Charles County Commissioners: Charitable Trust and Water Supply Briefings – March 17, 2026

On March 17, 2026, the Charles County Board of County Commissioners held an afternoon session with Commissioners Bowling, Coates, Stewart, Patterson, and Collins present. They heard two staff briefings—the FY25 annual update from the Charles County Charitable Trust and a water supply program update—and then concluded with Commissioners’ New Business. No formal votes were taken; both briefings were informational.

Charitable Trust FY25 Annual Update

• Christy Burnett, executive director of the Charles County Charitable Trust, presented the trust’s FY25 annual report. She reported that the trust ended the year within budget and that grant requests again exceeded available funding.
• FY25 grants: 47 organizations received $1,038,375. Requests totaled $2.2 million—about double the available funding—so many awards were made at partial funding levels.
• The second annual microgrant cycle awarded nine organizations grants of up to $5,000, totaling $33,575. Burnett explained these funds come from money recaptured from organizations that did not use their FY grant funding.
• Grant requirements include proof of charitable status, financial stability, a certificate of good standing, and Maryland good standing; applicants submit program objectives and budgets. Staff review eligibility, the board evaluates applications, and the full board makes decisions each June. Grantees sign agreements and submit mid-year and final reports.
• The trust is staffed by two full-time and one part-time employees. During the year, it published 17 community stories and 268 funding opportunities through its weekly 'grants to know' campaign.

Water Supply Program Update

• Jason Groth, director of planning and growth management, and Alicia O’Froilin, engineering supervisor, presented an update responding to public comments about water supply, transparency, and coordination with the Town of La Plata.
• Regulatory context: the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regulates groundwater withdrawals. Charles County operates under an 80% management level, meaning withdrawals cannot draw aquifers down more than 20% of normal levels. Groth assured the public the county will not run out of water; the actual constraint is the permit limit, not depletion. If the permit limit were reached, the county would have to stop adding connections until a new source is secured.
• MDE, with the Maryland Geological Survey, monitors about 40 wells across the county; Charles County pays for that monitoring. MDE has full authority over permits. Groth described a 2007 example in which MDE lowered the county’s permit ceiling by about 2.5 million gallons per day; the county shifted withdrawals to a more plentiful area and water levels rebounded.
• In response to commissioner questions, Groth said most private wells are shallower and often draw from a separate aquifer, making it difficult to prove a private well went dry because of a public supply well. The health department works with well drillers to ensure adequate well depth.
• Current Waldorf system supply is 82% groundwater and 18% from an existing WSSC connection. A future WSSC interconnection is intended to diversify supply, adding flexibility, reliability, and room for growth.
• Current water use is about 6.6 million gallons per day, equal to 87% of total capacity, with 13% remaining. The projection uses a conservative 2% annual growth rate, while actual growth has been closer to 1%. Future growth is expected to be served mainly by WSSC water.
• Coordination with the Town of La Plata is ongoing, including work toward a pipeline interconnection and an agreement; MDE has directed both jurisdictions to work together. The county and town are also cooperating on adequate public facilities ordinances.
• Conservation efforts include the tiered water rate structure, where heavier users pay higher rates, and the county is updating its water conservation plan.
• Groth addressed transparency: closed sessions are used for negotiation or property purchases, but decisions are made in public. Project budgets and timelines can change as design progresses and specialist inspections are needed.
• Public engagement opportunities include the ongoing comprehensive plan workshops, a dedicated water supply webpage, commissioner public comment sessions, and public hearings.

Commissioners’ New Business

• A commissioner thanked the Springdale Center for sending a card and encouraging words, recognizing the center as a community partner. No other new business was raised.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or decisions were taken; the Charitable Trust and water supply items were informational briefings.
• Next steps identified for the water supply program: continue work on the WSSC interconnection, finalize a water supply agreement with the Town of La Plata, update the water conservation plan, and continue comprehensive plan workshops.
• The board recessed and planned to reconvene in open session at 6:00 p.m. for the quarterly town hall meeting hosted by District One.