Laurel news
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Independent Auditor’s Opinion – This is usually right up front within the first couple pages. Using the FY 2024 audit as an example, you’ll see it starts on Page 4 of the PDF. There’s a lot of boilerplate language in the letter, but the key sentence is in second paragraph and is the one that starts with ”In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly …” – this essentially lets you know that the auditor believes there are no significant inaccuracies in the report’s numbers (and any deviation would typically be very concerning). I’m happy to share Laurel received a clean opinion and it’s a testament to the hard work and skill of our BAPS team!
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“Single Audit” Report – A second key item to look for is the auditor’s opinion for the ‘Single Audit’. This is an audit that’s required if a recipient receives/ spends more than $750,000 in federal funds for the year and addresses two objectives: (a) was that money accurately accounted for, and (b) did the recipient comply with the additional federal rules around how money is spent and tracked. Using the FY 2024 audit as an example again, you can find Laurel’s ‘Single Audit Report’ on page 73 of the PDF, and the key sentence can be found in the second paragraph: “In our opinion, the City complied, in all material respects, with the types of compliance requirements referred to above that could have a direct and material effect on each of its major federal programs …". Again, a clean opinion and an affirmation of the work done by the BAPS and related City teams.
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Auditor’s Report on Internal Control – Lastly, the third key item to look for is the auditor’s report on internal control. “Internal controls” are an organization’s processes and protocols to prevent, detect, and correct financial irregularities. For Laurel’s FY 2024 audit, the report starts on page 76 of the PDF and the key paragraph is the fourth that reads, ”… we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control we consider to be material weaknesses …". “Material weaknesses” are an industry term that means the controls are very weak in a particular area and could lead to a meaningful error. So kudos again to the BAPS team: we’re 3 for 3 in a clean report!
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De-mystifying the meaning of ‘Pro tempore"
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One of the things I’m most excited for Laurel this year
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A simple way to understand how the City budget works
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And more!
- Meet The Banner’s team of editors and journalists
- Share your ideas for how The Banner can best serve the news needs of the region
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- Offer your ideas about what issues are not being covered, not understood or being missed in your community
- Register for this free event to let us know you’re coming - we’re looking forward to meeting you!
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Mar 2 - 13: Week 1 voting – Eight towns will be eliminated, and eight will advance. UPDATE: Here is the voting page for Week 1.
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Mar 16 - 20: Week 2 voting – The Elite Eight will be matched head-to-head, with only four advancing on
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Mar 23 - 27: Week 3 voting – Another head-to-head round, where the Final Four get narrowed down to the Championship Match
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Mar 30 - Apr 3: The Championship Match where One Strongest Town will emerge!
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Mar 2 - 13: Week 1 voting – Eight towns will be eliminated, and eight will advance. UPDATE: Here is the voting page for Week 1.
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Mar 16 - 20: Week 2 voting – The Elite Eight will be matched head-to-head, with only four advancing on
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Mar 23 - 27: Week 3 voting – Another head-to-head round, where the Final Four get narrowed down to the Championship Match
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Mar 30 - Apr 3: The Championship Match where One Strongest Town will emerge!
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All streets are passable at this point, but there are still areas needing attention. Spots DPW will be tackling next include Greenhill, parts of 8th, and Harrison.
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Parked cars on the street in areas DPW is working make it difficult and slow down progress for lifting and trucking out the snow. So if you take note of work crews in your area, they ask you do your best to give them as much open space to work with. Please also drive slow to be safe for yourself and workers.
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Following normal trash runs, DPW crews are also going around to handicap ramps on street corners to clear them for full uninhibited use.
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While Code Enforcement is out to ensure folks know of the City’s snow ordinances, no citations are being issued at this time and they recognize the complications of this storm. Certainly residents and businesses: please continue to safely do your best to free up your sidewalks and other walkways so our City can open up as much and as expeditiously as possible.
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There’s also hope this week that as temperatures make their way above 40 degrees for the first time in weeks, it will be easier to shovel and some of the volume of snow will also melt away. Of course, be careful of re-freezing and ice that’s possible depending on where temperatures go.
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The Bikeway Master Plan (v2016-03)
- Pace yourself when shoveling snow; dress in layers; bring pets indoors.
- Check on family, friends, and neighbors who may need help.
- Avoid unnecessary travel; drive slowly and clear snow from your vehicle.
- Use generators safely—never indoors or in garages.
- Keep food safe during extended power outages and call 9-1-1 for life-threatening emergencies.
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Call to Order - Council President Kyla M. Clark
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Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America- Keith R. Sydnor, Mayor
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Roll Call - Sara A. Green, CPM, MMC, Clerk
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Introduction, public hearing and possible action on Resolution No. 10-2025- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland to Receive the Returns of the 2025 General Election from the City of Laurel Board of Election Supervisors
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Introduction, public hearing and possible action on Resolution No. 11-2025- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland to Authorize the Director of the Department of Budget and Personnel Services to Pay the Election Officials for the 2025 General Election
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Adjournment
- Laurel Multiservice Center
- Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS)
- Elizabeth House / Laurel’s “FISH” House
- St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church
- Prayer Tower Church Community Food Pantry
- Smiling Souls Food Bank
- Laurel Church of Christ Food Pantry, and
- Royalhouse Church, Grace2Grace Center
- There can only be one tourist home per street, and
- The rental period must be for three days or more
- There is no limit on the number of tourist homes
- There is no minimum number of days for the rental period
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“Absentee Ballots” are now rolled up into the category of “Vote by Mail” Ballots – The gist here is that ‘vote by mail’ procedures have evolved in recent years and covers what used to be called absentee ballots. (TIP: To vote by mail for this year’s election, you’ll need to submit a completed application no later than noon on Tuesday, October 28.)
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“Provisional Ballots” and “Same Day Registration” procedures were further clarified to allow an individual who doesn’t appear on the voter register to supply qualifying information and have their vote count.
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Election Judges were provided explicit authority to request and direct the assistance of the Laurel Police Department and other law enforcement in maintaining the peaceful conduct of election days.
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The Board of Elections also now has explicit authority to identify parking areas for voters to provide unimpeded access to and from the polls.
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The steps around the recall of Elected Officials were further refined. Essentially, various types of gross misconduct in office can lead to a petition to recall, which if satisfactorily submitted, will trigger a yes/no vote by residents.
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Updates to the City’s election laws
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Various pieces of legislation I’ve introduced and helped shape this year
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Tips on activities around town for families
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Current initiatives I’m working on
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Already existing Ethics rules prevent Councilmembers from endorsing political candidates, since our roles are non-partisan. So this policy reiterates that social media posts should not contain any endorsements either.
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Also, existing Ethics rules prevent a Councilmember from promoting their own campaign when they’re acting in their official capacity. So this policy reiterates that a Councilmember can’t promote or link to their own campaign from their Councilmember social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, etc.
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Another relates to a U.S. Supreme Court case last year which formally established that official elected official social media pages are considered a ‘public forum’, and therefore comments cannot be unreasonably blocked or moderated. (Reasonable restrictions are permitted around things like profanity, threats, spamming, overrun, etc.)
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A fourth, is that existing Open Meetings laws prevent a quorum of Councilmembers (3 or more) from debating policy decisions under consideration outside of an appropriately published public meeting. So in social media world, this means that there can’t be a comment thread where more than two Councilmembers are sharing an exchange discussing what decision to make.
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One last highlight is that Councilmembers, as the City’s Legislative Branch, are appropriately considered distinct from the City’s Executive Branch. As a result, the Executive Branch can support Councilmembers in the fulfillment of their official duties online, but does not hold responsibility to govern as they do for City Departments and other City social media pages. It is empowered to act to the degree needed to enforce applicable laws or protect City’s legal interests, intellectual property, or public reputation.
City Audit Reports Released
I want to express my thanks to the Budget and Personnel Services Department (BAPS) for their reply to my query and for posting the City’s most recent Audit Reports to our City website.
Folks may already be aware, but essentially every municipality is required to have an annual financial statement audit of its figures. Laurel’s can be found on the page dedicated to audit reports and the reports are usually released around the spring following the June 30 fiscal year-end. (The FY 2025 report is currently in progress.)
Three of the key items to look for in our audit report are:
So there you have it, our City’s audit reports and how to interpret the opinions rendered by auditor. 🙂 Of course, it’s also interesting to peruse through the financial figures as well, and perhaps we can walk through together in a future blog post. And as always, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me and happy to help answer!
My latest Council Connections TV Interview
It’s always a lot of fun hanging with the Laurel Communications crew and in this edition of Council Connections I shared about:
Check out the video below:
The Baltimore Banner paper is coming to Laurel to Listen
You may be familiar with the newspaper, The Baltimore Banner, formed a handful of years back as The Baltimore Sun was teetering on the edge of extinction under the weight of its hedge fund owners (part of the same dust up that also saw the 100+ year-old Laurel Leader finally shutter its operations).
Well, they’re expanding their coverage into Prince George’s County and they want to hear from you – So much so that they’re coming right into our own backyard.
On Wednesday, March 18 from 6 - 7:30 p.m., Banner editors and journalists will be at the Laurel Branch Library in the Dorothy Height Room to get your input as they prepare to launch the new PG County coverage area. From their invite:
Join The Banner for a special community listening session at Laurel Library.
Meet the team, share what stories matter most to you and tell us what news you want to see covered in your community.
Why come by?
Vote for Laurel in the "Strongest Town" Competition!
Calling all Laurelites!! 📢 – it’s time to rally the troops and show your hometown pride!
A different type of March Madness is about to take off, and this one’s for Laurel to make its way through five bracket levels and be named “Strongest Town Champion”!
Thanks to the work of Laurel resident Calvin Burns, we’ve already made it past Level 1 – Now we’ve arrived at where voting begins and where you come in: all hands are needed on deck!
I’ll update this post with voting links as they’re released, and you can also read more about the competition on the Strongest Towns competition page.
You may already be familiar, but Strong Towns (sponsor of the annual competition) is a non-profit powering a movement to help cities, towns, and neighborhoods to take local action to grow safe, livable, and financially resilient communities. They’ve garnered resources, tools, and a membership of people all across the country who are seeking to help impact their own neighborhoods for the better.
What better way to showcase your hometown pride than submitting your vote each week and seeing Laurel claim the championship trophy! 🏆And with the trophy comes a mini-documentary that will showcase the gem of our one-in-a-million City!
UPDATE 16 Mar 2026: Unfortunately Laurel didn’t quite get enough votes in Week 1 to advance, but a HUGE thanks to everyone who made the effort and a great preparation to rally the troops for another run in the future! Thank you to Mr. Burns for submitting us and to all who participated – Laurel truly is a Strong Town and it’s because of our residents: thank you! 😀
Vote for Laurel in the "Strongest Town" Competition!
Calling all Laurelites!! 📢 – it’s time to rally the troops and show your hometown pride!
A different type of March Madness is about to take off, and this one’s for Laurel to make its way through five bracket levels and be named “Strongest Town Champion”!
Thanks to the work of Laurel resident Calvin Burns, we’ve already made it past Level 1 – Now we’ve arrived at where voting begins and where you come in: all hands are needed on deck!
I’ll update this post with voting links as they’re released, and you can also read more about the competition on the Strongest Towns competition page.
You may already be familiar, but Strong Towns (sponsor of the annual competition) is a non-profit powering a movement to help cities, towns, and neighborhoods to take local action to grow safe, livable, and financially resilient communities. They’ve garnered resources, tools, and a membership of people all across the country who are seeking to help impact their own neighborhoods for the better.
What better way to showcase your hometown pride than submitting your vote each week and seeing Laurel claim the championship trophy! 🏆And with the trophy comes a mini-documentary that will showcase the gem of our one-in-a-million City!
Snow Update from tonight's Council Meeting
Quick notes on updates shared by the Director Public Works and Director of FMPS about City’s snow status:
(UPDATE: Here’s a video spot from LaurelTV profiling the snow cleanup efforts with messages from the Mayor and Director of Public Works.)
Checkout the City's Bike Map + Cherry Lane bike lane to come!
One item discussed at this week’s Work Session was upgrades to Staggers Road, including changes to integrate into the City’s Bikeway Master Plan.
If you’re curious, the image below is of the City’s Bike Map (v2018-02) which shows shared use roadways, on-street bike lanes, hiker biker trails, and bike racks. (PDF version) It can be a great way to discover sites you may have not known exist around town.
And there are improvements coming to the City’s cycling and pedestrian trails – Some helpful references include:
This last one is our City’s most recent advancement of bike and pedestrian trails – This past year the Bicycle & Pedestrian Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) voted for “Alternative 2” presented in the study (page 14) for a on-road bicycle lane on Cherry Lane with physical separators for cyclist safety.
Speaking of which, if cycling and walking around town gets your blood pumping, 😉 please consider joining the Bicycle & Pedestrian CAC 🚴♀️🚶♂️ – your voice will strengthen the development of this critical part of our City’s features and help make Laurel a walkable, cyclable, enjoyable community!
Redistricting of Wards under Consideration
At this Wednesday’s Council Work Session, Council will consider a Resolution from the Administration to form an advisory committee that will make recommendations around redistricting the City Ward boundaries.
The Resolution can be read in full as part of the February 4th Work Session packet found on the City’s meeting page, but the gist is that normally Ward boundaries are revisited around every census, and while the 2022 Redistricting Advisory Committee recommended no change, the continued development in Ward 2 has subsequently added 500 additional residences further expanding the 2.8k resident delta between Ward 2 and Ward 1.
As currently proposed, the Redistricting Committee would be comprised of five persons appointed by the Mayor with confirmation by Council, one of which would be selected by the Council President. They would make their report within six months of appointment and any redistricting changes would be in place prior to the November 2027 General Election.
As always, please reach out to me with any thoughts or questions as your input helps me to shape legislation and decisions!
Seeking Members for Senior Residents & Persons with Disabilities Committee
The end of last year, I was re-appointed by the Mayor as Chair of the City’s Citizens Advisory Committee for Senior Residents & Persons with Disabilities. It was one I chaired when I first joined Council in 2024, and it’s an honor to help serve residents in this way.
The Committee’s mission is to give voice to persons with disabilities and seniors who live in our community – Whether it’s policies and legislation adopted, amenities and programs around town, or resources available.
We are need of one more member to reach the required ‘quorum’ – If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out to me and happy to share more about what we do and invite you to join us for a meeting.
My thanks to the existing Committee members for your service and I look forward to helping serve the related resident groups in the work of our City!
Mayor Declares Emergency State starting 6 p.m. Friday, Jan 23
UPDATE 27 Jan 2026: City Emergency State lifted today (Tue) at 11 a.m. – Trash/ recycle/ compost continues on schedule.
UPDATE 26 Jan 2026: City offices closed today (Mon) but trash/ recycle/ compost pickups on schedule.
From the City’s Press Release:
Mayor Keith R. Sydnor has declared a State of Emergency for the City of Laurel effective 6 p.m. on Friday, January 23, 2026, ahead of a winter storm expected to arrive as early as Saturday evening, bringing up to 9 to 15 inches of snow. Residents are urged to prepare now and follow all safety and parking regulations to ensure efficient snow removal and public safety.
Snow Emergency Parking Restrictions – Under Section 17-78 of the City Code, parking is prohibited on the even-numbered side of all designated snow emergency streets.
Sidewalk Snow and Ice Removal – Under Sections 14-7 and 18-181.2 of the City Code, property owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 12 hours after snowfall has ended.
Some winter safety tips shared:
See the press release for additional information, including the ability to register for the City’s emergency alerts.
Be safe out there folks – And enjoy the snow! 😀❄️☃️🛷
Laurel Park now Expected to be Racehorse Training Facility
In the latest zig-zag of an almost decade of changes to the fate of Laurel Park, it’s now expected to be converted into a racehorse training facility after the Preakness returns to the renovated Pimlico, anticipated in 2027.
From the Maryland Stadium Authority’s press release on Wednesday this week:
The Maryland Stadium Authority announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with The Stronach Group to acquire Laurel Park for the purposes of redevelopment into a premier hub for thoroughbred training in Maryland.
With approximately 1,100 horse stalls available for use at Laurel Park, day-to-day racing and training operations will be consolidated at the new statewide training center, while the Pimlico Race Course will transition to a “ship-in” racing model where horses and trainers will travel from other facilities to the venue on racing days. The strategic pivot will save the State an estimated $26.3 million in construction costs toward hundreds of new stalls at Pimlico, support about 500 jobs in Laurel, and preserve roughly 1,000 parking spaces around the race course. Moreover, by concentrating all overnight racing staff at Laurel Park, the Maryland Jockey Club expects to save $2.5 million annually in operating expenses.
And an interesting factoid on the history of horses in Maryland:
Maryland’s equine ecosystem represents approximately $3 billion in economic activity and over 25 percent of all agricultural land statewide. With more horses per square mile than any other state, Maryland’s horse industry supports over 28,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in wages.
And don’t forget that this year: The 151st Preakness Stakes will run at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026!
Celebrating the Semiquincentennial -- 250 years of the US of A!
This year, on July 4, 2026, our country will celebrate its 250th year!
And to quote Governor Moore, “Maryland was there from the beginning …” - Check out this 2-minute video from Maryland’s 250 Commission for a quick take:
I remember as a kid coming across bicentennial quarters from 1976 and thinking they were super cool and carried special value – And here we are at another momentous milestone, poised to mark a quarter millennia as a country. To my mind, it is something to say that this experiment we call America, something that had never quite been done in the history of the world up to that point, is still perduring. Back in 2007, I heard a reflection on Declaration of Independence that really struck me: ‘The American Revolution differed from many other revolutions in that it was premised on the objective laws of human nature and their Author.’ Imperfect is true, and America still strives to live up to her ideals, but we all today take up the mantle handed on to us in order to carry and advance in our time the promise of America and her people. To quote one of the Founders, Benjamin Franklin, ‘We have a republic, if we can keep it.’
I’m excited for our 250th and hope you are too! The City is also laying the groundwork and preparing for the celebration. To be a part, please reach out to me and it’d be my pleasure to connect you with the group of collaborators – what better way to express American ideals? 😀
Happy 250 years America and here’s to keeping those candles burning brightly for many years to come! 🕯️🕯️🕯️
UPDATE: Trash pickup Wed this week for normal Thu & *Fri* pickups
Released today: Mayor Sydnor declared the City Offices closed also on this Friday, December 26 – As a result, not only is the normal Thursday trash pickup moved to Wednesday, but now also the normal Friday trash pickup is moved to Wednesday.
So be sure not to miss emptying those cans before all your holiday festivities! 🧑🎄
Official Election Results Certified Tonight at 6p
The Laurel Board of Elections has finalized the tabulation of this year’s General Election results, illustrated in the graphic below.
Tonight at 6 p.m., the results will be presented and certified in a public meeting at the Municipal Center — You can attend in-person at 8103 Sandy Spring Road and also watch from home via LaurelTV website, LaurelTV YouTube channel, Comcast (71/SD, 996/HD), or Verizon (Channel 12).
The official meeting record can be found on the City’s meeting page and below is the planned agenda.
Thank you to everyone for your participation in our local elections!
AGENDA
(UPDATE 7 Nov 2025: The final count was updated from the graphic below in this City Press Release — Those elected did not change, but the final totals reflected additional updates.)
Laurel resources for those impacted by SNAP Benefits shutdown
One of the many federal funding sources affected by the current federal government shutdown is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – The reserve funding will expire by tomorrow, Saturday, November 1.
The City has put together a list of Laurel food resources that residents can avail of to help them bridge through this time, including:
For times and locations, be sure to check out the Press Release and updates may also become available on the related City News Flash page.
Thank you to all Laurelites for the care you are showing to help our neighbors in need!
UPDATE: Additional food distribution list from PG County Councilmember Jolene Ivey.
Seeking Your Input into AirBnB Rental Law for Laurel
During Council’s Work Session held October 1, there was an update proposed to Laurel’s Code for “tourist homes” – these are essentially short-term rentals often facilitated via platforms like AirBnB, VRBO, and the like.
Right now, Laurel’s Code reads that:
The change proposed is that:
Following the Work Session, the Ordinance was temporarily removed from the legislative calendar to allow more time for review and conversation – And I’d like to ask you, the residents of Laurel, to reach out to me with any feedback or thoughts you have on the topic so it can be incorporated into the conversation.
Thank you as your input is critical toward helping shape legislation for our City!
(Note: A proposed change was also to disallow tourist homes in multi-family units, like apartments.)
How has the City's Election Law changed since last Election?
Earlier this year, approximately twelve months' worth of work came to fruition when Council voted to pass roughly 42 pages of edits and updates to the City’s election laws – Some parts were for clarifying edits, and others for significant updates to how the law works.
As shared at the time, to me, the goal was threefold: (a) to see our resident’s voting rights respected, (b) to provide an even playing field for candidates, and (c) to have an easy-to-understand set of rules that supports the best possible outcome for our City each election cycle.
I’ve summarized here the key changes, which you’ll see in play this election cycle:
My latest Council Connections Interview
Here’s a video of my latest interview for Council Connections, LaurelTV’s show series with members of Council to help share updates and goings-on direct from Councilmembers.
In this show I share about:
(Note: Although I recorded the interview on June 30, there was an accidental delay in its release, so you may notice some of the “current initiatives” are actually items that have already worked their way through Council.)
Hope you enjoy and as always, reach out to me anytime with questions or comments!
Vote on Monday on Social Media Policy for Council
At the Council Meeting Monday, we’ll be voting on the adoption of a Social Media Policy for City Council — It’s the first such policy specifically for Council and has the potential to provide important guidance to Councilmembers now and into the future.
Worked on collaboratively over the last seven months, most of the content is a consolidation of existing laws, just addressed to their particular applications in the social media space. For example:
You can read the full policy as part of the meeting packet for the September 22 Council meeting and please feel free to reach out to me with any comments, suggestions, or questions as well!
At the end of the day, the theme of the document is to aid Councilmembers in understanding how the standing laws bear on their conduct in the social media space so we can uphold the standards that we’re all pledged to and reflect due professionalism in the business of the Council.
(UDPATE: The Council did pass this policy at its Sep 22 meeting, and you can watch a video of my brief comments made during the session.)
Changes to How Cities Get their Money
Last week, I attended a webinar hosted by the Maryland Municipal League (MML) on changing how municipalities (like Laurel) receive their funding.
As you may be aware, 67% of our City’s revenue comes from property taxes – This can be a help when property values are strong/ rising, but it can also be a risk to have so much coming from only one source.
So MML is exploring with the state legislators possible ways to diversify revenue sources, resulting in greater economic stability for cities and towns across the state.
It remains to be seen how/when this may materialize, but I’ll be keeping tabs on and share as I learn more.
