Howard County Government

06/01/2026

Hurricanes are among nature's most powerful and destructive phenomenon and today, June 1st, marks the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. With the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center releasing its hurricane activity prediction for 2026, Howard County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is reminding residents that early preparation and understanding your risk are key to being hurricane resilient and climate-ready. To make sure you, your family and home are prepared should a hurricane strike Maryland this season, visit OEM's “Hazard Information” website at www.howardcountymd.gov/emergency-management/hazard-information, to learn more about our local hazards, including hurricanes. You can also find helpful information and tips about what to do before, during and after a hurricane, by visiting FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency's website at www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

06/01/2026

HEADS UP: In compliance with Maryland’s Heat Stress Standard, the County's Department of Public Works' Bureau of Environmental Services has announced that starting Monday, June 22nd through Friday, September 4th, trash, recycling, food scraps, and yard trim curbside collections will begin an hour earlier at 5:00 a.m. To ensure collection of your trash, recycle, food scrap, and yard trim items, the Bureau reminds residents to please make sure items are placed out either the night before your designated collection day or by 5:00 a.m. on the day of collection.

To stay in the know about curbside collections and any changes to the County's collection schedule, the Bureau encourages residents to sign up at https://tinyurl.com/RecyclingNewsletterSignup to receive its email notifications. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

05/29/2026

The County's Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Highways’ Traffic Engineering Division will hold a community outreach open house on Wednesday, June 17th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., at Kings Contrivance Community Association’s Amherst House, to discuss the proposed construction of a mini single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Old Columbia Road and Guilford Road in Columbia. The proposed project aims to improve traffic operations and safety at the intersection.

To learn more about this meeting, check out our news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/News052926b.

05/29/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the formation of a new Immigrant Affairs Task Force, with the signing of Executive Order 2026-10. The Task Force is being formed to analyze model Offices of Immigrant Affairs in local jurisdictions and in State Government and develop recommendations on a proposed structure, staffing, and placement for an Office of Immigrant Affairs within Howard County Government to enhance the County’s support of its immigrant community.

To learn more, check out our news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/News052926.

The Task Force has been charged with developing recommendations for the creation of an Office of Immigrant Affairs, to bolster Howard County Government’s support of its immigrant community.

05/29/2026

Calling all current and former service members and families, Howard County Recreation and Parks and Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services' Office of Veterans and Military Families invites you to double time it over to Rockburn Branch Park – West this coming Thursday, June 4th at 6:30 p.m., for the return of its “Good Vibes and Voices Concert and Event." An evening of FREE music, entertainment, healing conversations, lawn games, food, and fun, the event will feature The Kelly Bell Band.

To learn more about this event, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/goodvibes.

Honor Howard County Veterans at Good Vibes and Voices!
's Office of Veterans and Military Families and Commission for Veterans and Military Families joins Howard County Recreation and Parks to present the 3rd annual Good Vibes and Voices Concert, June 4, 6:30 p.m. at Rockburn Park.

Bring the whole family to enjoy FREE music, entertainment, games, food, and fun! While you are there, learn about local resources for service members, veterans and their families. For full event details, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/GoodVibes.

05/28/2026

All are invited to join Howard County Executive Calvin Ball this Monday, June 1st at 9:00 a.m. for Howard County's fourth annual raising of the Pride flag at Howard County Government's George Howard Building at 3430 Court House Drive in Ellicott City, to mark the start of Pride Month.

Join us next Monday, June 1 at 9 a.m. for Howard County’s fourth annual Pride Flag raising ceremony at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City! This Pride Flag Raising Ceremony will mark the start of Pride Month and reflects Howard County’s commitment to supporting our LGBTQIA+ neighbors and families.

Pride is a time to celebrate, and it’s also a time to reflect on the important progress we have made to advance civil rights and protections for our LGBTQIA+ neighbors. From hosting the first Pride Festival in 2019 to creating the county’s inaugural LGBTQIA+ Commission in 2022, and raising the Pride flag for the first time in County History at the County seat in 2023, we are committed to ensuring that Howard County is a place where everyone is welcomed, accepted, and included.

05/27/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the formation of a new Task Force on Disability Inclusion, Safety, and Crisis Response, with the signing of Executive Order 2026-08. Ball formed this Task Force to evaluate and develop recommendations that will strengthen Howard County Government’s response to crisis situations involving people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals throughout Howard County.

To find out more, check out our news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/News052726.

05/27/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced that Howard County Government, in partnership with the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), will launch Phase Two of its Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program on Wednesday, July 1st. With Phase Two, the County and CAC aim to establish a new cohort of participants to secure their self-sufficiency and establish a household contingency/reserve fund.

To learn more about this announcement, check out our "Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Community Action Council of Howard County Launch Second Phase of Impactful Guaranteed Basic Income Program" news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/NewsRelease052626.

05/27/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball recently broke ground on the county’s first-ever Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus stop station in Columbia, as expansion of Montgomery County’s Flash service to Howard County along the US 29 corridor prepares to launch in Fiscal Year 2027. Once running, four Flash buses will run between Downtown Columbia and Silver Spring during morning (5:00 to 9:30 a.m.) and afternoon (3:30 to 8:00 p.m.) rush hours, Monday through Friday. Flash BRT bus stop stations will be located on Little Patuxent Parkway just west of Corporate Center Way and on Merriweather Drive in Columbia, on Johns Hopkins Road in Laurel, and on Maple Lawn Boulevard in Fulton.

To learn more about this groundbreaking, check out our "Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Breaks Ground on County’s First-Ever Bus Rapid Transit Bus Stop, Marking Decade-Long Endeavor to Expand Bus Service Along Route 29" news release at www.howardcountymd.gov/News052226. To learn more about Flash BRT, visit Howard County Office of Transportation's "Flash Bus Rapid Transit" website at www.howardcountymd.gov/transportation/public-transportation/Flash.

05/27/2026

REMINDER: The County's holiday "slide" schedule is in effect for the remainder of this week, as there was no Monday curbside trash, recycling, yard trim, or food scrap collections on May 25th due to the Memorial Day holiday. As a result, Monday's pickup took place on Tuesday, Tuesday on Wednesday, Wednesday on Thursday, and so forth.

To learn more about the holiday "slide" schedule, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/holidayschedule or for questions, contact the Bureau of Environmental Services at 410-313-6444 or email [email protected].

About Certain holidays impact curbside collection and landfill operations. When inclement weather is in the forecast, the Bureau of Environmental Services monitors the weather and road conditions to make a swift decision regarding Alpha Ridge Landfill operations and curbside collections. Stay in the...