Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH) is to conduct due process hearings in land use and other administrative matters in a manner that protects the rights of the participants, provides a complete record in each case, results in a thorough and balanced report or decision, and serves the public interest.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY23 Operating Budget for the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings is $705,001, an increase of $23,619 or 3.47 percent from the FY22 Approved Budget of $681,382. Personnel Costs comprise 88.54 percent of the budget for four full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 4.00 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 11.46 percent of the FY23 budget.

Consistent with the County Charter, the County Executive makes recommendations on the operating budget for all County departments, offices, and agencies. However, recognizing the Charter-defined roles, the Executive defers significantly to Legislative and Judicial Branch agencies. Questions regarding the approved budgets for Legislative Branch departments should be directed to Mary Jane Berry, 240-777-7930.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Descriptions

  Zoning and Administrative Hearings

The Hearing Examiner receives applications for certain zoning matters decided by the County Council; schedules and conducts public hearings; prepares and issues reports and recommendations for County Council action; receives applications, hears and decides conditional use cases; schedules and conducts hearings in contested cases referred by other departments, such as...