Running on a four-year record of legislation that addresses development issues in Bel Air, annual balanced budgets that avoided tax increases and more, Mayor Paula Etting is seeking reelection as a Bel Air commissioner in November.
Elected as commissioner in November 2021 and appointed as the mayor of Bel Air by her fellow commissioners in November 2023, Etting, 66, said she is running on the same campaign pillars she did in 2021 — ensuring that Bel Air retains its safe, family-friendly, small-town character.
“We have a lot going on and people want to move here, but we want to remain a community of homeowners who are invested in the town and where it’s going,” Etting said.
Etting, who has lived in Bel Air for over 30 years, said the single largest issue facing the town is development. Noting that she is not against development, Etting said she would like to see development that promotes homeownership and that fits the character of Bel Air.
During her time as a commissioner, the board has passed different pieces of legislation addressing issues like open space in new developments and reducing the number of dwellings per acre.
Referencing the legislation the commissioners passed that addressed development concerns in the town, Etting said she thinks the steps she and the board have taken are ones in the right direction for the future of Bel Air.
“I am not trying to stop development in town, but I want to encourage homeownership and development in town that keeps our character,” Etting said. “I think it is a real plus to maintain the character of our small town as being a community of neighborhoods and not giant buildings that are out of place.”
Etting explained that 60% of Bel Air is homeowner-occupied and 40% are renters. She said renting is not a bad thing and that rental properties do have their place in town, but she would like to avoid Bel Air becoming primarily rental properties.
“We already have so many rentals, so we are not opposed to them. We just do not want to become an all-rental community where nobody has any interest in volunteering or developing roots here,” Etting said.
In reference to the Harford Mall redevelopment that is expected to bring apartments, restaurants and stores to the property, Etting said she welcomes the project and is confident it will bring a reinvigorated shopping district to not only Bel Air, but also Harford County.
“What I am looking for is a beautiful place where people can shop, and eat, and enjoy their day, and I think if the mall gives that to Harford County and the town of Bel Air, it will be a win-win for everybody,” Etting said. “There are a lot of people in this county looking to spend their money on dining, entertainment and clothing, and if the mall has that to offer, people will swamp it.”
If reelected, Etting said, she plans to address the revenue shortfall of the Bel Air parking garage, which does not bring in enough annual revenue to sustain itself. She said the garage is an enterprise fund that should be financially self-sufficient, but each year, funding of the garage dips into the town’s reserve fund.
Additionally, Etting said the majority of the town is composed of nonprofits and government entities, which reduces the amount of tax revenue the town can collect due to the tax status of the organizations. She said she would like to figure out a way to make up for the lost potential revenue.
Etting is most proud of her work with the fee-in-lieu-of-open-space legislation that was introduced by commissioner Jake Taylor; her work with the dwelling density legislation; her work with the town’s adequate public facilities section of the code that reduced school overcrowding; the town’s ability avoid tax increases while not cutting services; and the town’s shift to having all town meetings livestreamed and posted through YouTube.
Etting’s seat and Commissioner Mary Chance’s seat are up for election this year. Etting, Gavin Hanley and Matthew Gullion have filed to run; Chance opted not to seek reelection.
If reelected as commissioner, this will be Etting’s second term.
The town of Bel Air does not have term limits. The election will be Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Bel Air Town Hall at 39 N. Hickory Ave.
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.
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