The Charles County Commissioners advanced key governance, housing, and development initiatives during their March 3, 2026, meeting in La Plata, introducing legislation for an independent Office of the Inspector General while progressing updates on accessory dwelling units, affordable housing projects, and large retail zoning.
County Attorney Wes Adams presented Proposed Bill 2026-03 to establish the Office of the Inspector General, tasked with probing fraud, waste, abuse, and inefficiency in county operations, contractors, and fund recipients. The Inspector General, appointed by a Citizen Advisory Board, would serve a fixed term with powers to access records, issue subpoenas, investigate, and issue public reports. The measure includes qualifications, reporting rules, and independence safeguards. Commissioners unanimously approved introduction and set a public hearing for May 5, 2026.
Associate County Attorney Terrah Dews introduced legislation updating compensation for Animal Matters Hearing Board members, eliminating the no-pay requirement to align with Charles County Compensation Commission recommendations. The change recognizes board members’ time and expertise for sustained operations. Commissioners voted to introduce the bill, scheduling a public hearing for April 14, 2026.
Planning staff, including Supervisor Joel Binkley, Planner Devin Parker, Assistant Chief Tony Felts, and Director Charles Rice, proposed a zoning text amendment modernizing Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) rules to expand housing options and meet Maryland’s October 1, 2026, mandate. The amendment allows attached and detached ADUs in single-family zones, caps size at 1,000 square feet or 75% of the primary dwelling (whichever smaller), drops separate storage for detached units and off-street parking mandates, sets height and bedroom limits, and permits internal ADUs in townhouses with separate entrances under design standards—all while complying with health department septic/sewer rules. Commissioners unanimously approved a public hearing with the Planning Commission on March 16, 2026.
In a briefing on the 2026 Affordable Housing PILOT Projects, staff including Binkley, Chief of Commercial Development Mark Thompson, Community Services Director Dina Barclay, and Fiscal Services Director Jacob Dyer highlighted four Waldorf proposals creating 439 income-restricted units to address the county’s shortfall. Projects met criteria like long-term affordability, Priority Funding Area locations, and Comprehensive Plan alignment, earning bonuses for deeper affordability, extended terms, supportive services, sustainability, amenities, transit proximity, and Waldorf Urban Redevelopment Corridor placement. Commissioners advanced Eagle Point Phase 1, Lenville Crossing, and Pine Way Village to a public hearing on April 21, 2026.
Planning Director Rice, Felts, and Department Director Jason Groth presented a zoning text amendment permitting and regulating retail establishments over 100,000 square feet in Mixed-Use, Transit-Oriented Development, and Urban Center zones. It clarifies conditional permissions, drops multistory requirements, sets parking at one space per 250 square feet for large retail while reducing for others, following Commissioner Dr. Amanda Stewart’s January 27, 2026, request to boost retail and update standards. Commissioners approved starting the public process.
Commissioners received annual updates from the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals, Board of License Commissioners, and Tax Assessment Appeal Board on their activities.
In legislative matters, bus contractors and Charles County Board of Education representatives discussed Senate Bill 574, proposing 10 years’ notice before displacing contracted bus companies, with amendments reducing to six years and covering remaining bus balances. Commissioners consensus-supported a letter expressing concerns; Acting Deputy County Administrator Danielle Mitchell noted hearings on related SB 573 and 575.
Approval items included a $361,140 budget transfer reimbursing the State Department of Assessments and Taxation for program costs due to prior billing errors; awarding Nationwide for employee Deferred Compensation services; adopting a change order delegation SOP; supporting federal directed spending for University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine Modernization Initiative; and sending FY2027 transportation priorities to the Maryland Department of Transportation.
The meeting, held at the Government Building in La Plata, aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance transparency, housing availability, and economic development in Charles County, including Southern Maryland’s Waldorf area.