Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting Summary: Approvals, Deferred Road Transfer, Public Comment (May 12, 2026)

The Charles County Board of Commissioners met on May 12, 2026, in open session with a quorum present. Commissioners approved routine board appointments, heard extensive public comment on education funding, water supply, data centers, abandoned properties, and Kaiser Permanente, and deferred a road-transfer decision until District 2 Commissioner Coates could attend. No written agenda or minutes were available; this summary is based solely on the transcript.

Consent Calendar / Additional Approval Items

• Reappointed Samia Bingham, Ryan Sikatursky, and Patrick Willby to the Agricultural Reconciliation Committee by voice vote.
• Reappointed Candice Harris, Ramona Middleton, and Jessica Richards, and appointed Shalina Martin, to the Area Council on Aging by voice vote.
• Appointed John Jordan III to the Board of Electrical Examiners by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kevin Gibson (La Plata, teacher, Education Association of Charles County): Thanked the board for not raising income or property tax rates and for giving CCPS $13 million above maintenance of effort, including an additional $1 million after the initial proposal. He said the district did not fully fund the superintendent's budget and urged accountability, citing IREDI assessment results: 26% of 8th graders reading at expected level, 74% below (34% at 5th grade or below); 15% of 4th graders and 10% of 8th graders at expected math level, with 35% of 8th graders at 5th grade or below. Urged commissioners to attend Board of Education meetings, visit schools, and demand a realistic budget.
• Derek Terry (Waldorf): Criticized the board's use of Robert's Rules, offered procedural tips, said he had exhausted remedies before proposing legislation, and asked who decides Mark Belton's return-to-work status.
• Joseph Menck (District 4): Praised the Pinefield EMS station groundbreaking; questioned school spending on electric signs versus books and instruction; supported an attendance-requirement bill for elected officials; supported the Office of Inspector General; supported parks and recreation.
• David Heidelbach (Charlotte Hall): Raised concerns about the canceled June town hall falling on the primary date, water demand exceeding supply in Waldorf, the WSSC pipeline schedule slipping by about a year, PGM using billing as its conservation plan, lack of transparency on La Plata water discussions, the Upper Potomac water supply short-list sites, the insufficient $170 million desalination plant estimate, and outdated residential development break-even numbers.
• Micaiah Lloyd (Waldorf): Opposed data centers in Charles County; alleged corruption, NDAs signed by two commissioners, mistreatment of Black women, and misogynistic remarks by a district commissioner; pledged legal action under the Local Government Tort Claims Act and said she would work to defeat that commissioner.
• Neka O'Neill (with mother Dolores O'Neill): Asked why Kaiser Permanente has not been built in Charles County; said 17,000 patients in the area must travel to Capitol Hill or Largo; described her mother's cataract surgery requiring a hotel stay in McLean, Virginia; noted a new Kia dealership near the proposed Kaiser site.
• Charisse Tony (Waldorf, Blue Crab Lane neighbor): Described the abandoned property at 5351 Blue Crab Lane, vacant since 2018, with mold, rodents, respiratory issues, and declining property values; asked the county to resolve the property permanently.
• Eileen Britt (Waldorf, Fieldsight HOA president): Thanked county and PGM staff; highlighted the 5351 Blue Crab Lane property being vacant for eight years and similar issues on Pinewood Drive; said the property owes more than $60,000 in liened property taxes; asked how many abandoned properties owe $50,000 or more; supported the Office of Inspector General; urged tax sale or other enforcement action.
• Tammy Crank (Bryan's Road): Asked for updates on the Southampton sidewalk project, flooding homes in Bryan's Road and insurance drops, and the lead study report for Merlin Airport and schools on Livingston Road; criticized the lack of public comment sessions until July 7; said the community, especially a predominantly Black community, deserves information.
• Tina Wilson (Port Tobacco): Opposed the Morgantown data center proposal; said a state environmental secretary issued a letter committing to expedited permitting; alleged at least one commissioner has told the governor that Charles County wants data centers; demanded the board stand with the people and stop misrepresenting the public interest.
• Greg Waring (Waldorf): Thanked the board for funding an Office of Inspector General contingency in the budget; supported the OIG public hearing rescheduled for May 19; criticized last week's attempt to defund the OIG and the rescheduling as a bad look.

Discussion Items

• Dunstan Road transfer: Sarah Guy, Chief of Property Acquisition, requested approval to accept the transfer of Dunstan Road/St. Gabriel Road from Prince George's County. The road is 100% in Charles County, owned by Prince George's County since about 2008, unbuilt and unencumbered; a developer needs full access, and Prince George's County has asked Charles County to take ownership. Commissioner Collins requested deferral because Commissioner Coates, the District 2 commissioner, was not present. No motion was made, and the board president said the item would return next week.
• Commissioner responses to public comment:
  • The board president said Kaiser representatives will appear in open session soon; Kaiser had leadership changes and economic challenges but remains committed and has made a major investment; one commissioner said a data center company asked for a meeting, he declined, and he has not signed any NDAs.
  • Commissioner Stewart said the Kia dealership is separate from Kaiser; questioned whether school funding correlates with achievement; raised wastewater and infrastructure concerns for La Plata; said he had not signed an NDA and voted against the data center text amendment; discussed vacant-home enforcement and the need for state legislation; expressed skepticism about the Inspector General, saying it cannot remove commissioners and is a tool in the toolbox.
  • Commissioner Bowling said the county has no data center proposal before it, only a zoning discussion, and any individual commissioner's agreement would not be binding; encouraged residents to make their data center views known in Annapolis because the governor's office reportedly believes Charles County supports the data centers.

Key Outcomes

• Approved all three sets of board and commission appointments by voice vote.
• Deferred the Dunstan Road interjurisdictional transfer; it will be brought back the following week so Commissioner Coates can participate.
• Board president committed to having Kaiser Permanente representatives appear in open session.
• Staff were directed to follow up on the abandoned Blue Crab Lane property and nuisance-abatement process.
• Office of Inspector General public hearing scheduled for May 19, 2026; a budget contingency for the OIG was approved as part of the budget.
• Meeting adjourned by voice vote.