Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
On November 18, 2025, the Charles County Board of Commissioners held an evening public hearing on proposed Bill 2025-07, which would impose term limits on county commissioners. The county attorney outlined the bill's provisions and constitutional analysis, members of the public testified in person and virtually, and the board closed the record and voted 3–2 to adopt the bill.
Charles County Government presents the Board of Commissioners meeting. Good evening, Commissioners. We're going to begin this evening's session with a roll call. Commissioner Bowling. Present. Commissioner Coates. Commissioner Stewart. Here. Commissioner Patterson. Present. And Commissioner Collins. Here. Thank you. Commissioners, the next item on your agenda is to hear the public hearing on proposed bill 202507. Commissioner term limits. Good evening. The purpose of this evening's session is to hold a public hearing on proposed bill 2025 07 Commissioners Term limits. If it pleases the commissioners, I will dispense with the reading of the public notice. For the public, when it's your turn to speak, please state your name and address clearly for the record. Statement should relate to the subject matter of this identified hearing. Statement should be brief to the point and limited to three minutes or less. Proper language is required at all times. Additionally, please please understand that this is a public hearing, which means that this is the commissioner's opportunity to hear directly from the public. This is the public's opportunity to speak. Consequently, the commissioners will not be entertaining questions or debating the issue. The commissioners do reserve the right to extend the time frame or to continue the hearing until another date. With that stated, we will now begin the public hearing. Good evening, Commissioners Wes Adams, County Attorney. This adds Section C, which creates term limits beginning with December 6th, 2022. It requires that there be no more than two terms, consecutive or non-consecutive, served by any commissioner in any capacity on as a board of county commissioner, either a district or commissioner president. It provides for the it addresses how to count a term if a vacancy occurs and a uh the position is filled by way of um Article 9402 of the local government article, um, which is the um the vacancy process filling a vacancy process by the governor. And it also addresses uh should a commissioner um be suspended or removed from office at any time during their term as a result of being found guilty of a crime or a felony or a misdemeanor, it would automatically count that term no matter when their vacancy or when that when they were suspended. So the bill as it's presented was um discussed by the commissioners in a work session, and this is the consensus of the commissioners. I will note additionally, if I may have a point of privilege here, that bill was subject to an opinion by the county attorney's office regarding the constitutionality of certain uh provisions or requests. I will note for the commissioners and also since there have been a number of public comments and the county attorney's office has not weighed in publicly. There's a difference between the Article 1 power, which is power of the people to elect vote or create their form of government, and Article 7 power, which is the legislature's power. Um, or excuse me, Article 6 power, which is legislators' power. Article 17 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights guarantees that there be no ex post facto or no retroactive oath that limits legislative ability to enact retroactive laws. Article 7 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights guarantees that the right of people to participate in the legislature is the best security of liberty and the foundation of all free government. So Article 7 secures a right to participate in the legislature. Our Maryland Supreme Court has identified a four-part test. A legislature is not allowed to make a retroactive law when it abridges a constitutional right, a Maryland constitutional right or a federal constitutional right. So Article 7 provides that constitutional right to folks to join in and participate in the government. The only way to do that is to be a candidate and run for office.