Harford County Council member Nolanda Robert and state Dels. Steve and Andre Johnson held an informational meeting Monday for Edgewood residents, detailing information on benefits residents could experience if the area officially became a municipality.

The meeting marked a shift in momentum residents say they’ve experienced recently as Edgewood residents push for incorporation.

Steve Johnson said as a state legislator his job isn’t to make decisions for the community but create pathways for residents to be able to make choices on their own. This aligns with his and Andre Johnson’s push for a bill to alter what current state law outlines for incorporation.

To become incorporated, an area of at least 300 residents must get 20-25% of its population to sign a petition supporting the effort, according to the Maryland Municipal League. Once that is met, the petition goes to an organizing committee that works to create a town charter to be sent to the Harford County Council. From there, the council has the final say on whether the incorporation process advances to a countywide referendum vote.

The financial and economic effects of incorporation were key topics of concern Monday from residents in attendance. Robert told residents development of the town would be a lengthy process.

“We want to make it clear that as not being a municipality, we are missing out on a lot of funding that we could put back into our communities,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be everyone start up with a new city, that doesn’t happen, life doesn’t happen that way, it’s going to take time. This is a process and this is why we’re having a conversation with everyone to give that education piece …”

Noah Gentry, 22, of Edgewood, said he’s lived in the same house all his life and has always wondered why Edgewood isn’t incorporated. He said he feels the area has been ignored on the county level for a while.

Theresa Kuhns, chief executive officer of the Maryland Municipal League, also attended and pointed to redevelopment as a positive of incorporation.

“It is really a community effort of what you want this area to be for the future,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunity involved.”

Zoning is key, Steve Johnson said, in bringing in commercial growth and development. Once the town sets zoning preferences, he said, that serves as a blueprint to solicit businesses to the community.

Writing letters of support to the General Assembly and speaking to the media are some steps Steve Johnson said residents could do to keep momentum before the next legislative session begins in January.

“If you wait until the bill does or does not come to the floor, it’s over at the very beginning,” he said. “When the bill goes to the committee and gets assigned to a subcommittee, that’s when you start really working on the legislature.”

Residents’ voices, Andre Johnson said, will be crucial to put pressure on other elected officials who will ultimately make a decision on the proposed bill.

“It’s up to us as a community [now] to say ‘no, we’re not going to take that anymore’ and now we can have control of our own destiny,” he said.

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