by Council Member M.C. Keegan-Ayer, provides new design criteria for Commercial Solar Facilities in the Agricultural Zoning District. Please visit our website for the full text and most up to date schedules for these Bills.

The Frederick County Council encourages public involvement at every stage of the legislative process. We welcome public comment at every Council meeting on Tuesday evenings. Members of the public are welcome to attend and give comment in person, leave a voicemail to be forwarded to each Council Member, or email us any time at councilmembers@frederickcountymd.gov. Please visit our website at www.frederickcountymd.gov/countycouncil to view our latest agendas, legislation, and upcoming calendar of events.

The Frederick County Council meets regularly on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. at Winchester Hall, located at 12 East Church Street in downtown Frederick. All meetings are open to the public, and we welcome participation.

And as always, if there is ever anything I can do for you, please feel free to reach out to me and my office. You can contact me via email at: BYoung@FrederickCountyMD.gov, or you can call my office at 301-600-1108.