"We're going into the church business," she said. Mugane said her members are suspicious that despite Story's assurances to the contrary, the county will be liable for some cost or lost revenue.
Michael T. Galeone, executive vice president of Columbia Bank, is also chairman of the economic authority board that is arranging the bond deal, but he said there is no conflict for him or the bank.
"I recused myself from any conversations on that topic," he said, adding that the bank receives no special benefit from it.
Cathy Hudson, HCCA's vice president, said that helping the refinancing of debt on the church's existing building provides no economic gain, adding that the building has multiple uses - including religious services.
"You're financing the building of a church," she said. In addition, she asked why the county should help a church-sponsored-day care program over a commercial day care center.
Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a national advocacy group based in Washington, said his organization opposes such arrangements, though they are not uncommon across the country.
"Public financing of religious buildings should not be done," he said, because use of the buildings for more overt religious activities may occur over time, and that could produce "entanglements" that religious organizations might eventually regret.
The Howard County resolution is similar to many others over the years approved to allow various private economic development projects to go forward at lower cost, without placing the county's or taxpayers' money at risk. Howard County approved a similar resolution for the Woodmont Academy, a private Roman Catholic school that built a new campus in 2003 in Cooksville.
According to Story, the Glen Mar project creates no liability for county taxpayers and will help the church build a facility for needed child care, without crossing the church-state line.
"None of the proceeds can be used for religious purposes," Story said, and the buildings will not have obvious religious symbols, like icons or stained-glass windows. Any violation of that would mean the church could lose its nonprofit tax exemption. Story said the authority has received very few requests from churches.
Lunt said the second-floor gymnasium is used on Sundays for religious purposes, since the new campus doesn't yet have a religious sanctuary, but the bond financing would be proportional to the buildings' uses.
County Councilwoman Courtney Watson, an Ellicott City Democrat who represents the area, said she's reserving judgment on the issue until after the public has its say at the hearing.
