Westminster, MD, Thursday, June 17, 2021 –The Carroll County Board of Commissioners recognizes the importance of the meaning of Juneteenth and appreciates the new federal holiday Juneteenth, passed by Congress this week and signed into law by President Joe Biden today. Carroll County Government will open on Friday, June 18, 2021with summer business hours and Board President Ed Rothstein will deliver remarks and read a proclamation to commemorate the historic day. Beginning next year, the county will further acknowledge the day by closing offices in observance of the national holiday. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, 156 years ago, when slavery ended in the United States after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation announcement reached Galveston, Texas.

“The acknowledgment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday is a historically significant event and Carroll County is proud to recognize its importance,” said Board President Ed Rothstein. “As we walk out of this pandemic, it is necessary to bring our community back to a sense of normalcy by completing our county services that were previously scheduled. In addition to tomorrow’s proclamation, we plan to honor the day by serving our community in fulfilling the many preplanned commitments to the residents; such as serving meals to our senior citizens, transporting those in need and performing the many scheduled inspections.”  He emphasized, “In no way does this minimize the importance of Juneteenth and its strong meaning to our country, state and county.”