Mayor’s Proposals Again Spark Controversy

By Diane Mezzanotte, Wednesday, June 23, 2026

At last night’s in-person Laurel City Council meeting, Council President Brencis Smith told the audience, “A lot of passion has been going on. Please don’t mistake that for dysfunction.” It was a good segue to what followed, as Mayor Keith Sydnor found himself once again explaining his perspective on two proposed programs that yielded questions, concerns, and a divided vote from the council.

Selbourne House Rental Assistance Proposal

One of those programs was tied to a budgetary amendment that proposed shifting money from six FY2026 budget programs—all of which had come in under their budgeted costs—in order to achieve two initiatives: paying off two of the city’s loans early, and funding a $151,800 rental assistance program to eligible Selbourne House residents.

No council members voiced objection to the early loan payoff. Councilmember James Kole lauded the cost savings. Councilmember Adrian Simmons specified that the two loans from PNC Bank totaled $1.6 million and would soon be readjusted from a 1.3% interest rate to a 5.5% rate; therefore, prepayment would save money.

As for the Selbourne House grant, however, both Simmons and Councilmember Kyla Clark expressed concerns that the ordinance did not include specific information on how, and to whom, the rental assistance money would be paid. As background, the mayor’s proposal—which apparently was described in a memo sent to councilmembers—would cover, for one year, a 7.5% rent increase for 126 residents of Selbourne House, who were hit with the increase after new owners took possession of the senior living facility on April 1. Clark questioned whether the money would go directly to the residents or to the owners, and on what schedule it would be paid. She said she had proposed, in a memo, two funding schedules, including one that would pay part of the rent increase for two years, rather than the full increase for one year. She and Simmons both called out a proposed 10% management fee that would go to Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS), which they both felt should have been spelled out in the ordinance. Clark later noted in a social media post that this fee would constitute a no-bid contract without a Request for Proposal (RFP).

After some discussions on process and procedures, including input from City Solicitor Stephanie Anderson, the ordinance was put to a vote. Councilmembers Kole, Smith, and Jeff Mills voted yes, while Simmons and Clark both voted no, with comments to stress that they needed to see specifics on the Selbourne House program. After the meeting, Kole explained to Voices of Laurel that, per his read of existing policies, a yes vote approved moving the funds, but more action is needed before the money can be assigned to the Selbourne House program. “I think we now need an enabling resolution to authorize the program,” he said, “because a budget ordinance is different than a resolution approving the contract. We routinely fund projects, then award them through an RFP or contract.” Kole said he has asked for a legal opinion on the matter.

The Armory and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America

The topic that generated the most discussion, however, was not even on the agenda: a potential partnership between the city and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to create an out-of-school program held at the Laurel Armory. Nothing had been released yet about this program, but the rumor mill and social media posts caused speculation and generated what Sydnor called “a lot of emails.” He raised the issue himself, just prior to the public hearing portion of the council meeting, recognizing that many of the two dozen attendees were there because of that specific issue.

According to Sydnor, he was approached in early 2024 by a BGCA official seeking to re-establish a presence in Prince George’s County. Noting that the Laurel Boys and Girls Club (LGBC) on Montgomery Street is not affiliated with the national-level BGCA, Sydnor said he thought the local club could benefit from a private-public partnership with the national group, which provides its own staff and resources. He set up a meeting between BGCA and LBGC leaders, but ultimately, according to Sydnor, the Laurel club “decided not to work with them, and that’s their right, their choice.”

Earlier this year, Sydnor said, he was approached again by the BGCA official, whom he took on a driving tour of the city and its facilities “to do a feasibility study, and he saw the Armory.” From there, Sydnor said, he talked to Dr. Rhea Bush, the Community Schools Coordinator at Laurel Elementary School, and the school’s principal, Dr. Tyrone Harris, both of whom signed off on a K-through-5 partnership with BGCA. A plan was then sketched out to use the gymnasium and the top-level rooms for an afterschool program for elementary students from 1:30 to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and then from 9 to 5 for a summer day camp.

Sydnor was aware that community members were upset when they heard that already-scheduled adult programs and Armory access would have to be shifted to accommodate the program. However, he asserted, “As mayor, I have the authority to rotate programs, working with [Laurel Parks and Recreation Director] Bill Bailey. We do that all the time. We do MOUs all the time. We have three community centers; otherwise, I would never have entertained the idea. Bailey has a smart staff and can rotate the programs.”

Hinting that some upgrades to the Armory would be necessary, Sydnor said he had reached out to “the money man,” Maryland State Delegate Ben Barnes, who chairs the Appropriations Committee. Barnes reportedly had come through with a $1 million bond for BGCA to “invest in the building.” Sydnor stressed, though, that “nothing’s gonna change on the first floor” of the building, and the fitness center would still be accessible. He described the arranging as “sharing the building”: during the programs, BGCA would control its allocated areas of the building, and then, “after 6 pm, it goes back to the operation of the city.”

Sydnor also said that he had asked for a legal review of his proposed contract between the city and BGCA, which he described as a 15-year contract costing the city $1 per year.  That arrangement was questioned by meeting attendee Jennifer Raskin, self-described as an attorney from West Laurel, who asked if any federal funding was involved—which, she noted, would not be a long-term guarantee in today’s fiscal climate—and wondered if an RFP would be presented for bids, perhaps including some local resources. Raskin also pointed out that moving some of the senior-oriented programs from the Armory to one of the two other, more outlying community centers, would unfairly limit seniors’ access to the programs.

Because it was not an agenda item, no further discussion occurred beyond the mayor’s statements and the public comments. Voices of Laurel reached out to Ben Barnes’ office for clarification of the grant but have not yet gotten a response. We also heard from multiple Laurel councilmembers, whose concerns again centered on the legality of the process rather than on the merits of the mayor’s proposed program.

(Photo: John Floyd II, Laurel History Boys collection)