Government in Howard County
 A county
executive and five councilpersons govern
Howard County. There are no incorporated
municipalities within the county.
Every four years the citizens of Howard
County elect a county executive who
heads the executive branch of
government. The county executive is
limited to two four-year terms in
office. James N. Robey is the current
County Executive elected to a second
term in November 2002. His roots are
Howard County based having been born and
raised in the small mill town of
Daniels. Jim joined the Department of
Police in 1966 and retired from that
department as Chief of Police in 1998 to
seek the office of County Executive.
The five county council persons are
elected from districts throughout the
County. Each serves a four-year term and
can be reelected for subsequent
four-year terms with a three-term limit.
The All Funds budget (funds from county,
state and federal sources) for Howard
County for fiscal 2005 was approved at
$966 million. Thirty-three percent of
the county’s revenues come from property
taxes and 25% from local income taxes.
Budgeted expenses for fiscal 2005
include $541 million (56% of the total
budget) for the Howard County Public
School System and Howard Community
College. This commitment to education
has allowed Howard County Public Schools
and Howard Community College to remain
among the best in the state of Maryland.
In 2005, $110 million is dedicated to
Public Safety. This includes the
Department of Police, the Sheriff’s
Office, and the Fire and Rescue Service.
Howard County enjoys a low crime rate
and has a superior public safety
response record.
The county budget also supports the
community’s high quality of life through
outstanding citizen service programs and
one of the most extensive parks and
recreation programs for a jurisdiction
of its size.
For further information on Howard
County, visit the links below.
Howard County Government
The local level of
government that provides direct services
to resident and businesses. Click the
link to find out how Howard County
government operates.
Howard County Council
The Howard
County Council is the legislative branch
of local government under the
authorization of the Howard County
Charter--the county's constitution.
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