The residents of Howard County already have no shortage of ideas about what their new county flag should look like.

After the county asked people to submit proposals for the flag redesign, more than 100 people sent a total of 209 designs to a commission to review. Officials said 184 designs met the criteria, and those submissions were posted online earlier this month.

“I was delighted by the number and especially the diversity of entries we received,” said Coleen West, chair of the flag commission. “It looks like we received entries from children as well as artists and designers.”

The 19-member commission plans to hold a public hearing on Sept. 30 at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City and then select 10 designs for residents to vote on in the fall.

But don’t expect the new flag to be flying anytime soon. The commission won’t select the three finalists until February. They will then be forwarded to County Executive Calvin Ball, who will select a final design and present it to the County Council for consideration in the spring.

The hope is that Howard County will have a new flag flying by the end of 2025, said Safa Hira, communications director for the county executive’s office.

Ball has said it’s time to change the county flag, designed in 1968, because the once rural county has changed so much. He said he wants the county flag to be more in line with today’s values.

The flag now includes the same red and white cross pattern as the Maryland state flag. A gold sheaf of wheat is shown in the upper left corner and a gold triangle is shown in the lower right corner. The sheaf refers to the county’s agricultural past – a symbol that many said was lost when plans for a new flag were announced.

Many of the entries include the county’s bird, a goldfinch.

One design features a deep mustard yellow flag with a black goldfinch in the centre. The artist writes that the design symbolises “freedom, aspiration and the country’s rich natural heritage.”

“This thoughtful design is intended to inspire future generations and remind them of their potential to thrive and the importance of maintaining a connection to nature,” the artist said. “The flag serves as a beacon of hope and a symbol of the bright future that Howard County envisions for all of its residents.”

The artists were asked to describe their design choice in 250 words or less, what it symbolizes and how it represents Howard County.

Many retain elements of the current flag: the outline of the county, the red and white lower cross, and a sheaf of wheat.

While some designs are computer generated and feature clean, sharp lines, others are more artistically designed. Colors range from bright neon to more muted tones.

“Designing a county flag is a once-in-a-generation process, and the response to our call for designs has been nothing short of inspiring,” Ball said in a statement. “Our community has a wide range of design options to consider as we seek further public input. I encourage citizens to stop by the Flag Commission’s upcoming public hearing and provide feedback on the future of our flag!”

West, who is also executive director of the Howard County Arts Council, said selecting just 10 designs will be a daunting task. The flag designs will be on display in the hearing room for commission members to view.

The panel will gather public input at the hearing, then commissioners will make individual decisions. West said the designs would be grouped by common elements such as colors and symbolism.

The panel, West said, will “identify supporters and critics for each design, so that supporters will defend the strengths of the design and critics will point out the weaknesses. We will use our published flag design guidelines to guide these discussions.”

She doesn’t know how many more meetings will be needed to narrow down the options, but she has already scheduled at least two more for October.

According to Ball’s press release, the three design finalists will each receive a $1,000 fee for their work.

“I want the strongest and best design based on our policies,” West said. “For me, it just has to represent the vision of Howard County.”