On Tuesday, Feb. 3, Dawud Abdur Rahman of DAR Project Management Consulting was joined by Lucille Walker, Executive Director of the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, to present commissioners with the summary of findings on the study of the Black and Indigenous History in Bryans Road, Pomonkey, and Indian Head. The study development arrives as the Pomonkey Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.
The methodology for the study included forming a steering committee, monthly meetings, and historical research, including oral history, genealogical research, and a pedestrian tour of Chapman State Park, which the study reported was once part of a large plantation and fishery owned by the Chapman family, who used enslaved labor on the property.
2025 Legislative Update
- Danielle Mitchell, Assistant Deputy County Attorney and Jenifer Elin, Acting Deputy County Administrator, offered updates on the Maryland General Assembly. Commissioners gave consensus for letters of support for House Bill 835, which would alter the types of alcohol available at Blue Crabs Stadium, and House Bill 841, which would dissolve the Charles County Gaming Permit Review Board.
Commissioners also agreed to send a letter of support for Senate Bill 357, which would give the Prescription Drug Affordability Board more leeway in making high-cost drugs more affordable in Maryland.
Commissioners also agreed to send a letter of support for Senate Bill 774, which adjusts the valuation of rural broadband service providers' operating property under certain scenarios.
G.S. Proctor & Associates representatives Joseph Green and Jeanette Tejada de Gomez briefed commissioners on the governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget and how costs, such as teacher pensions and the local offices of the Department of Assessments and Taxation, are proposed to be shifted from the state to the county.
- Commissioners also heard from William Smith, Coordinator of the Charles County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, who requested that they support a request for an amendment to House Bill 947, which concerns the Tax Credit for Volunteer Emergency Responders. Volunteers requested that the income cap be increased to $250,000 per year and the benefit be increased by $500 to $2,500 in 2028. A motion to support ended in a 3-2 vote with three commissioners in opposition.
Briefings
A stakeholder group would be brought together to study a potential ordinance and impact fee based on community feedback. Commissioners unanimously approved the proposal to begin the process of establishing an Adequate Public Safety Ordinance.
- Dina Barclay, Director, and Rita Wood, Chief of Housing Authority, briefed commissioners on the budget performance of the Charles County 2024 Housing Choice Voucher program. The presentation included key performance indicators, program challenges, and the program’s outcomes. In Calendar Year 2024, $11.5 million in federal funding was managed, with the vast majority directed to housing assistance payments. Charles County’s Housing Authority was found to have no significant audit findings and consistently meets or exceeds HUD performance standards.
- Renesha Miles, Chief Equity Officer, and Elaine Pollard, DEI/HR Coordinator, held an update on a request to establish February as African American Heritage Month Instead of Black History Month in Charles County. The discussion included a review of data from Community Conversations and a survey taken from July 26 to Aug. 31, 2024. The in-depth analysis included a summary of residents' feelings for either name, concerns about changing the name, and the historical legacy of the name “Black History Month.” Commissioners took no further action on the matter during the meeting.
Proclamations
Commissioners recognized the following proclamations:
- 2025-06 Black History Month
- 2025-07 Career and Technical Education Month
- 2025-08 National Burn Awareness Week
- 2025-09 National Engineers Week
Approval Items
Commissioners approved:
- A budget transfer request of $214,000 to provide adequate funding to acquire two parcels of land along Bensville Road. The purchases would support the county’s Middletown Road-Bensville Road Waterline Interconnection project.
- A budget transfer request of $506,880 to cover additional equipment expenses for technology and furniture at Margaret J. Thornton Elementary School. Funds would be transferred from the Eva Turner Elementary School modernization/addition project, as the funds are no longer needed for that project.
- A change order of $175,000 to repair cracks discovered in the Mattawoman Flow Equalization Basin. A budget amendment increase was also approved to cover the additional costs from the change order.
- A request for a public event permit for the Charles County Public Library Books, Bites, and Beats Fest on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
- A budget transfer request of $176,775 to use County funds to purchase property on Middletown Road if the State Board of Public Works does not approve the use of Program Open Space funding.
- A contract for a lobbyist agreement with G.S. Proctor.
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Next Scheduled Commissioner Meeting(s): Feb. 25-26, 2026
