City Beat
- Staff Writers
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
A roundup of local news, events, and announcements
Voters Re-elect Familiar Faces to City Council in Intrigue-Filled Election
Most of the five incumbent Laurel City Councilmembers were re-elected in the city’s general elections held on November 4. The exception was the At-Large Councilmember race, in which incumbent Christine Johnson was defeated by former Councilmember Brencis Smith. That contest was close enough to require a recount, with Smith ultimately garnering 641 votes over Johnson’s 621, with three write-in votes also recorded.
All but one of the five seats were officially uncontested—although some confusion and controversy arose over the Ward 1 ballot. Incumbents James Kole and Adrian Simmons were re-elected with 475 and 547 votes, respectively; 181 votes went to the third person listed on the ballot for Ward 1, Sheila Carroll, who had declared in September that she was withdrawing from the race for personal reasons. The Laurel Board of Elections had posted to social media that voters should disregard Carroll’s name on the ballots, which had been printed prior to her withdrawal announcement. Surprisingly, on the morning of early elections, Carroll’s signs appeared at the Ward 1 polling site and she posted on social media that she had decided to run, after all. However, official results from the Board of Elections listed Carroll’s results as “181 votes (Withdrawn).”
In Ward 2, both Kyla Clark and Jeffrey Mills were re-elected with 493 and 452 votes, respectively; they both ran unopposed.
But what is a Laurel City election without intrigue and drama? Those following the candidates on social media watched as a series of unfortunate events unfolded beginning on October 25, when incumbent Ward 2 Councilmember Mills posted allegations of sign stealing by Ward 1 incumbent James Kole. Showing video evidence that Kole’s husband, Joshua, had taken down two signs (one of Mills’ and one for Brencis Smith) from a gas station, Mills announced that he had filed criminal charges against both Koles for theft of property valued at less than $100. For over a week, Mills posted memes of James Kole to dozens of Facebook groups, including many that have nothing to do with Laurel, calling the sign theft a hate crime—although he admitted to Voices of Laurel that he knew it wasn’t really a hate crime and that he was “just trolling.” Notably, the signs were returned to their original locations two days after they were taken; Brencis Smith opted not to comment, other than saying that the incident was bad for the city of Laurel; and James Kole declined comment because of the pending court hearing, originally scheduled for early December but now pushed to February 2026. (For our earlier coverage of the story, see: voicesoflaurel.com/post/once-again-city-elections-embroiled-in-controversy)
Brencis Smith Elected Council President
Shortly after being sworn in on November 24, the new Laurel City Council elected At-Large Councilmember Brencis Smith to be Council President. He in turn selected Ward 1 Councilmember Adrian Simmons as President Pro Tempore.
Smith has previously served as Council President, having been elected to two consecutive terms during his previous tenure on the council.
Two Mayoral Programs Off to a Flying Start
Two initiatives introduced over the summer by Mayor Keith Sydnor are already having a positive community impact. The city’s Drone Apprenticeship program accepted three Laurel-area teens into the program, through which they learned the basics of operating drones with a view toward getting certifications that could lead to career opportunities. After completing a 12-week program that involved both online and hands-on training, teens Nelson Paulo, Robyn Wood, and Yusra Ali exhibited their new-found skills to an audience that included Sydnor. All three students were eligible to take the FAA Drone Pilot Exam, and in early December Sydnor announced on social media that Yusra Ali had already taken and passed the exam, earning her an official drone pilot operator’s license.
Sydnor also had announced in July an initiative called “Adopt a Senior” and was seeking volunteers to provide toiletry items to senior citizens on a bimonthly basis. Enough volunteers signed up to allow the program to start in November, when the first deliveries began arriving for seniors at Selbourne House and Laurel Lakes Senior Apartments. Volunteers were assigned to specific seniors by program coordinator Giselle Ramirez-Gomez; every other month, she forwards each senior’s list of needed supplies to their volunteers, who deliver the items to the building where their “adoptee” lives. There are plans to expand the program to other residences, so volunteers are still needed. Anyone interested in adopting a senior can email laurelmayor@laurel.md.us.
Two New Faces on Economic Development Team
The City of Laurel recently hired Jay Meashey to serve as Director of the Department of Economic and Community Development. A native of Pennsylvania, Meashey holds a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University and has held previous marketing and management positions in both the private and public sectors.
Joining Meashey as Economic Development Coordinator is Naomi Herr, a Prince George’s County native and Bowie State University graduate. She also holds a master’s degree in Community and Economic Development from Penn State University and previously held an economic development position in New Orleans.
City To Hold Annual Town Hall Meeting in February
The City of Laurel will hold its annual Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, February 22, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road. This is your chance to hear directly from Mayor Sydnor and the City Council about their achievements, projects, and priorities. Everyone is encouraged to attend in person; the event will also be live-streamed through the City of Laurel website and its YouTube channel.
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