Charles County Compensation Board Meeting – October 21, 2025

The Charles County Compensation Board met on October 21, 2025. Roll call showed Commissioners Lyons, Muta, and Smith present; Commissioner Savannah joined by phone later and was sworn in; Commissioner Bellow was not present. The board had a quorum. It reviewed the prior 2021 compensation report, confirmed resources and scope for its current review, and planned department briefings, a public hearing, and report deadlines.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the agenda as presented by motion and second.
• The board accepted the meeting minutes as presented by motion and second.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Renata Rhodes, a La Plata resident, joined by phone and identified herself; no formal comment was provided.
• The board discussed public comment procedures and agreed to hold a public comment/sign-up period at its November 18, 2025 in-person meeting, with a press release to be reviewed at the November 4 meeting and issued the next day.

Discussion Items

• Review of 2021 report: The previous report covered only county commissioner salaries and identified the need for earlier appointment, clearer legal language, and better data access.
• Scope confirmation: The board is reviewing compensation and is still confirming whether benefits will be included alongside monetary compensation; HR has been contacted about benefits provided to the boards.
• Resources: The board considered the 2021 report’s sources — county code, budget, prior-year reports, salaries of other Maryland counties with similar positions/population, public input, and commissioner input. The board attorney agreed to compile historical commissioner pay over the last 10 years, current 2025 population estimates for surrounding jurisdictions, and the Charles County budget in advance of presentations.
• Cost-of-living data: Commissioner Muta requested that cost-of-living/inflation information be included. Members noted differences among the county’s 1 percent employee COLA this year, the state rate of 2.9 percent, and general inflation estimates of about 3 percent.
• Standardized questions: The board passed a motion to create a standard set of questions for all department/fiscal briefings so comparable information is collected. Commissioners Lyons and Muta were assigned to draft the questions, with other members contributing.
• Swearing-in: New board member Shalomar Tally-Ferry Savannah was sworn in.
• Attendance policy: The chair reminded commissioners that, with six meetings scheduled, only one absence is allowed; members should email the clerk promptly about extenuating circumstances.
• Timeline: The board reviewed 2021 minutes showing a November 30 public hearing and a December 14 report deadline, though the resolution had said December 1.

Key Outcomes

• Motion passed to develop a standardized list of questions for department briefings.
• Agreed to hold a public comment period from approximately 6:00–6:30/7:00 p.m. on November 18, 2025, followed by that evening’s regular meeting; November 25 will be a working session to compile the report.
• Agreed to bring a draft press release for the public comment period to the November 4 meeting for approval and to send it out the next day.
• The board attorney and clerk will continue scheduling board/department briefings.
• The board adjourned on a motion and second after the chair urged the group to maximize the five-week window for reviewing 10 boards.