What Bill 61-26 does
No legalese. Here's what's actually happening with Anne Arundel County's proposed zoning rewrite — and why food truck owners are fighting it.
The short version
Bill 61-26 is a 239-page rewrite of Article 18 — the section of county law that controls zoning. It was introduced as part of the county's comprehensive rezoning process. A public hearing was held September 21, 2026 at the Arundel Center, where food truck owners showed up in force to push back. The County Council continues its consideration at the October 5, 2026 meeting.
Timeline
Bill 61-26 introduced
A 239-page ordinance rewriting Article 18 (zoning) is introduced to the County Council as part of comprehensive rezoning.
Public hearing — vendors push back
Food truck owners pack the Arundel Center hearing. Local news covers their stand against the zoning proposal. A community petition launches on Change.org.
County Council meeting — be there
The council meets at the Arundel Center, 44 Calvert St, Annapolis. Public testimony is accepted. This is the moment to fill every seat.
What's at stake
Family businesses
Most food trucks are small, family-run operations — not corporations. For many owners, the truck is the retirement plan, the college fund, the mortgage payment.
Local jobs
Each truck supports drivers, cooks, commissary kitchens, local farms, and suppliers. Restricting trucks ripples through the whole local food economy.
Community life
Block parties, youth sports, office parks, late nights downtown — food trucks are where the county gathers. Zoning them away makes the county a duller place.
Fairness
Owners invested tens of thousands of dollars under the old rules. Changing the rules mid-game to push them out isn't regulation — it's elimination.
Know enough? Act.
Reading is good. Emailing your council member is better.
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