It’s going to cost Baltimore County taxpayers to expand the size of the county council from seven to nine seats.

But not nearly as much as an earlier estimate of $12 million. 

“We’re not spending that kind of money,” Council Chairman Mike Ertel said. “We’re adding two council people. We’ll figure it out.”

Ertel estimated it will be more like $650,000.

He said they are saving a lot of money by using existing offices across the hall from where the council is based. Two council members will be there. That keeps them from having to do a major renovation of council offices to make room.

Also, no lavish extras are planned.

“If you’ve ever seen our bathrooms, they’re vintage 1950s,” Ertel said. “We’re not redoing our bathrooms.”

The renovation also will include a lift so a council member in a wheelchair can get to the dais. There also will be wheelchair seating in the audience.

Ertel said, “I feel like that’s something we saw during a meeting and said ‘that’s really not good that this person doesn’t really have a place to be other than in the aisle.’”

The renovations are expected to start in February and wrap up in October. During that time, the county council will have to meet elsewhere, perhaps in the planning board’s room.

There will be other costs to adding two additional council members that do not include the renovations, including staff and a car. That is expected to annually cost around $1.4 million

In 2024, Baltimore County voters approved expanding the council from seven to nine seats in time for the 2026 election.

Because of that, something else will have to change.

The county seal has seven stars, one for each council district. Two more stars will need to be added. Ertel does not expect to make that change all at once.

“We’re not going to spend a bunch of money,” Ertel. “But as we replace uniforms and signage we’ll add the nine-star seal to the mix.”