Politics

The proposed $5 billion budget for Baltimore County includes pay raises for educators and public safety employees, tens of millions for library buildings, and no tax increases. County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said the budget “reaffirms our tireless commitment to support all of our residents and uplift all of our communities” when he presented it to the County Council last week.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said Monday that he plans to increase funding to public schools by $52 million in fiscal 2025, fulfilling most of the Board of Education’s requests. The Howard County Board of Education had asked the county for $55.2 million above its required minimum funding level for schools, for a total budget of $1.14 billion for fiscal 2025.

The Baltimore County Council on Monday evening unanimously approved the appointment of D’Andrea L. Walker as the new county administrative officer. Several dozen supporters stood and applauded after the council backed County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s nomination of Walker, who will be the county’s second-in-command.

When Mayor Brandon Scott gathered Monday with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and other law enforcement officials to announce the takedown of two alleged drug trafficking operations as part of his signature crime-fighting initiative, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates was not in attendance. Though Scott brushed it off and Bates noted that he sent a representative, it was hardly an aberration.

Maryland has an open seat in the U.S. Senate up for election this year that’s drawing national attention, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance. That means there’s plenty of polling, as the candidates and other interested parties search for indications of which way voters will go. The Democratic front-runners are Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone.

A bill that just barely crossed the finish line in the Maryland General Assembly will allow the Attorney General’s Office to more effectively pursue damages in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster. Passed shortly before the legislature adjourned Sine Die Monday night, Senate Bill 680 will permit the proportionate distribution of liability among parties believed to bear responsibility for the bridge collapse.

Gov. Wes Moore referenced lessons he learned as a U.S. Army soldier and talked of distinction between battle and war. Understanding the difference is key in the fight for freedoms, including women’s rights, he said in his keynote address at the 20th Annual Western Maryland Democratic Summit on Saturday at Rocky Gap Casino Resort.