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What’s the job: The legislative branch of Maryland’s county governments. Responsible for introducing and voting on legislation, approving county spending and providing oversight of county operations. Elected to a four-year term.
Democratic
Name: Cat Carter
Age: 40
Personal: Cat Carter is a mother, advocate, small cybersecurity business owner, and District 5 resident whose life has been shaped by perseverance. Raised by Army parents, she learned early the value of service. After her father commuted hours to work in Maryland because housing was unaffordable, Cat was determined to create a different path for her own children. She and her husband bought a fixer-upper and spent almost 20 years rebuilding it so their family could stay in Howard County and attend its public schools. As District 5 County Council member, she will advocate for living within our revenue through policies that make Howard County more livable and affordable.
Living in Woodbine deepened Cat’s commitment to preserving Western Howard’s green spaces. As a landowner who stood up against development pressure on her own property, she understands what residents are fighting to protect. Her advocacy is also rooted in motherhood—her fight for her son’s educational rights helped inspire broader policy changes benefiting other families. Having knocked on thousands of doors across District 5, Cat has built strong ties throughout the community and is running to protect the quality of life that brought her family here. Find out more at vote4catcarter.com
Education: Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a focus in English.
Experience: Cat Carter is a small cybersecurity business owner, former teacher, PTA Council of Howard County President, and longtime advocate with a record of turning ideas into action. As a candidate of change and the only publicly financed candidate in District 5, she has focused her service on stronger schools, fiscal responsibility, healthcare access, and protecting quality of life. Through the HCPSS Operating Budget Review Committee and Security Taskforce, she has worked on responsible budgeting, school safety reforms, and ensuring growth does not outpace infrastructure and emergency services.
Her advocacy has produced meaningful results, including advancing the Atticus Act and Screening Reporting Bill, reforming education policy for visually disabled students, protecting Maryland physicians treating Lyme disease, improving care for soldiers with traumatic brain injuries, and helping shape Maryland Board of Education policy requiring schools to share reportable offenses when students transfer. She has championed Federally Qualified Health Centers, sustainable vision care access, and practical affordability solutions. Endorsed by educators, labor, environmental advocates, and community leaders, Cat has knocked on over 4,000 doors hearing one clear message: keep big money out of politics. She is running to bring fresh leadership, proven results, and a woman’s voice to District 5.
Questionnaire
A: My top priority for District 5 is protecting quality of life while making Howard County more affordable. That means living within the revenue, supporting strong schools, protecting fire and emergency services, and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth. Residents have told me they are concerned about the high cost of living, overdevelopment, and preserving the farms, forests, and rural character that make Western Howard unique. I share those concerns. We need smart, balanced planning that protects green space, respects existing communities, and prioritizes public safety and school capacity before approving growth. As a publicly financed candidate who has knocked on over 4,000 doors, I’ve heard clearly that people want responsive government focused on residents—not special interests. My priority is practical problem-solving that keeps District 5 livable, affordable, and protected for families today and future generations.
A: Countywide, my top priority is restoring confidence that our government is managing growth and taxpayer dollars responsibly. Howard County does not have a revenue problem as much as a spending and priorities problem. We need to live within the revenue while addressing deferred school maintenance, affordability, healthcare access, and public safety. I support reducing avoidable costs, investing in in-county solutions where they save money long-term, and ensuring budgets reflect core services first. I also believe growth should never outpace roads, schools, or emergency services. Good government requires balance—protecting quality of life while planning for the future. My focus is fiscally responsible leadership that solves problems without placing more burden on working families.
A: I would have approached several land use and financing decisions with a stronger focus on infrastructure readiness, long-term fiscal impacts, and community protections. Too often, development pressures move faster than roads, school capacity, and emergency services can support. I believe growth should pay its own way. The Council should consider whether decisions protect residents, preserve green space, and reflect sound stewardship.
I have concerns about reliance on complex public-private financing models that can function like predatory rent-to-own financing, where taxpayers assume long-term obligations that may ultimately cost more than traditional public financing. While the new courthouse addresses important needs, I would have asked harder questions about the 30-year operating structure, lifecycle costs, and whether taxpayers were getting the best long-term value. Fiscal responsibility means not only building what we need, but financing it in ways that protect future budgets. My approach would be guided by transparency, living within the revenue, and ensuring government decisions serve residents—not special interests. Howard County’s AAA bond rating—placing among the top 2% of counties nationwide—is one of our strongest fiscal tools, and we should be using it to secure low-cost capital rather than relying on financing structures that may burden taxpayers with higher long-term costs.
A: The Council has a critical role in ensuring our schools are well-funded, safe, and sustainable. That means responsible budget oversight, addressing long-overdue deferred maintenance, and making sure growth decisions account for school capacity. I support investing in classrooms while also examining costs carefully and living within the revenue. As a former teacher, PTA Council of Howard County President, and member of the HCPSS Operating Budget Review Committee and numerous Taskforces, including the Strategic Plan, Special Education, and Security, I understand the importance of pairing resources with accountability. The Council should also support policies that reduce long-term costs, strengthen special education services, and improve school safety. Education is one of Howard County’s greatest assets and an economic win for decades. As a County Council member, I will continue investing in our schools to ensure our students have the resources they need.
A: Howard County should expand housing options through thoughtful, sustainable strategies that increase affordability without sacrificing quality of life or overburdening infrastructure. I support well-planned infill, mixed-use redevelopment, streamlined permitting where appropriate, and the thoughtful use of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) aligned with infrastructure capacity and community character. ADUs can help residents age in place while making better use of existing housing.
We should address affordability for working families, seniors, and first-time homebuyers by examining zoning barriers, encouraging housing diversity, and supporting geographically distributed affordable housing, including downsizing options and affordable 55+ communities. I also support advocating for reforms, including updating capital gains exclusions to reflect inflation so longtime homeowners can downsize more easily.At the same time, unchecked development will not solve affordability. Growth must be responsible and aligned with schools, roads, transportation, and public safety. The County should also review the impacts of investor ownership and short-term rentals to protect homeownership and neighborhood stability. As a parent of adult children, I want the next generation to be able to afford to live and thrive in Howard County.
Name: Felita Phillips
Age: 59
Personal: I grew up in Columbia when it was a new, diverse community. I loved it so much that I raised my 2 kids there. Both of my children graduated from Howard County public schools. My daughter is a public school teacher, and my son is in the Army National Guard. I am an avid soccer player, referee, fan, and coach. I coach soccer at Chaplegate Christian Academy. I am very practical, and I look for solutions that solve problems not just quick fixes that are good camera opportunities. I live and love the county that I live in. I want to serve on the council to better my county not myself.
Education: I am a University of Maryland graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Experience: I currently serve on the Board of Appeals, where I see firsthand where some changes should be made to make the Board of Appeals more accessible to the residents of this county.
Questionnaire
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Republican
Name: Ryan O’Connor
Age: 48
Personal: I was born and raised in Ellicott City and attended the HCPSS throughout my childhood. My wife and I have 3 children who have all benefitted from HCPSS, 2 of which will be in HCPSS through my term as councilman.
Education: Loyola University (MD) MBA Finance
Experience: Farmer Mac - Relationship Manager
U.S. Department of Energy - Supervisory, Credit Risk OfficerNextEra Energy - Senior Manager, Project Finance
Questionnaire
A: Safe Communities. District 5 represents more than 50% of the county land mass yet only yields 3-4 patrol officers at a given time. Numerous residents have voiced concerns over increased petty crime and I will ensure we receive much deserved protection from our first responders.
A: Lower Taxes. Our county leadership has lacked fiscal discipline, and we are facing an affordability crisis with stagnant local economic growth of 1% Residents are concerned with elevated property taxes and wasteful spending. They deserve to know where their hard earned dollars are being invested and deployed. Small businesses are being taxed out of our county and we are losing their tax revenue.
A: With over 20 years of professional experience in finance and understanding budgets, I would have been more proactive in holding leadership accountable and focused on reducing unnecessary spending to lessen the barrage of taxes onto our residents.
A: The Council shall ensure HCPSS remains a budget priority, receives adequate funding, and is allocated sufficient cash reserves for maintenance capital requirements. The council shall not bring polarizing political agendas into our beloved school system rather encourage our administration to focus on core academia for our children.
A: The Council shall support the level of growth outlined in the county’s general plan but recognize demand to live in Howard County will always exceed supply.
