As he prepares to move into the county executive’s suite in less than a month, Calvin Ball says he needs more information before deciding if he will get behind a $50 million plan that could dramatically remake historic Ellicott City to help protect against major flooding.

Ball, a Democrat who on Tuesday defeated incumbent Republican County Executive Allan Kittleman, has spent a dozen years on the County Council, where he hewed what some consider a progressive path on social issues, urged restraint in development and zoning and touted the importance of maintaining a quality school system.

He will have to work with a new, majority-Democratic five-member County Council in dealing with a flood control project to mitigate flooding in historic Ellicott City — a plan he voted against partially funding as a councilman earlier this year.

Ball said he voted against the plan because it did not address his concerns, including about diverting county funds from other projects.

In an interview after Tuesday’s election, Ball said he wanted to place a greater priority on methods to reduce the potential of flooding upstream from the historic district and “wants to see the data” that ensures the current plans maintain a “level of safety.”

He declined to say if he would acquire 13 buildings slated for demolition, as he would “not know where the deals will be in the process” when he takes office.

“I want to better understand what we would do if it were acquired and what we would do if it wasn’t acquired,” said Ball.

Andrew Barth, an aide to Kittleman, said any acquisitions would happen on Ball’s watch; funds will not be available until December, when the new council and executive are sworn in.

Ball also said the county needs to bring in an expert to study more closely boring tunnels to help channel floodwaters — an alternative that was explored in 2016 that is said to only be effective if the Patapsco River stays at a certain level, according to Mark Deluca, deputy director of public works.

Kittleman and Councilman Jon Weinstein, who both lost re-election bids, have advocated a flood-control plan which includes razing 13 buildings to widen streambeds and create an open space. Under a master plan being considered for the district, the area might be replaced with public spaces, a concert stage and a parking deck.

The five-year plan, which Weinstein helped finalize, was modeled in response to the deadly 2016 flood that pushed more than 8 feet of water onto lower Main Street.

Ellicott City is one of several issues that will face the county executive-elect. In his campaign platform and responses to questions, Ball has pledged to increase education spending to ease classroom crowding and boost access to career education programs. The county funds about 70 percent of the school system’s $860 million operating budget and has plans in the works to build new high schools in Jessup and Elkridge by 2028.

Ball has said he believes monies can be found when looking at the overall budget, and said he would beef up the commercial tax base by intensifying the county’s strategy of growing businesses to boost tax revenues and attract outside companies.

The County Council he’ll be working with will have all new members, but its party makeup will stay the same: four Democrats and one Republican.

District 1, which includes Ellicott City, will be represented by Democrat Liz Walsh. Walsh defeated Weinstein, the incumbent, in the primary.

In other seats on the council, incumbents either couldn’t run due to term limits, or chose other pursuits.

In District 2, which includes Columbia, Elkridge and part of Ellicott City, Democrat Opel Jones won election, and Christiana Rigby, also a Democrat, was unopposed in District 3. She will represent the district that includes North Laurel, Savage, Guilford and parts of Jessup.

District 4, which includes Clarksville and the Columbia villages of Wilde Lake, Harper’s Choice, Hickory Ridge, Town Center and River Hill, will be represented by Democrat Deb Jung.

The lone Republican will be David Yungmann, who won in District 5 to represent the western and southern portions of the county.

elogan@baltsun.com