Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting and FY2027 Budget Adoption, May 12, 2026

The Charles County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, with all five commissioners present: Bowling, Coates, Stewart, Patterson, and Collins. The board approved support letters and funding requests, received a biannual Health Department briefing, discussed use of a school gym by the DMV Soldiers semi-professional basketball team, and adopted the FY2027 budget and tax rates. All votes were taken by voice vote and were approved without recorded opposition. The transcript does not include a written agenda or minutes; the next regular sessions are scheduled for May 19-20, 2026.

Approval Items

• Legislative day and minutes: The board declared May 12, 2026 a legislative day and approved the minutes of the May 5, 2026 meeting. There were no budget amendments or transfers.
• La Plata Library capital grant letter: The board approved a letter of support for the Maryland State Library Agency FY28 capital grant for the new La Plata Library. Staff reported the project had received a $1 million FY27 state library capital grant plus an $800,000 earmark by Delegate Patterson, and now requested $2,934,000 for FY28. The signed matching-funds letter was needed by May 15, ahead of the May 22 application deadline.
• Senior cardiovascular health program: The board approved a letter of support for a grant-funded, evidence-based cardiovascular health program for seniors at the Waldorf Senior and Recreation Center. Staff described a 26-week program free to members, operated by a health care provider in partnership with the county, offering preventative nutrition and fitness classes and potentially helping seniors gain Medicare coverage for such services.
• 100 Black Men of America chapter: The board approved a letter of support and Resolution 2026-04 supporting the Southern Maryland Interest Group, Inc.'s pursuit of official chapter status with 100 Black Men of America, Inc. Kenneth Ford, president, and Dr. Rashid Mueller, vice president, described a group of 26 men, 80% of whom live in Charles County, focused on mentoring youth ages 8-18 in education, economic empowerment, health and wellness, and college preparation. Commissioners expressed strong support and encouraged the group to network with existing county organizations.
• Interfaith Commission prayer breakfast: The board approved community support funds for the Charles County Interfaith Commission's 2026 clergy/prayer breakfast scheduled for May 21, 2026. Chairman Richard Gilpin requested $1,018 for food and space with about 50 attendees expected. During discussion, Commissioner Bowling moved to authorize reimbursement up to $1,381; staff clarified the remaining FY26 allocation under the $1,500 cap was $1,360.65. The motion passed with reimbursement limited to actual expenses.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the morning open session. A public comment period was scheduled for 5 p.m. after the closed session.

Health Department Biannual Report

• Dr. Diana Abney, Health Officer, and Amber Starn, Director of Community Health and Evaluation, presented the biannual health department report.
• Respiratory activity peaked from late November to mid-February, with flu the second-highest virus, RSV next, and COVID relatively low. Staff reviewed prevention messaging for rhinovirus/enterovirus: handwashing, covering coughs, disinfecting surfaces, staying home when sick, and avoiding swimming while having diarrhea.
• Emergency preparedness efforts included employee and walk-in flu vaccine clinics, clinics for county employees/retirees and partner agencies, and a Route 301 billboard recruiting for the Maryland Medical Reserve Corps.
• Programs highlighted: developmental disabilities case management; Infant Toddlers Program services for children ages 0-3; Maryland Children's Health Program with 5,244 FY26 applications for children and pregnant women, 5,176 eligible, and about 5,000 family Medicaid/childless adult applications with about 4,326 eligible; 2,604 referrals/assessments with 477 completed; 293 recipients receiving 928 hours of nurse monitoring; and 10 pre-admission screenings/resident reviews completed.
• Behavioral health: the substance abuse treatment services program in the Department of Social Services building grew from 31 referrals in March to 72 in April after launching March 11; Robin's Nest Recovery House has remained at full capacity since June 2025; 63 officers completed crisis intervention team training with 8 new instructors; the crisis team operates 8 a.m. to midnight and is recruiting an evening peer support person.
• A HUD-funded program was described as a success, with more than 700 encounters in six months, 141 HIV tests, 108 HCV tests, 7,230 syringes returned, and 284 drug rapid analyses completed.
• Other services included rabies vaccination clinics for cats, dogs, and ferrets; tobacco retailer compliance checks; Alzheimer's/dementia caregiver education; food security programs; a New Year's Day walk with 92 participants; healthy corner stores; 68 community outreach events reaching more than 4,000 people; and a free community clothing resource corner on the second and fourth Wednesdays.
• In response to a commissioner's question about recent hantavirus reports, Dr. Abney said hantavirus is airborne and rodent-spread, does not mutate as quickly as flu/COVID, is unlikely to cause a pandemic, and exposed cruise-ship individuals were being quarantined. She expressed more concern about norovirus and repeated the importance of handwashing and staying home when sick. The commissioner asked for a future briefing on hantavirus.

DMV Soldiers Basketball Facility Use Discussion

• Commissioner Patterson asked how the inaugural-season DMV Soldiers semi-professional basketball team came to play home games at St. Charles High School.
• Mr. Heim, Chief of Operations and Supporting Services for Charles County Public Schools, explained that all outside groups must submit a request, provide insurance, and pay fees for weekend use because buildings must be opened, staffed, heated, cooled, and lit. For 12 Sunday home games, the team pays a $305-per-game gym fee plus a $135 locker-room fee, totaling $5,280, plus $7,224 for two building-service employees across the 12 dates, for a total of $12,504. The one-year agreement was signed May 6, 2025, did not come before the County Commissioners, and funds cover operating expenses.
• Mr. Heim noted this is standard practice for churches, dance studios, parks and recreation, Girl Scouts, and other users. Commissioner Patterson said the public had asked him about the arrangement and he supported the fee policy as fair for for-profit users; nonprofit groups have other county assistance policies. The last home game was scheduled for the upcoming Sunday.

FY2027 Budget Work Session Recap

• Jake Dyer, Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services, and Sam Chiriaco, Chief of Budget, recapped commissioner changes to the proposed FY2027 budget before formal adoption.
• General fund additions by commissioner:
  • Commissioner Collins: $59,400 for the University of Maryland Incentive Awards scholarship program and a multi-year fund-balance commitment; $144,600 for pretrial services, bringing its total to $500,000; an executive commissioner specialist position funded by reducing DFAS software by $46,800 and using contingency.
  • Commissioner Bowling: $1,500 for the forestry board; $1,500 for the Charles County Commission for Individuals with Disabilities; $16,500 for soil conservation district beginner farmer equipment maintenance; $20,000 for agricultural marketing, youth, and food security programs; $1 million additional for the Board of Education; and $50,000 for food insecurity and distribution programs. These were funded by fund balance.
  • Commissioner Coates: $300,000 for the commissioner care scholarship program; $1,500 for Southern Maryland Tri-County Action Committee Head Start; $300,000 for a new water/sewer financial payment system; one-time funding for the Western Area Multi-Generation Center facility study; a part-time administrative associate for commissioners; and $7,000 for a part-time HR Office of Equity and Access position.
  • Commissioner Stewart's request to reduce Board of Education inspector general funding had no consensus and was not changed; her $1,500 request for the disability commission was already funded.
  • Commissioner Patterson: $142,200 in contingency moved to the public library to implement a compensation study, and $140,000 for an additional paid day off for full-time employees.
• The recap showed $175,000 of contingency fully expended, about $4 million in assigned/unassigned fund balance reduced to just over $1.5 million before CIP changes, Board of Education funding of $255.8 million, and $2.3 million added to the proposed budget, for a proposed general fund budget of $644,157,500.
• CIP changes: Commissioner Bowling added $406,000 for Southern Park tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, funded from a $2 million debt-affordability surplus. Commissioner Patterson added $283,000 for White Plains driving range changes, $751,000 to replace tennis courts at White Plains Park, and $247,000 for parking lot lighting at Steedham Park. Fund balance use was $66,000, leaving just over $1 million unassigned, and debt affordability was reduced from $2 million to $843,000.
• Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund: Commissioner Coates added $21,100 for a part-time Office of Equity and Access position and $55,000 for transportation contract services, totaling $76,100 funded by fund balance.
• The total proposed FY27 fund balance use was $28,453,500, and the budget added 55.5 full-time equivalent positions across all funds. The FY2027-2031 CIP was described as a $1.1 billion commitment of governmental and enterprise fund projects.

FY2027 Budget Adoption Motions

• The board adopted, by separate motions, all of the following:
  • Resolution 2026-05: FY2027 general fund operating budget of $644,157,500, including new positions: one technical surveillance specialist, one detention center standards/accreditation position, one criminal justice instructor, one civilian recruiter, and one system analyst for the Sheriff's Office; seven positions for the new animal care center; and six EMTs for the Department of Emergency Services.
  • Resolution 2026-06: FY2027 capital budget of $171,029,000 and FY2027-2031 capital improvement program of $1,139,498,000, along with proposed water/sewer connection fees and school excise tax rates.
  • Inspection and review enterprise fund: $12,750,100.
  • Recreation enterprise fund: $3,017,800.
  • Landfill enterprise fund: $14,309,600, with tipping fee increased to $118 per ton and a $15 minimum charge.
  • Resolution 2026-08: water and sewer operating budget of $67,264,100, with water/sewer user fees increased by approximately 9.4% on the average bill.
  • Resolution 2026-07: environmental services fee enterprise fund of $12,358,500, with the fee increased to $206 per improved property tax account outside La Plata/Indian Head and $36 inside those towns.
  • Watershed protection and restoration enterprise fund: $9,557,600, with stormwater remediation fee increased to $168 per improved property tax account outside La Plata/Indian Head.
  • Community reinvestment and repair fund: $852,800.
  • Proposed FY2027 fees and charges for county government services.
  • Real property tax rate held at $1.141 per $100 of assessed value; personal property tax rate held at $2.8525 per $100.
  • Fire and rescue real property tax rate held at 6.4 cents per $100; fire/rescue business personal property rate held at 16 cents per $100.
  • La Plata town tax differential rate of 11.8 cents per $100 and Indian Head town tax differential rate of 2.9 cents per $100.
  • Semi-annual real property tax payment option rate of 1.031%, after Commissioner Collins corrected the initially read figure.
  • Income tax rate held at 3.03%.

Closing Comments and New Business

• Commissioner President Collins called the budget a reflection of county priorities and said it was the last budget he would approve as president. He thanked colleagues and staff. Other commissioners and Ms. Hall also thanked the budget staff, noting the year-round process and the county's effort to maintain its Triple A bond rating.
• Ms. Hall noted the groundbreaking for the Pinefield Emergency Services Station at the old state barracks, 2160 Old Washington Road, would take place at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
• There was no other new business.

Closed Session

• The board voted to move into closed session under the General Provisions Article to discuss a potential land transfer and appointments to commissioner-appointed boards and commissions, with the stated reasons of keeping legal advice, strategies, negotiations, and personnel information confidential. The board was scheduled to return to open session at 5 p.m. for public comments.

Key Outcomes

• Approved all support letters and funding requests, including the La Plata Library grant letter, the senior cardiovascular health program letter, Resolution 2026-04 for the 100 Black Men of America chapter, and Interfaith Commission prayer breakfast funding.
• Received the health department biannual report and discussed hantavirus preparedness in response to a commissioner's question.
• Received information on the DMV Soldiers' use of St. Charles High School; no further action was requested.
• Adopted the FY2027 operating and capital budgets, all enterprise fund budgets, fees, and tax rates as listed above. The property tax rate, income tax rate, and municipal differential rates were held at current levels.
• Removed from the agenda the discussion on the crosswalk realignment at Washington Avenue, La Plata.
• Scheduled a closed session for a potential land transfer and board appointments, followed by a 5 p.m. public comment period.