LA PLATA — Charles County has treated runoff from 621 acres of roads, roofs and parking lots since January 2020, a little more than halfway to the 1,083 acres its state-issued stormwater permit requires, county staff reported Oct. 20.
The Charles County Commissioners voted unanimously that day to approve the county’s Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Assurance Plan, which lays out how the county will pay for its municipal stormwater permit obligations over the next two years. Staff said the county appears on track to meet the impervious acre requirement by December 2027, according to a county news release.
For residents, the plan matters because stormwater work is paid largely through a dedicated fee on property owners, and because runoff from paved surfaces carries sediment, nutrients and other pollutants into the Potomac and Patuxent rivers and on to the Chesapeake Bay.
What the plan does and doesn’t do
The plan details funding for stormwater facilities, stream restorations, shoreline stabilizations and septic system improvements, among other practices. It does not adopt a new budget or authorize new projects, the county said. After approval, staff will submit it to the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The filing is required by state law. Under Section 4-202.1 of the Environment Article, Maryland’s 10 Phase I stormwater permit holders, Baltimore City and nine counties, must file a financial assurance plan every two years showing the actions their permits require, projected costs, revenue sources and prior-year progress. Each must hold a public hearing and approve the plan before filing, according to the Department of the Environment’s 2025 report to the governor. Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties are also on that list; Calvert and St. Mary’s are not.
How far the county has come
The county’s current permit, issued in December 2022, runs through fiscal 2028. Progress toward its restoration target, as reported in county filings:
- November 2024 plan: 557 acres, 51% of the 1,083-acre requirement
- October 2026 plan: 621 acres, 57%
- Deadline to meet the impervious acre credit requirement: December 2027
That leaves about 462 acres to credit in roughly 14 months. The county’s fiscal 2024 plan also noted a continuing obligation of 138 acres a year carried over from its previous permit.
Charles exceeded its target under the previous permit, restoring 1,739 acres against a 1,577-acre requirement, or 110%, according to the state report. Across both permit terms, the county has treated about 32% of its 7,887-acre impervious baseline.
Who pays
The county’s last plan, approved Nov. 19, 2024, projected about $8.2 million in stormwater remediation fee revenue in fiscal 2025 and $8.4 million in fiscal 2026. In fiscal 2024, the fee applied to 51,441 properties and brought in about $7.6 million, according to the state report.
Other sources include the general fund, bonds and state and federal grants. In its 2024 plan, the county projected $12.9 million in restoration costs over two years against $31.1 million in revenue set aside for the work, covering 242% of projected costs. The state requires at least 100%.
The county release did not include updated cost and revenue figures for fiscal 2027 and 2028. Those figures should appear in the plan the county files with the state.
The stormwater vote was one of several actions at the commissioners’ Oct. 20 session. The board also extended public comment on a proposed rental licensing program and heard that 46 sidewalk requests are waiting in line.
