Charles County Board of Commissioners FY 2027 Budget Public Hearing – April 29, 2026

The Charles County Board of Commissioners held an in-person and virtual public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget, the FY 2027–2031 capital improvement program, and proposed fees, rates, and charges. No agenda or minutes were provided with the source material; this summary is based on the public hearing transcript. Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall, Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services Jake Dyer, and Chief of Budget Samantha Chiriaco presented the budget. The vast majority of public testimony focused on fully funding the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) budget request.

Budget Presentation & Discussion Items

• The proposed general fund budget is $641,826,500. Presenters emphasized that balancing the budget required no property tax or income tax rate increases, and they noted this was the 13th consecutive year of recommending current rates. Revenue growth was presented as about 7.4% for operating revenues and about 7.9% overall.
• The county is absorbing $6.1 million in state cost shifts, a nearly $2 million increase over the prior year and a 48% increase. This includes $3.9 million for pension costs, $655,000 for private pre-K, and 90% of the $1.5 million State Department of Assessments and Taxation cost in Charles County.
• For CCPS, the proposed budget provides a $12,138,500 increase over the FY 2026 adopted budget and $14.7 million above maintenance of effort, funding 99.4% of the overall budget request. Presenters noted that since FY 2018, county funding for the Board of Education has increased by $79.3 million, a 45% increase, while enrollment has increased by 2.3%.
• The proposed Sheriff’s Office budget includes a $6.3 million increase, funding five new positions, a license plate reader system, a first responder drone, two grant-supported officers, a youth engagement program, and an armored vehicle.
• The county government budget includes a $10.5 million increase, with more than 50% dedicated to the Department of Emergency Services. Funded items include six new EMT positions, one financial manager, an additional deputy, one new ambulance, radio equipment, lift-assist services, and overtime funding. The budget also funds the new Waldorf animal care center and seven related positions.
• Employee compensation recommendations from the November 2024 class and compensation study were included, such as expanding the pay scale from 62% to 75% and providing a 5.5% salary adjustment phased as 1.5% in July, 2% in January, and 2% in April.
• The Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), supported by adult-use cannabis tax revenue, has a proposed budget of $776,700 for community-based initiatives benefiting Waldorf-area residents, including nonprofit grants, senior meals, summer youth employment, lift-assist services, rec assist programs, mental health workshops, and climate resilience projects.
• Enterprise fund proposals include a 9.4% water and sewer rate increase for the average quarterly bill, from $246 to $269, or a $23 increase per quarter. The proposed landfill tipping fee increases from $108 to $118 per ton.
• The proposed capital improvement program includes $1.1 billion in project support from $1.5 billion in all-fund requests. Major projects include the La Plata High School modernization plan at a total cost of $171 million, a new middle school, ADA-compliant playground upgrades, the new DES station at Hawthorne Drive, the new La Plata Library, a Van Gogh maintenance facility, and a $14.5 million sidewalk investment.
• New proposed fees and charges include water/sewer cross-connection and pre-treatment fees, landfill tire disposal fees, recreation and athletic fees, park season passes, and concert tickets ranging from $50 to $300.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nicole Kramer, Chairperson of the CCPS Board of Education, expressed support for the $557 million FY 2027 CCPS budget request, emphasizing the need to retain a workforce of nearly 4,000 employees serving about 27,000 students.
• Samichi Thomas, Vice Chair of the CCPS Board of Education, urged the commissioners to fully fund the CCPS request. She noted the request is an additional $15 million, about 6% over the current budget, that nearly 93% of the request supports people, and that it includes $16 million for employee recruitment and retention and $3.5 million to replace retiring buses.
• Bridget Patterson, District 4 BOE member, expressed support for the $557 million request and stressed that teacher recruitment and retention are essential to student success and Blueprint implementation.
• Jamila Smith, District 2 BOE member, supported the request, noting $16 million is allocated for collective bargaining agreements and that CCPS received a $2 million “grow your own” educator grant.
• David Hancock, District 1 BOE member, supported the request, said 64 cents of every CCPS dollar goes to curriculum and people, and warned that the school system’s fund balance has dropped from about $30 million to about $6 million, which he called unsustainable.
• Superintendent Maria Navarro highlighted the return on CCPS investment, including the county having the second-highest number of students enrolled in pre-K3 programs in the state, expanded full-day pre-K to about 1,200 students, growth on state assessments, and increases in advanced coursework participation.
• Linda McLaughlin, a world language teacher, urged 100% funding of the superintendent’s budget, saying the 1.35% funding gap equals 7,096 minutes, almost five full days, and becomes a classroom reality.
• Peter Ullman, a 19-year educator, said the county’s share of the budget going to CCPS has declined from above 50% years ago to 39.7%, and he urged the county to increase, not nearly meet, school system needs.
• Will Lewis, an educator, said the proposed budget funds about 98.5% of the superintendent’s request, leaving about $3.5 million in cuts, and that only once in Dr. Navarro’s tenure has her budget been fully funded. He described consequences including larger class sizes, fewer classroom materials, and educators paying out of pocket.
• Nicholas Ullman, an educator, said he works four jobs to afford a modest home, and he called funding for armored vehicles and drones in Waldorf “insulting,” describing his work with students as crime prevention.
• Yolanda Davis, a special education teacher, urged full funding and said steps and COLAs are necessary tools that allow educators to afford to live in the county and remain in the profession.
• Hugh Rist, a 30-year educator serving 11 years at Thomas Stone High School, said he was maxed out on the salary scale, has received only one COLA, and takes extra duties to make ends meet. He urged commissioners to honor promises and fully fund schools.
• Sean Heil, President of EACC, expressed concern that the percentage of the county budget allocated to education continues to decline and has dropped below 40%. He said the blueprint cannot be supported without real investment and asked the board to reverse course and fully fund schools.
• Jonah Golden, a first-grade student, said simply, “Fund our schools.”
• Veronica Golden, EACC Vice President and an art teacher, said the FY 2027 budget funds about 98.63% of the superintendent’s request, and that the remaining 1.37% gap affects class sizes, staffing, materials, and program stability.
• Roxanne Barlach, a speech-language pathologist, framed communication support as an economic investment, citing employment statistics for individuals with communication disabilities and urging full funding of school services.
• Sean Starcher, a La Plata High School teacher, called the budget a moral document and said the school funding allocation has decreased by about 6% since 2020 and is now below 40% of the county budget. He urged a stronger commitment to public schools.
• Carrie Bowen, a third-grade teacher, described unsafe and escalating student behavior, an impossible workload, and the need for a livable wage, saying educators are “not okay.”
• Alexis Howell, a first-grade teacher with 33 years in education, urged full funding so students can have smaller classes and additional support services.
• Desmond Rosier, an educator, urged the commissioners to become stronger partners with the school community and said passing responsibility to the Board of Education is not leadership.
• Rachel Clark, a nationally board certified teacher, said she finds discussions about not fully funding the superintendent’s budget insulting and described teachers in the county who have applied for food stamps. She urged full funding.
• Alexander Corbin, a third-year teacher, said his largest class has 29 students, retiring teachers at La Plata High School will not be replaced, and students deserve more individual attention, not larger classes.
• Kristen Long, a second-grade teacher, said the teacher shortage is really a shortage of conditions that allow educators to remain in the profession and that underfunding directly harms students.
• Emily Grusholt, a self-contained special education teacher, said competitive pay for instructional assistants and one-to-one providers is necessary to implement IEPs and remain in legal compliance.
• Maureen Dinan, a teacher with 32 years in education, said she has 30 students, classrooms are being rationed paper, and she can no longer afford to buy snacks for testing days. She asked for 100% funding.
• Bernard Barnes, a member of Ask Me Local 2981, said some support staff do not crack $20,000 after 12 years and urged full funding so support staff can sustain themselves.
• Kevin Gibson, a teacher and parent, described deteriorating school facilities, old computers, rationed printers, and broken furniture. He encouraged full funding and also said drones and an armored vehicle are excellent uses of funds and asked where the proposed Chapel Point Park fee would go.
• Stephen Fellino, an Ask Me member and technology employee, said the technology department has no money for new laptops, laptop parts, or printers, and said full-time work deserves full-time pay. He asked for 100% funding.
• Jacqueline Beale, a parent and teacher, said arts, music, theater, and extracurricular programs are essential, not extras, and urged full funding.
• Madeline Beale, an eighth-grade student, said CCPS has received a smaller percentage of the county budget for six consecutive years, that average class sizes are about five students greater than the state average, and that leaders must show through actions that they value students.
• Chelsea Short, a third-grade teacher, described classrooms with many students below grade level and intense IEP needs, and invited commissioners to spend a full day in her classroom to see the workload.
• Melissa Carpenter, a fifth-grade teacher, said her classroom is expected to start next year with 31 students because fifth-grade staffing was cut, and she called anything less than full funding neglectful to students.
• Jessica Wall, a teacher, shared her personal story of staying in teaching despite hardship, said retention costs less than recruitment, and argued that teacher workload is unsustainable.
• Jacqueline Moore, a retired teacher, raised health concerns about potential data center development, citing 2,453 pediatric asthma cases, 13,730 adult asthma cases, 7,179 adult COPD cases, and 81 lung cancer cases in Charles County. She also criticized proposed ChatGPT funding and supported full funding for teachers.
• Samara Briggs, a fifth-grade teacher, said a 1% raise increased her salary by only $2,700 and, after insurance increases, amounts to barely $92 per pay period before taxes. She said she tutors after school to make ends meet and asked commissioners to fully fund education.

Key Outcomes

• The commissioners voted to keep the public hearing record open until May 8, 2026.
• The commissioners voted to end the public hearing.
• The commissioners voted to set the tax rate on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. during the Board of County Commissioners hybrid meeting.
• The commissioners voted to adjourn the evening session.
• All motions were approved by voice vote with the ayes having it. No final budget adoption occurred during this hearing; the proposed FY 2027 budget remains under consideration.