Howard County received more than 200 submissions suggesting designs for a new county flag to replace its 56-year-old one.

Between April 1 and June 30, designs were submitted to the 19-member Howard County Flag Commission, and from those, 184 are now under consideration. The commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m., Sept. 30, at the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City, to receive community input on the designs.

“The design of a county flag is a once-in-a-generation process and the response to our call for designs was nothing short of inspiring,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball stated in a news release. “In just three months, we received more than 200 unique designs from 100 individuals. I invite our community to review these designs and share your feedback with the Flag Commission at our upcoming public hearing.”

Individuals who submitted designs were required to describe their personal connection to Howard County, and each design has a brief narrative describing how it represents the county, including its enduring appeal, symbolism and color choices.

“We are thrilled with the number and variety of submissions we received,” said Coleen West, executive director of the Howard County Arts Council, and chair of the Flag Commission. “The commission worked hard to spread the word about this opportunity, and we look forward to public feedback on the designs now under review.”

After the public hearing, the commission will review the designs and select up to 10 for a public vote in the fall.

Next winter, the commission will select three finalists and publish its recommendations. Ball will review the commission’s recommendations and choose a design to present to the Howard County Council for legislative approval.

The three finalists will each receive $1,000.