German Garcia

The Legislative Meeting agenda included several key items. Proclamations were presented in honor of Women's History Month and in recognition of Ethics Awareness Month. An overview of the CY2025 Financial Disclosure Statements by the Ethics Commission Chair was presented, followed by a preliminary discussion of FY2027 Budget projections. Legislative Action Items involved adopting a resolution to adopt the State's Investment Policy and authorizing an agreement for Stop Sign Enforcement. New Business focused on submitting a Fiscal Year 2027 Community Project Funding Request for the Maryland Avenue Reconstruction and Town Center Connectivity Project. Unfinished Business included discussions on Town Code Amendments for Chapter 55 (Rental License and Inspections) and Chapter 66 (Walls, Fences, and Hedges), as well as Council Rules of Procedure. Reports from the Mayor, Town Manager, and Council Wards also took place.

Key discussions and actions planned for this meeting include the adoption of the Monthly Finance Report and a correspondence summary review. Presentations are scheduled for a Proclamation in honor of Women's History Month, a Proclamation recognizing Ethics Awareness Month, an overview of CY2025 Financial Disclosure Statements by the Riverdale Park Ethics Commission Chair, and projections related to the FY2027 Budget, including preliminary FY2026 Estimated Actuals. Consent agenda items include the approval of minutes from several prior meetings in February, January, and December 2025/2026. Legislative action items involve adopting Resolution 2026-R-05 for the State's Investment Policy and authorizing the Town Manager to enter into an agreement for Stop Sign Enforcement. New business focuses on Fiscal Year 2027 Community Project Funding Requests, including a motion to adopt Resolution 2026-R-06 for funding the Maryland Avenue Reconstruction and Town Center Connectivity Project. Unfinished business covers proposed amendments to Town Codes regarding Rental License and Inspections (Chapter 55) and Walls, Fences, and Hedges (Chapter 66), as well as Council Rules of Procedure.

The meeting began with confirming quorum after noting excused absences and included an amendment to remove 'Unfinished Business' from the agenda to be handled asynchronously. Key discussion points involved a presentation on the projected Fiscal Year 2027 revenues and Fiscal Year 2026 estimated actuals, noting moderate, assessment-driven growth and a continued heavy reliance (approximately 70%) on local taxes. Revenue risks discussed included fluctuating enforcement-based revenues, non-recurring grant revenue, and a structural imbalance where residential growth (6.8%) outpaced commercial growth (2.0%). Structural strengths noted were healthy property tax base growth and strong income tax performance, with no anticipated reliance on reserve transfers for FY27. The session also addressed Constant Yield Notices for both residential and commercial properties, confirming that maintaining current rates would result in revenue above the constant yield due to assessment increases. Public comments addressed the condition of street banners, the town's efforts towards achieving a bicycle-friendly community designation similar to the City of College Park, and an offer to review pedestrian lighting along Route 1 in College Park for comparison. Additionally, the Fire Department expressed gratitude for Public Works' assistance with snow removal coordination, noting positive feedback received from county inspections and neighboring municipalities regarding street maintenance during the snow event. The first work session item involved staff presenting concerns regarding state legislation (House Bill 1243) that seeks to restrict municipal taxing authority by exempting small manufacturers' business personal property tax in Prince George's County.

The board meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting held in January. A significant portion of the discussion involved a review of current general assembly legislation related to municipal elections, including bills concerning electronic transmission systems, candidate information, and updated state reporting requirements, noting a pilot program for curbside voting. The board also discussed the 2027 town budget for elections, confirming that the 2025 expenditure of $27,353 suggests the current budget request remains sufficient, accounting for anticipated cost increases. Furthermore, the board addressed the need to hire a new town attorney following the unexpected passing of the previous attorney, outlining a process to issue an RFP. The discussion on the draft elections manual covered removing references to specific charter/code sections, replacing the term "challenger" with "watcher" (later adjusted to "observer"), and planning to add explicit Spanish language services provisions. The board acknowledged that incorporating new language, such as Spanish language services, may raise their threat level for external scrutiny.

The meeting involved extensive discussion regarding proposed legislative changes to municipal election code, particularly concerning early voting provisions and candidate filing deadlines. The town attorney reviewed and adjusted the language, specifically incorporating early voting deadlines relative to the start date (adding 10 days prior to early voting) and adjusting filing deadlines from 25 days to 65 days preceding the election. The agenda also included a review of correspondence from the State Board of Elections concerning its statutory authority and limitations regarding support for municipal elections, though the local board determined current standard election practices should remain largely unaffected. The planned timeline requires legislative introduction on October 7th for an ordinance effective November 24th and a charter amendment effective December 24th, necessitating decisive action at the upcoming work session.