Anne Arundel County established a charter form of government in 1964.
Anne Arundel County provides a wide array of services and programs for its Citizens, Businesses, and Visitors
A collection of tools and resources developed to empower citizens with information.
With almost 54,000 businesses, Anne Arundel County is a major hub of commerce and development. With a $35 billion economy, low taxes, a vast multi-modal transportation system, highly skilled workforce and excellent educational institutions, Anne Arundel County is the premier location to do business.
The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion provides leadership in the development of policies, programs, and procedures that ensure compliance with federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws, and integrate diversity, access, and inclusion into county operations. We are a partner and resource for all departments as they work to improve access and inclusion countywide.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) was established on December 29, 2020, with the mission of establishing a countywide equity, diversity, and inclusion strategic plan.
It is our vision to create an environment in which all county employees and residents feel they have access to the resources necessary to succeed at work and in their communities.
The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion aims to establish a uniform approach to analyzing departmental policies, procedures, and practices by promoting the use of the equity lens as a critical thinking tool.
On September 1, 2021, County Executive Steuart Pittman signed Executive Order 50, reaffirming the County’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The EDI office is charged with the development and implementation of a government-wide strategy to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion as core values for every County workplace, program, activity, contract, and decision.
Anne Arundel County government prohibits discrimination against employees, and applicants for employment, on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or family status, genetic information, veteran’s status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state employment laws. (Policy K-01).
In accordance with the County’s Employee Relations Manual, employees, or applicants for employment, who have concerns about workplace discrimination or harassment should report their concerns to the Asha Smith, EO and Human Relations Officer.
Residents and other parties who feel that they have been subjected to any of the following treatment because of their protected characteristics, should report their concerns to Asha Smith, EO and Human Relations Officer:
The Anne Arundel County Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, creed, disability, familial status, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, occupation, race, religions, sex, sexual orientation, or source of income in such a way that the person is adversely affected in the area of housing.
The law authorizes the County's Human Relations Commission to receive and address fair housing complaints, in accordance with procedures outlined in Article 3, Title 5A. Asha Smith, EO and Human Relations Officer, serves as an ex-officio member of the Commission, and can be contacted with questions about fair housing.
File a Complaint
As the most centrally-located county in Maryland and site of the state capital of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County is in many ways the heart of Maryland. Half a million people call the county home.
