Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting and newly elected town Commissioner Gavin Hanley were sworn in Monday night. The town’s 2025 election results were certified last week.
Etting was reelected as mayor Monday by the commissioners.
“I am thrilled to have been elected by the people of the town of Bel Air and I appreciate the confidence that they have in me and I am even happier to be reelected as mayor of the board,” Etting said. “I am happy to serve, and I am appreciative that they had the confidence to elect me for my third term as mayor.”
Etting, 66, has lived in Bel Air for more than 30 years and campaigned on ensuring responsible development that promotes homeownership and that fits the character of Bel Air. During her first term as a commissioner, she supported legislation that addressed issues such as open space in new developments and reducing the number of dwellings per acre.
Hanley, 27, ran with the intention to preserve Bel Air’s historic character by warding off high-density housing developments. He said he is thankful to be elected and looks forward to getting to work.
“Thank you to the citizens of Bel Air for placing their trust in me to represent their interests for the next four years,” Hanley said. “I am truly humbled and excited to get to work protecting quality of life for town residents.”
Hanley’s election marks his first official seat in politics. Hanley said he would work as a commissioner to promote homeownership in the town of Bel Air while also addressing the needs of residents and promoting public participation in local government.
The five-member board of commissioners still has one vacant seat, as former commissioner James Rutledge III resigned in October. His seat will be filled by an appointed member through an application process that closes Thursday at noon.
Rutledge was elected in 2023 and his four-year term is slated to end in 2027. The person appointed to his seat will finish out the current term and will have the choice of seeking re-election in 2027.
According to Etting, the town had not received any applications for the seat as of Monday. Qualified applicants must be a resident of the Town of Bel Air for at least six months before applying and must be registered to vote in the state of Maryland, Harford County and Bel Air.
There were two seats up for election earlier this month — Etting’s and the seat of former Commissioner Mary Chance. Chance opted not to seek reelection. Three candidates were on the ballot: Etting, Hanley, and former Bel Air police officer Matthew Gullion.
Final ballot counts concluded Friday. The top vote-getter was Etting, with 628; Hanley followed with 619; Gullion got 352; and there were 32 write-in votes. Gullion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bel Air has a total of 8,159 registered voters; a total of 925 ballots were cast in this year’s election, for an 11.3% voter turnout.
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.
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