Local government

Annapolis is about to pick a new mayor for the first time in eight years in an election that will also remake the City Council. Here are thoughts on what makes a good mayor from people who’ve done the job.

Celeste Iroha, a Democrat, has dropped out of the county executive race after campaigning on investing in schools, protecting the environment and preventing homelessness.

Hours after Gabe Albornoz announced Thursday that he would resign from his at-large seat, the Montgomery County Council announced a plan to fill it.

A former Howard County hearing examiner is calling out the County Council for voting in closed session not to renew her contract, a decision that she says should have been made in an open meeting.

At-large Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz is stepping down in December, he announced Thursday. This creates a hole on the council that will be temporarily filled by an appointment.

Howard County voters have the chance in 2026 to elect the first woman executive in 40 years and the first-ever Black woman executive.

About 84% of Marylanders said they worry sometimes or every day about money.

Anne Arundel County officials announced they were reopening the Discovery Village Boat Ramp, having negotiated a new lease with the property owner. Its closure spurred public backlash.

The deal, announced this month, calls for 14 tax-exempt city institutions to make annual payments to the city starting at $6 million in 2027 and escalating to $12 million by 2030.

The new rules will limit each side of a city block, defined as a “block face,” with no more than 10% of short-term rentals.

Gaithersburg mayor Jud Ashman wants a third term. Challenger Tiffany Kelly says the city needs a change.

Montgomery County leaders say they can plug some of the holes the federal government is punching in the local economy — but not all.

Preservation Maryland plans to restore the old Ellicott City jail while also not shying away from the jail’s racist past.

The main role of Baltimore’s liquor board is to approve licenses for businesses, including restaurants, taverns and liquor stores.

Baltimore has been paying for the stable space annually in spite of the City Council defunding the mounted unit in 2020.

Columbia is getting a new $1 million band shell at Lake Kittamaqundi to house dozens of free concerts and events staged at the lakefront each year.

Trash and recyclables are hauled away on a nightly basis, but residents were concerned a storm could carry trash and other pollutants into the Jones Falls.

Six months after the bulldozers came for a beloved Randallstown landmark, the Baltimore County Council has passed legislation to fortify historic protections.

The candidate with the biggest war chest in the race for Montgomery County executive is not seeking public matching dollars.

Two entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a new law and plan to offer water cremation in Montgomery County.