On December 16, 2024, the County Council passed Resolution 47-24 to establish the 2025 Redistricting Commission. This followed the approval of the Council expansion ballot question at the 2024 general election by Baltimore County voters. The Commission’s objective is to make recommendations and submit a final report to the County Council on the configuration of the nine Council districts for the 2026 election.
Public Input and Public Hearings
The Commission has created a dedicated email for the public to submit written testimony and provide written feedback. You may email the Commission at any time at CouncilmanicRedistricting@baltimorecountymd.gov. Testimony and feedback will be disseminated to Commission members within one working day after receipt and will be posted on the Commission’s webpage.
The 2025 Redistricting Commission has scheduled its first public hearing for Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. The public hearing will be held in the Council Chambers.
WRITTEN TESTIMONY
Commission Meetings
The 2025 Redistricting Commission will have an abbreviated schedule in which to complete its work. Charter Section 206 imposes a deadline of October 1, 2025 for the Council to adopt a final redistricting plan. However, it does not give a deadline for the Commission to submit its report and recommendations.
Under Charter Section 207, the Redistricting Commission would normally have a maximum time frame of seven and one-half months (March 1 through October 15) to hold its requisite three public hearings and submit its recommendation to the Council. After this, the Council would normally be afforded approximately three and one-half months (October 15 through January 31) to hold at least one public hearing and enact redistricting legislation. Taken together, this is an 11-month long process. However, the deadline of October 1, 2025 shortens this to approximately eight months total.
Accordingly, the Commission will set a swift meeting and public hearing schedule to accommodate this timeline. Members of the public who are interested in following the Commission’s work should check the Council’s schedule and this webpage for updates.
Meeting #1 – Introductory Meeting
Wednesday, January 29, 5:00 pm. This meeting was held in-person at the Council Chambers in Towson and live-streamed over Webex.
Meeting #2
Monday, February 10, 5:00 p.m. This meeting will be held in-person at the Council Chambers in Towson and live-streamed over Webex.
- Agenda
- Presentation Documents
- Minutes
- Link to Video
Meeting #3
Wednesday, February 26, 5:00 p.m. This meeting will be held in-person at the Council Chambers in Towson and live-streamed over Webex.
- Agenda
- Presentation Documents
- Minutes
- Link to Video
Commission Membership
In addition to the Council expansion, the ballot question also changed the membership of the Redistricting Commission. Previous Commissions consisted of five members, all of which were appointed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Council. Beginning with the 2025 Redistricting Commission, the membership now consists of seven members, which each Councilmember nominating one Commission member who must be confirmed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Council.
At its January 14, 2025 work session, the Council took testimony from candidates nominated by each Councilmember. At its January 21, 2025 legislative session, the Council unanimously confirmed six nominees, with one nominee withdrawing from the process prior to the vote. Testimony from the final nominee was heard the January 28 work session and a confirmation vote is expected at the February 3 legislative session. Below are the Commission members.
Ratonda Tate-Duffy – 1st Council District Representative
Ms. Tate-Duffy is a resident of Halethorpe and dedicated public servant who has served in numerous Human Resources roles across the federal government. Currently, Ms. Tate-Duffy is a Program Advisory Specialist in Human Resources for the U.S. Defense Health Agency at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. From 2020 to 2023, she served as a Human Resources Specialist and HR Par Analyst II for the U.S. Department of Commerce and a Human Resources Assistant in the Executive Office of the U.S. President. She has also served as a HR Generalist for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Ms. Tate-Duffy holds a B.A. in Communications and an M.A. in Organizational Management from Ashford University. Since July 2022, she also has served as the President of the Woodlawn High School Parent Teacher Student Association.
Lisa Belcastro – 2nd Council District Representative
Ms. Belcastro is a resident of Pikesville who has worked at both the State and local level as a disability rights advocate, educator, and policy advisor. Since her appointment in April, 2023, Ms. Belcastro has served as the Deputy Secretary of Disabilities for the Maryland Department of Disabilities. She has also been the Director of Public Policy for Autism Speaks since August, 2024. Previously, Ms. Belcastro represented the 11th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2020 to 2023. Ms. Belcastro has also served as a legislative aide to Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka and was a member of Governor-Elect Wes Moore’s transition team on education policy. Before her government service, Ms. Belcastro was a special educator for Prince George’s County Public Schools for 11 years.
Eric Rockel – 3rd Council District Representative
Mr. Rockel is a resident of Lutherville and spent the majority of his professional career in the Offices of Real Estate for Baltimore County government and the Maryland State Highway Administration. Now retired, he has volunteered many hours of service to NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, a non-profit seeking to promote the livability of existing communities inside the URDL by providing more open space, and to the Greater Timonium Community Council, an umbrella group of individual community associations in the Lutherville/Timonium/Cockeysville area. Along with Neal Brooks, PhD., Rockel co-authored A History of Baltimore County, which detailed the historical events that shaped the county from its founding in the 1650’s until the 1970’s. He enjoys reading about historical topics, listening to music, and watching sports.
Cordell Grant – 4th Council District Representative
Mr. Grant is a resident of Owings Mills and serves as the Assistant Director of Judicial Clerkships and Diversity Initiatives at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he counsels students as they seek judicial internships and clerkships, as well as diversity pipeline programs. Mr. Grant earned his Juris Doctor from UBalt Law in 2018 and graduated with a B.A. in English and Political Science from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland. Mr. Grant began his legal career with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, where he worked to address systemic issues that continually plague the criminal justice system and marginalized communities. Prior to law school, Cordell worked with the Say Yes to Education Program, bringing visibility and actionable programming to disenfranchised and marginalized communities aiming to eliminate socio-economic disparities by way of higher education, scholarship, and mentorship.
John Dulina – 5th Council District Representative
Mr. Dulina is a Middle River resident and an emergency management expert, educator, and firefighter. Since 2007, Mr. Dulina has served with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) as the Regional Liaison Officer for the seven central Maryland jurisdictions. Previous to his work with MEMA, Mr. Dulina spent over three decades as a Transition Facilitator for Baltimore County Public Schools where he helped students with disabilities develop job skills and transition from school to employment or college. As a firefighter, Mr. Dulina serves as the President of the Baltimore County Volunteer Firefighters Association. He also serves as the Captain and President for the Middle River Volunteer Fire Company and as an instructor at the Baltimore County Fire Department Fire and Rescue Academy. Mr. Dulina is also a commissioner on the Maryland Fire and Rescue Education Training Commission.
Al Harris – 6th Council District Representative
Mr. Harris is a Rosedale resident and a former educator, small business owner, and community activist. Mr. Harris taught for over 30 years in the Baltimore City Public Schools. After retiring from teaching, Mr. Harris has started several small businesses, including A&S Harris Enterprises and Dynamic Awakening of Massage Therapy and Esthetics, LLC. Mr. Harris was born and raised in Baltimore City. He is a Vietnam War veteran, where he served with the U.S. Marine Corp, rising to the rank of Sargent Major. Mr. Harris is also an active community and civic volunteer. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity. Currently, Mr. Harris is a member of the Holland Hill Community Improvement Association and a Police Community Relations Council Liaison.
Ed Kramer – 7th Council District Representative
Mr. Kramer has been a resident of the Hawthorne Community in Middle River for the last 37 years. He has also been a member of the Hawthorne Civic Association for over 30 years. Mr. Kramer has also been a member of the Essex Middle River Civic Council representing the Hawthorne Community for over 20 years. Mr. Kramer was appointed to the Middle River Round Table by Baltimore County Executives Kevin Kamenetz and Johnny Olszewski to work with communities, business leaders, and the Baltimore County departments of Planning and Economic Development to develop a plan for Route 43 for approval by the surrounding communities. Mr. Kramer graduated from Patterson High School in 1982. He has also completed the Dale Carnegie Training/ Professional Development course and the Karrass Negotiating Training course.