The Charles County fiscal 2025 budget is nearly done, with a final approval date set for May 14. Ahead of the slated approval, the county commissioners submitted their add/delete requests for new initiatives and projects.
Currently, the budget’s total comes in at $559,743,200.
Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II (D) moved $105,000 from the $4 million of unassigned fund balance to support the Charles County Summer Youth Employment Program to expand it to serve 50 young people, more than doubling it from the current 20 it serves.
Collins also wants to use $170,000 of the $250,000 contingency budget to help fund a recreation services manager and a tourism event specialist for the recreation, parks and tourism department.
“As we continue to expand our operations for [the recreation department], this specific position does provide more in terms of resources to assist our overall goals as it relates to recreational services,” Collins said, describing the services manager position.
Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling’s (D) first add/delete item was to provide $215,200 to the Charles County Charitable Trust, with $15,200 coming from contingency and the other $200,000 coming from fund balance.
The request initially took funds from pretrial services instead of fund balance, but there was enough fund balance left to switch the source of the money.
“As times get tough, we need to provide funding to the Charitable Trust because people are in need,” Bowling said.
Another initiative Bowling added was $40,400 to bolster security at Charles County government, which he views as necessary with more town halls being hosted. He also added an additional $150,000 from the fund balance for the Collaborative Conversation Initiative, which will focus on support staff time, literature and community meetings.
Bowling’s final requests were moving $100,000 from fund balance to the Commissioner Cares Scholarship for the College of Southern Maryland and providing $50,000 from the same source to begin a feasibility study for the establishment of a Cobb Neck Community Center.
Commissioner Amanda Stewart (D) is using $32,704 of fund balance to help establish a 640 foot sidewalk at JP Ryan Elementary School in Waldorf and $50,000 to support the Boys and Girls Club by promoting planning and coordination with state senators.
Commissioner Ralph E. Patterson II (D) requested $120,000 from fund balance to add one additional day of paid time off for Charles County government employees.
“We have the best staff in the state and want to show our appreciation for how well they do their jobs,” Patterson said.
Commissioner Thomasina “Sina” Coates (D) did not submit any add/delete requests for the operating budget, but did submit a $279,125 request to the capital fund budget to help turn South Hampton community into a “walkable environment.” Altogether, $395,000 was allotted to the project for management, design, contingency and inspections.
Allegations made at April 30 public comment sessionAt the April 30 commissioners’ meeting, comments and allegations were made about an investigation into Patterson by Prince George’s County Public Schools, where the commissioner is employed.
“I hear a deal is underway to get Commissioner Paterson to reimburse the Prince George’s County school system for the time that he wasn’t present, and the deal probably involves his resignation as a special needs teacher,” Douglas Paul, a speaker at the public comment session, alleged. “Commissioner Paterson appears, has trouble showing up for his teaching position. And then his willingness to skip work here, too, should cause the public to sit up and take notice.”
David Heidelbach, a Charlotte Hall resident, agreed with Paul and said, “Commissioner Patterson, what he talked about needs to be addressed.”
There have been allegations that Patterson is under investigation by the neighboring school system, but Patterson has yet to speak on the topic.
In addition, a written comment was submitted by Cris Curtis of La Plata, saying, “Thomasina [Coates], would be interested to see how you personally will be paying back all the frivolous legal fees you’ve asked the tax payers to incur and pay on your behalf, this would certainly help with our budget short fall.”
Commissioner Amanda Stewart (D) addressed Curtis’s comment at the May 7 meeting, saying, “I echo your thoughts.”
Coates has been embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit about discrimination against the county administrator, who has been on leave for over a year.
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