Thanks so much for this careful explanation!

I live nearby so I don't have any direct skin in this game besides using and really enjoying Columbia's recreational facilities. I'm hoping to learn something by attempting to understand and clarify the arguments being made here.

It's difficult to accept that the CA is not a government; it acts a lot like one. Its annual charges -- required payments for properties within the CA boundary -- appear to be property taxes with a different name. Its village associations pass and enforce laws in the form of restrictive covenants and create master plans -- basically a very careful department of planning and zoning. Each village has an elected representative. It's not possible to leave the association without moving out of Columbia proper.

As a result, the CA appears to be a layer of local government on top of Howard County. As I understand it, the argument to dissolve the CA and incorporate Columbia advocates for flattening the layers and potentially increasing the accountability of the association's administration to its members. What would be bad about Columbia being governed as an independent city rather than an unincorporated part of Howard County?