Brannigan Rodvien: Rather than creating brand new small area plans, the County should start its next comprehensive rezoning process by looking at the Small Area Plans used to form the 2009 General Development Plan. Community members spent enormous amounts of time and effort in creating these earlier small area plans. These plans should be used as a basis for revised and updated Small Area Plans that would guide the General Development Plan and comprehensive rezoning that process that will occur in the next years. Finally, it is critical that the County Council adhere to the zoning designations that result from the process.

Brannigan Rodvien: The Anne Arundel County Council needs to fund teachers’ lost steps. Teachers will continue to leave AACPS for better pay elsewhere and the school system’s diminished workplace reputation will prolong recruiting difficulties. Furthermore, the current practice of hiring new teachers at higher salaries than veteran teachers will impair morale until the inequity is fixed.

Brannigan Rodvien: Any discussion regarding a need for additional revenue should begin with a close examination of how funds are currently being used as well as a search for possible efficiencies. Furthermore, the County can create additional revenue by setting developer impact fees that cover 100% of the cost of the impact that development creates. Finally, Anne Arundel County’s current tax rates are still well under the level of the tax cap. Before making moves to raise the county’s tax cap, the County should look to other methods of increasing revenue.