LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County unanimously approved the 2025 update to the county’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan during their regular business meeting Tuesday morning, capping a multi-year effort to align road, transit, and trail projects with projected growth through 2040.
The meeting opened with an invocation and pledge before the board quickly approved the consent agenda and presented proclamations recognizing Leonardtown High School’s fall sports success. The Raiders girls field hockey team captured the Class 3A state title in November, while the boys soccer team won the Class 4A championship, marking the first time in school history both programs claimed state crowns in the same season.
Auditors from the firm SB & Company, LLC then delivered the fiscal year 2025 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, reporting an unmodified “clean” opinion on the county’s financial statements. The report showed general fund revenues exceeding expenditures by $12.8 million and an increase in the county’s unrestricted fund balance to $92.4 million, providing roughly 29 percent of operating reserves.
A public hearing followed on proposed safety improvements at the Preston Court and Morgan Road intersection near the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. The realignment project shifts the intersection approximately 200 feet north to improve sight lines and reduce crash risk. No public testimony was offered, and the board took no immediate action, leaving the matter open for future consideration.
The Transportation Plan Update, developed by the Department of Public Works & Transportation with input from the Transportation Advisory Committee, identifies $1.2 billion in needed projects over the next 15 years. Priority initiatives include widening portions of FDR Boulevard, extending the Three Notch Trail to Point Lookout State Park, enhancing bus service along the MD 235 corridor, and adding turn lanes at high-volume intersections. The plan also incorporates complete-streets principles, electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and resilience measures for roads vulnerable to sea-level rise.
During County Administrator Time, commissioners approved a $448,000 federal Older Americans Act grant award for senior programs administered by the Department of Aging & Human Services and authorized a new five-year lease with the St. Mary’s County Fair Association for continued use of the county-owned fairgrounds in Leonardtown. The lease maintains the current $1 annual rent structure while clarifying maintenance responsibilities.
The board also reviewed upcoming agendas and scheduled meetings.
The next regular Commissioners meeting is set for Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 9 a.m. in the Chesapeake Building at 41770 Baldridge Street. A budget work session will follow at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon. Both sessions are open to the public and streamed live on Channel 95 and YouTube at youtube.com/@StMarysCoGov.
All meeting materials, including the full Transportation Plan Update and audit report, are available through BoardDocs at the county government website.
