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Record of Proceedings

Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting - October 27, 2026

County Commissioners & Boards — Tuesday, October 27, 2026
BodyCharles County, Maryland
SessionCounty Commissioners & Boards
DateTuesday, October 27, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:38:40

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:07

Charles County Government presents

Unassigned speaker

0:09

the

Speaker 1

0:09

Board of Commissioners.

Speaker 2

0:17

Good morning.

0:18

The October 27, 2026, Charles County Board of Commissioners meeting is now called to order.

0:25

Today's session will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 3

0:46

Thank you, Commissioners.

0:47

Commissioners, the first item on your agenda is an opportunity for Commissioner Comments.

0:56

Commissioners, if there's no comments, we'll move on to the next item, which is approval of the minutes.

Speaker 2

1:03

Commissioners will need a motion to approve the minutes from the October 20th, 2026 meeting.

Speaker 3

1:12

Oh, I'm sorry.

1:14

Thank you, Commissioner Stewart.

1:15

Um Commissioner, I forgot to begin the session with a roll call.

1:18

Commissioner Bowling is absent.

1:21

Commissioner Coates.

Speaker 4

1:23

Here.

Speaker 3

1:24

Commissioner Stewart.

Speaker 4

1:25

Here.

Speaker 3

1:26

Commissioner Patterson is absent.

1:28

Commissioner Collins.

1:29

Here.

1:30

Thank you.

1:30

And thank you, Commissioner Stewart.

1:32

And we do have a quorum.

1:34

So now moving on to minutes.

Speaker 2

1:38

We need a motion to approve the minutes from the October 20th, 2026 meeting.

Speaker 5

1:44

So moved.

Speaker 2

1:45

Is there a second?

Unassigned speaker

1:54

I

Speaker 4

1:54

think there's just an edit that needs to have.

Speaker 3

2:04

Commissioner Collins, you could second.

Speaker 2

2:07

Charlie, I think.

2:10

Okay.

2:10

Second.

Unassigned speaker

2:11

Commissioner Collins, you can sit in a three-person quorum.

Speaker 6

2:15

You're able to jump into motions and seconds.

Speaker 2

2:18

Second.

Unassigned speaker

2:21

And

Speaker 2

2:21

moved and properly second.

2:23

All in favor?

2:24

Aye.

2:24

Opposed.

Speaker 3

2:26

All right.

2:27

We'll do a roll call of the vote.

2:31

Commissioner Bowling is absent.

2:35

Commissioner Coates.

2:36

Opposed.

2:38

Commissioner Stewart.

Speaker 5

2:40

Um, I'll say yes, but I have a question for Commissioner Coates.

2:43

Is there something that needs to be corrected?

Speaker 4

2:45

Yeah, but I don't have a note to fund me.

2:47

It does.

2:49

I don't have the notes, but I will submit them.

2:51

Oh, okay.

Speaker 3

2:56

Okay.

2:57

Umer Patterson is absent.

3:02

And Commissioner Collins.

Speaker 2

3:04

Yes.

Speaker 3

3:06

So the motion passes two to one.

3:12

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████13%
Transportation Safety████████████12%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Community Engagement████████8%
Government Accountability████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Racial Equity███████7%
Education█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting – October 27, 2026

The Charles County Board of Commissioners convened on October 27, 2026, with Commissioners Coates, Stewart, and Collins present (Commissioners Bowling and Patterson absent), establishing a quorum. The meeting addressed routine approvals, a new resolution for a countywide National Night Out, a letter of concern regarding the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) project, and several briefings including equity and access, internal audit, and a presentation from the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo). Two bills were introduced for public hearings, and the board later moved into closed session for property and litigation discussions.

Approval of Minutes

  • The minutes from the October 20, 2026 meeting were approved by a vote of 2-1, with Commissioner Coates opposed, citing a needed edit that will be brought back to a future agenda for official correction.

Approval Items

  • Board of Education FY2027 Intercategory Budget Transfer: The board approved a $1,911,209 increase to the FY2027 general fund budget (from $555,532,999 to $555,744,208,000). The increase does not require additional county appropriation and is funded from existing FY2026 fund balances designated for open purchase orders ($744,607) and community schools/workforce development ($1,166,602). The transfer was approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-16 – Annual Charles County National Night Out Program: Commissioner Coates introduced the resolution to create a countywide National Night Out event, particularly for communities without HOAs or resources to host their own. After discussion, the board agreed to amend the resolution to specify that the event will rotate among districts and be held at a county-owned property. The resolution was approved with those edits.
  • Letter of Concern – Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) Project: The board approved a letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) urging continued progress on the SMRT project into the NEPA process, rather than diverting funds to study all-day commuter bus service. Commissioner Stewart proposed language strengthening the letter to emphasize that project decisions should not be driven solely by the current federal administration's policies. The letter was approved as amended.

Briefings and Presentations

  • Equity and Access Quarterly Update: Chief Equity Officer Miles and Coordinator Pollard reported on training programs (Leadership Series, Core Values in Action, Collaborative Problem Solving) serving over 100 staff. The Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) will begin accepting narrative proposals from November 1 to December 15, 2026. The office plans to hire additional staff and launch projects including mental health clinics, capacity building workshops, and a transportation assistance program.
  • Annual Internal Audit – FY2026 Commissioner Business Expense Audit: Senior Internal Auditor Coleman and Junior Auditor Phelpin presented the audit, which found no violations. Combined spending across all commissioners was $29,061.45 out of a total $54,000 allocation (53.8% utilization). Mileage was the least used category (2%). Commissioners praised the improved financial processes and several suggested increasing the per-commissioner allocation in the future.
  • Introduction of Bill 2026-11 – Repeal of Heritage Commission: The board voted to introduce a bill to repeal Chapter 62 of the Charles County Code establishing the Heritage Commission, which has been inactive for over 20 years. A public hearing was scheduled for November 17, 2026 at 6:00 PM.
  • Introduction of Bill 2026-13 – Pre-trial Release Program and Community Service: Following a prior work session, the board introduced a bill updating the pretrial release program. Changes include screening language, third-party vendor contracts, and expanded list of ineligible crimes (including robbery with a deadly weapon, carjacking, sexual assault, and domestic violence). A public hearing was scheduled for November 17, 2026 at 6:00 PM.
  • Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Annual Update: MACo President (Frederick County Councilmember) and Executive Director Michael Sanderson discussed affordability, housing, energy costs, the state's fiscal situation (projected $2.5 billion shortfall for FY2028), and potential impacts on counties. Topics included the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, transportation funding, and the risk of cost shifts to local governments. Commissioners raised concerns about declining state service levels despite increased billing to counties.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes from October 20, 2026 (2-1).
  • Approved Board of Education FY2027 budget transfer (unanimous).
  • Approved Resolution 2026-16 for a countywide National Night Out with rotating district amendments (unanimous).
  • Approved SMRT letter of concern with strengthened language (unanimous).
  • Introduced Bill 2026-11 and Bill 2026-13; public hearings scheduled for November 17, 2026.
  • Board moved into closed session to discuss property acquisitions and a potential litigation matter.

Meeting Transcript

Charles County Government presents the Board of Commissioners. Good morning. The October 27, 2026, Charles County Board of Commissioners meeting is now called to order. Today's session will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Commissioners. Commissioners, the first item on your agenda is an opportunity for Commissioner Comments. Commissioners, if there's no comments, we'll move on to the next item, which is approval of the minutes. Commissioners will need a motion to approve the minutes from the October 20th, 2026 meeting. Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you, Commissioner Stewart. Um Commissioner, I forgot to begin the session with a roll call. Commissioner Bowling is absent. Commissioner Coates. Here. Commissioner Stewart. Here. Commissioner Patterson is absent. Commissioner Collins. Here. Thank you. And thank you, Commissioner Stewart. And we do have a quorum. So now moving on to minutes. We need a motion to approve the minutes from the October 20th, 2026 meeting. So moved. Is there a second? I think there's just an edit that needs to have. Commissioner Collins, you could second. Charlie, I think. Okay. Second. Commissioner Collins, you can sit in a three-person quorum. You're able to jump into motions and seconds. Second. And moved and properly second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed. All right. We'll do a roll call of the vote. Commissioner Bowling is absent. Commissioner Coates. Opposed. Commissioner Stewart. Um, I'll say yes, but I have a question for Commissioner Coates. Is there something that needs to be corrected?

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