LA PLATA — Charles County Commissioners voted 3-2 on November 18, 2025, to enact Proposed Bill 2025-07, imposing a limit of two four-year terms on future commissioners, following a public hearing at the Charles County Government Building.
The measure restricts service to no more than two terms total, whether consecutive or non-consecutive, and applies regardless of whether the commissioner holds a district seat or serves as president. It takes retroactive effect for terms beginning with the 2022 election cycle. In cases of mid-term vacancies filled for two or more years, that partial service counts toward the limit. Maryland code home rule counties like Charles allow local legislatures to set such qualifications through ordinances, provided they align with state constitutional provisions for elected officials.
The approval marks a shift in governance structure for the five-member board, elected at-large with residency requirements in specific districts since charter changes in prior decades. Charles County operates under code home rule authority granted by the Maryland General Assembly, enabling the commissioners to enact local laws on matters like elections and terms without voter referendum in most cases, though charter amendments require ballot approval.
During the same session, the county completed its annual consolidated public improvement bond sale totaling $75 million. Proceeds finance acquisition, design, construction, renovation, and equipping of public facilities including schools, parks, roads, and utilities across the county. Piper Sandler & Co. secured the winning bid at a true interest cost of 3.498896 percent, reflecting competitive municipal market conditions for AAA-rated issuers like Charles County, which maintains top credit marks from major agencies based on fiscal management and economic stability.
Briefings covered ongoing fiscal and policy matters. Deputy County Attorney Elizabeth Theobalds updated commissioners on legal expenses tied to a lawsuit involving Commissioner Thomasina Coates. The county has incurred approximately $1.6 million in approved fees to date, stemming from litigation over personnel matters that reached circuit and appellate levels. An additional $121,490.98 in costs related to appeals initiated by Coates remain unpaid, as the board declined authorization for those expenditures.
Staff from Planning and Growth Management, Economic Development, and the Planning Commission detailed recommendations from the Affordable Housing Workgroup. Presentations outlined shortages in units for lower-income residents along the income spectrum, proposing actions in three categories: increasing supply through land-use regulation changes like adjusted densities or accessory units; providing subsidies via public investments such as payment-in-lieu-of-taxes incentives; and supporting preservation of existing affordable stock through rehabilitation programs. Commissioners voted unanimously to advance the staff-proposed strategies for implementation planning.
A separate briefing on the Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program addressed standardized funding availability notices for developers. The initiative identifies sources and criteria for tax abatements on qualifying projects, aiming to boost construction of units targeted at households below area median income levels. The board approved the plan 3-2.
Fiscal staff reviewed available tax credits, including county homestead exemptions, senior circuits breakers, and state supplements that cap property tax increases for eligible homeowners in growth areas like Waldorf and St. Charles developments. Another presentation examined preliminary Board of Education capital requests, highlighting $24.6 million for La Plata High School modernizations and additions plus about $3 million for full-day kindergarten expansions at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary, part of ongoing investments in facilities serving the county’s expanding student population.
Commissioners handled routine board and commission actions, reappointing members to panels including the Administrative Charging Committee, Pension Plan Committee, Homeowners Association Dispute Review Board, Length of Service Awards Program Board, Nuisance Abatement Hearing Board, and Planning Commission.
Approval items included a $169,420 budget transfer for overruns on the Mattawoman Wastewater Treatment Plant flow equalization project, a $196,226.40 change order for engineering services, a draft legislative letter seeking regional crisis response funding, and cancellation of a prior Community Development Block Grant award to Osprey Property Company.
