LA PLATA, Md., April 29, 2025 — Charles County’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget of $594,293,300, a 5.9% increase over last year, was presented by Acting Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services Jacob Dyer on Tuesday. The General Fund budget, shaped by community input from surveys and town halls, aligns with the Commissioners’ strategic priorities and addresses departmental needs while maintaining current property and income tax rates for the 12th consecutive year.
“As is the case in every budget year, there are a multitude of requests and a finite number of resources,” said Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall. “At this moment in time, when the federal and state governments are making major cuts, it would be unwise to ignore these signals. Instead, we developed a proposal that carefully considers what and how much is truly essential to add to our own budget.”
To balance new expenses, the budget proposes a $2 per $500 increase in recordation taxes, applied only to real estate transactions. This fee will support Charles County Public Schools, including costs for the new Thornton Elementary School, and fund affordable housing initiatives. The General Fund highlights include a $11,241,400 increase for schools, exceeding maintenance of effort by $8.9 million to cover the new school, health care, bus contracts, extended learning, and staff salaries. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office receives an $8,388,747 boost, totaling $138,974,247, for compensation, equipment, a new Digital Evidence Custodian position, and converting eight part-time positions to full-time.
County Government operations see a $6,185,012 increase, totaling $106,258,812, funding 10 new EMT positions in Waldorf, two ambulances, road maintenance, park security cameras, pool reopenings, and IT software. Debt service rises by $419,300 for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and $3.4 million addresses state-mandated cost shifts for teacher pensions and other expenses. An additional $3.3 million supports the State’s Attorney’s Office, Health Department, Circuit Court, Election Board, and other agencies.
The proposed 2026-30 CIP Governmental budget of $523,861,000 funds infrastructure projects, including Thornton Elementary’s completion, a new middle school, pool safety upgrades at St. Charles and Lackey High Schools, and repairs at the College of Southern Maryland’s Fine Arts Center. It also supports the Sports and Wellness Center, planning for a new Circuit Court Building and La Plata EMS station, and infrastructure for Waldorf Park and White Plains Park. Additional funding targets Western Parkway, Substation Road, and Route 301 improvements. Over five years, $30,285,000 is allocated for water, sewer, environmental, and stormwater projects. A detailed CIP summary is available at Charles County’s website.
A public hearing on the budget is set for May 7 at 6 p.m. at the Charles County Government building, 200 Baltimore St., La Plata. Commissioners will review changes on May 13, with final adoption scheduled for May 20.
