County Council Votes to Audit AACC, Approves 16 Rezoning Amendments and Gets a Redistricting Update

The county council will put the efficiency of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) in Arnold under the microscope in an audit to be completed before budget season begins.

In a last-minute addition to the council’s Monday agenda, District 1 Councilman Daryl Jones proposed a resolution that would order a special efficiency audit of the college in preparation for new leadership at the college in 2012. The resolution passed unanimously.

The audit, assembled by county auditor Teresa Sutherland, will measure AACC against other community colleges in the state. It will also look at other factors.

Rezoning Hearing Draws a Crowd

More than 250 residents were packed into the county council’s chambers on Monday to support or denounce one of 19 rezoning amendments on the table for Districts 6 and 7.

The county only completes a rezoning cycle of this magnitude once every 10 years so for many property owners seeking a change to their land, this was one of the last chances to get their foot in the door. 

Of the 19 amendments heard Monday, 16 were approved by the council. Councilmen said another batch of amendments was pending for their meeting on Aug. 1, the last chance to hear amendments before a final vote later that month.

To view a list of all proposed amendments along with maps for each parcel, visit the county’s website at http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/pendingLegis.cfm.

Redistricting Presentation

The council also got an update on Monday from the group in charge of redrawing the council’s districts to keep up with population growth.

The Anne Arundel County Charter Revision Commission charged with correcting an imbalance in the districts due to population growth over the last 10 years.  They’re reviewing the borders between all seven council districts to ensure they’re as even as possible, but Districts 1 and 4 are the most out of tune.

On Monday, Commission Chairman Jana Carey laid out the options thus far, including simply expanding District 1 into District 4 to sort out the imbalance, or trading territory between Districts 4 and 7, including Crofton. It’s a request that’s been made by several residents of south county who have said that Crofton hogs the political spotlight and doesn’t reflect their rural views.

“We’re looking very hard at how to accomplish that, but it’s a very difficult issue, and it can create a bit of a domino effect,” she said.

Carey reiterated to the council that they were still more than a month away from issuing a formal recommendation on how the council should proceed, but laid out these options as discussion points for the future.

“Right now this is what we’re working with,” she said.

Moving Crofton, a densely populated area, out of District 7 would lower the remaining rural population. The solution to that would involve moving the district’s line further north, encroaching into the central county region of District 6.

District 7 Councilman Jerry Walker, a resident of Gambrills, asked Carey what would happen if they moved his property out of the district.

“I live just outside of Crofton, but if we change that line and it no longer included Crofton, and the state decided to move a precinct line, I could be no longer in the seventh district,” he said.

Council’s legal counsel Amy Tate responded, saying that “everyone’s residency is being considered,” along with the changes.

Carey called for more public attendance to the commission’s meetings, saying there was a need to gather more ideas from residents.

The commission’s next public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 25 in the county council’s chambers.