The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County held their regular business meeting March 17, 2026, in Leonardtown, Maryland, approving key operational support for public safety while advancing toward finalizing the fiscal year 2027 budget.
The meeting opened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by approval of the consent agenda. Commissioners welcomed Sunny the Squirrel, the mascot for St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks, who extended an invitation to the Cherry Blossom Festival scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 12-4 p.m. at Lexington Manor Passive Park in Lexington Park. The free family event features food trucks, vendors, disc golf, balloon art, a sensory tent, skateboarding demonstrations, pony rides, live music, origami, face painting, and parking available at nearby Lancaster Park.
During County Administrator Time, commissioners reviewed upcoming meeting agendas and approved a one-year Professional Services Agreement with getResQ911 LLC for $1,215,040. The contract provides up to eight certified contract public safety dispatchers to address staffing shortages in the Department of Emergency Services. This temporary measure offers backfill support, stabilizes schedules for existing dispatchers, and allows time for training new permanent hires, which requires an eight-month process. Funding for the current fiscal year draws from salary savings in the department, while next fiscal year’s portion uses fund balance.
The commissioners received a legislative update from the Office of the County Attorney covering the status of state bills and the Maryland budget as the General Assembly session approached crossover day.
Commissioner Time included remarks from Commissioner Eric Colvin on community events such as those by the Cinderella Society and My Sister’s Closet, the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival, progress in Annapolis including Jamari’s Law, and anticipation for the afternoon budget work session.
The meeting adjourned to closed session for personnel discussions. Commissioners reconvened at 1:30 p.m. for a budget work session focused on hearing from final partner agencies and aiming to reach a mostly complete FY2027 budget proposal.
The next Commissioners meeting is set for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9 a.m. in the CSMC Meeting Room on the first floor of the Chesapeake Building at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown. Meetings remain open to the public and stream live on TV Channel 95 or via YouTube at www.youtube.com/@StMarysCoGov. Decisions and documents are posted on the St. Mary’s County Government website under Board Documents.
In Southern Maryland, where St. Mary’s County serves as a key hub for emergency services across the region, the dispatcher contract addresses ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in 911 operations that affect response times and community safety. The budget work session reflects efforts to balance fiscal priorities amid state-level uncertainties, while community events like the Cherry Blossom Festival support local recreation and family engagement in areas like Lexington Park.
Commissioner Colvin posted on Facebook: “Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Our morning meeting was relatively short, but I have a feeling we’ll make up for it in our afternoon Budget Work Session…goal this afternoon is to hear from some final partner agencies and then come away with a mostly complete budget! We’ll see how it goes!”
The dispatch contract aligns with broader regional needs for reliable public safety communications, as similar staffing solutions have been implemented in other jurisdictions to maintain service levels during hiring cycles.
No additional actions or controversies were reported from the session.