Feb. 24 Commissioners’ Meeting Update

News Release # 2026-031

Thursday Feb. 26, 2026

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, County staff briefed the Commissioners on progress toward strengthening institutional governance, highlighting continued advancements in workforce development, fiscal stewardship, operational excellence, and transparent community engagement.

To support a diverse and highly skilled workforce, the Human Resources Recruitment Division participated in 9 career fairs and hiring events in 2025 and is on track to increase recruitment activities by 50%. The County also maintained its Exemplar designation through the Healthiest Maryland Business initiative for the ninth consecutive year. In addition, employees participated in leadership development programs, including the National Association of Counties High-Performance Leadership Academy and Leadership Southern Maryland.

The County maintained its AAA bond rating for the ninth consecutive year and successfully completed a $75 million bond sale in November, with Piper Sandler & Co. as the winning bidder. Record funding was provided to the Board of Education without increasing property or income taxes. The County also implemented new property tax and utility billing software to improve efficiency and customer service.

To strengthen accountability and operations, the Internal Audit Office continues countywide audits and recently completed a review of departmental purchase cards, recommending enhanced oversight and documentation procedures. The County is also updating several key governing documents, including the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual (expected in Spring 2026), the Zoning Code (expected in late 2026), and the Comprehensive Plan (expected in early 2027).

Efforts to promote transparency and community engagement remain a priority. The Media Division expanded outreach initiatives, such as the Children & Family Resource Academy and the Charles County Unpacked webinar series, and launched the "31 Days of Engagement" social media campaign to encourage resident involvement. In April 2025, the County implemented SeeClickReport as its new Customer Relationship Management system to improve cross-department response to resident service requests.

Briefings

• Robert Romero, Chief of Transit, presented the Fiscal Year 2027 VanGO Annual Transportation Plan and Authorizing Resolution 2026-02. The annual plan is a required application that ensures compliance with grant regulations, identifies community mobility needs, prioritizes projects, and establishes a framework for the use of federal and state grant funding. Approximately $12.9 million in grant funding was requested for transit operations, along with an additional $2 million for capital assistance. The capital funding includes replacing 12 buses, repowering three buses to extend their service lives, bus stop improvements, and capitalized preventive maintenance projects. The Commissioners approved the resolution.

• Jacob Dyer, Director, and Samantha Chiriaco, Chief of Budget, Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services, held a briefing on the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) General Fund Review - Second Quarter. They reported that the FY26 year-end revenue estimate increased by approximately $3.6 million since the September projection, reflecting stronger-than-anticipated performance in key revenue categories.

• Jacob Dyer, Director, and Kelli Scherer, Budget Analyst II, Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services, held a briefing on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Funds from the ARPA Act are one-time federal funds that had to be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2026. Any surface transportation projects must be completed by Sept. 30, 2026.

• Jim Chandler, Director, and Chastity Durham-Butler, Acting Business Programs Compliance Manager, provided a briefing on the Business Enterprise Program, which implements changes recommended in the 2023 Disparity Study. Improvements include the launch of a Vendor Diversity Contract Compliance Portal to better support diverse businesses in County procurement and new compliance software. To date, approximately 900 firms have been certified through the Economic Development Department's Small Local Business Enterprise and Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise programs.

Legislative Update

Danielle Mitchell, Acting Deputy County Administrator, held a legislative update on the 2026 Maryland General Assembly Session. Currently, four bills provided in the Charles County legislative package have been drafted and are scheduled for hearings. Senate Bills 572 and 952 are expected to be withdrawn.

The Commissioners reached consensus to invite representatives from the Board of Education and the Charles County Bus Contractors Association to their March 3 meeting to discuss SB 574/HB 1493: Student Bus Transportation Providers - Provider Displacement.

They also reached consensus to request certain amendments to SB 953 (HB 1497), Charles County - Rent Stabilization - Seniors, to make the bill enabling and to clarify that it applies to senior tenants who are party to a residential lease agreement. In addition, the Commissioners reached consensus to submit a letter of opposition to House Bill 916, Transportation - Regional Transportation Authorities.

Public Hearings

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Charles County Commissioners held a public hearing on . The bill enacts the 2025 recommendations of the Charles County Compensation Commission regarding commissioner compensation. The Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the bill.

Actions on Boards and Commissions

Charles County Commissioners took the following actions on county boards and commissions:

• Appointed James Slattery as a Member to the Board of Electrical Examiners.
• Reappointed Ruby Thomas and appointed London Teele, Anjela Barnes, and Kenya Spencer as Members to the Historic Preservation Commission.

Approval Items

Commissioners approved:

• A Budget Transfer Request of $71,800 to increase the tourism event revenue received from the Mixtape concert series.
• A Budget Transfer Request of $219,000 to support concert expenses in the Recreation Fund from the Mixtape Concert Series.
• A letter of support for the U.S. Bomb Technician Association in its request for $950,000 in Congressional Directed Spending to establish a first-of-its-kind multi-jurisdictional bomb technician and HazMat training initiative in Charles County.
• A change order decreasing the contract amount by $2.2 million in the Landfill Cell 4B Construction Contract.
• A letter for a deer cooperator permit request for the National Park Services Piscataway Park.
• A request to light the courthouse lights blue for April (Autism Awareness) and green for May (Mental Health Awareness)
• A request for Community Support Funds from the Interfaith Commission to support its Iftar event in observance of Ramadan.
• A letter of concern regarding the recent sewage spills into the Potomac and Port Tobacco rivers. They also requested that representatives from the Maryland Department of the Environment attend an upcoming Board of County Commissioners meeting to brief the Board and residents on the status of the spill and next steps. Additionally, the Commissioners requested that a similar letter be sent on behalf of the Tri-County Council.

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