Officials read 2010 tea leaves

What's in store for new year in Charles County

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010

Saving money, staying healthy and strengthening relationships are some of the common resolutions for a new year and the Charles County government is no exception.

Less than a week into 2010, the five county commissioners have begun to set goals for the next 12 months and beyond.

First up, said Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr., is preparing for the spring approval of the county's operating budget.

Planning for department presentations and submissions has already started, and in February county representatives will head to New York to receive a credit rating, which will have a direct effect on the county's interest rate and subsequent bond bids.

"The budget takes up a lot of the year. We'll be looking at numbers and looking at where we can spend, where we have spent, where we need to spend and where we would like to spend," Graves (D) said.

The commissioner said the board will be moving through the process with caution, as they are all aware that while the stock markets might be improving, there's still at least another year to go before seeing other markets — like housing and retail — bounce back.

"We're always looking years ahead," Graves said. "If [we] just did it day to day, that wouldn't work at all. Our work is based not just on today's needs but on coming needs."

Like his fellow board member, Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D) acknowledged the coming budget work, but cautioned that like so many other governments, the board of commissioners would also be looking at ways to balance dwindling revenue with services county residents have learned to expect.

"The recession caused a re-evaluation of how governments actually operate," Collins said. "We have to scrutinize more fully … what is a necessity versus what can be basically let go of at this time.

"We're still providing opportunities and looking at programs that are necessary. I believe the county should continue to look at programs for youth in the community. A growing community means a growing youth population."

Collins said he and his fellow board members would be working at bringing light rail to Southern Maryland as well as finalizing the Waldorf urban design plan and bringing more affordable housing to the county; a goal commissioners' Vice President Edith J. Patterson (D) has said she will be looking to achieve as well.

"We're already tackling that and we're in the final stages of implementing a public-private housing project in Nanjemoy," Patterson said.

Patterson also said the reality of creating a one-stop shop for community needs at the Nanjemoy Community Center was on the agenda for the year.

"I'd like to hope the foreclosure rate will decline and I anticipate the Maryland Airport moving forward. The same is true for the Indian Head tech park," Patterson said. The airport is undergoing an expansion and the tech park is in the application process for approval of a 300-acre, 1.2 million square foot office and research and development space designed to support energetic research at the Indian Head U.S. Navy base.

Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D) said he sees the county moving ahead with several infrastructure projects, including securing federal funding for planning a light-rail transit system.

Like Collins, Hodge is also focused on the progress of the Waldorf Urban Design Study and securing the approval for the planned new high school on Piney Church Road.

"I'd like to see groundbreaking on the new library in Waldorf and beginning construction of the Martin-Baker facility at the Indian Head tech park," Hodge said.

"But what supersedes all the other goals is developing a balanced budget that maintains the vitally important county services for people. That's what we'll be doing throughout the next five months, which is focusing relentlessly on the budget. We need to come out of that process with a responsible plan."

Charles County commissioners' President F. Wayne Cooper (D) acknowledged the shrinking budget and attempts to provide for county residents and said he also anticipated a decision on the cross-county connector.

"Of course we've done a lot of things to be proactive. We're always working on the future ... and being ready for it," Cooper said.

"We've been trying to get a permit [for the connector] and I think that's one of the biggest issues one way or the other."

Meredith Somers

Town counts on building

The sluggish economy is impacting La Plata's growth and budget but the mayor said with some careful planning the town's fiscal outlook will remain bright this year.

Although several large proposed communities are on the books in La Plata, residential development has pretty much come to a halt in town because of the still shaky economy, said Mayor Roy Hale. Heritage Green, the Villages of SteepleChase and Stagecoach Crossing are the largest mixed-use developments that are ready to go once the housing market improves, he said.

Heritage Green is a community that will contain more than 3,000 residential units, a golf course and industrial and commercial uses off Rosewick Road, and the Villages of SteepleChase and Stagecoach Crossing located off U.S. 301 in the southern part of town will contain townhouses and single-family homes with several amenities, Hale said.

SteepleChase is the only one of the developments that has a handful of units already built, he said.

"Residential development is kind of flat right now," he said. "It's been that way for quite some time because of the economy. When it will turn around is anybody's guess."

The town is moving ahead with replacing the Willow Lane sewage pumping station and running a new sewer line from the pumping station to the town's wastewater treatment plant on Curley Hall Road, Hale said, adding that the project will help launch the Heritage Green project. It will be finished by the end of the year.

"It's going to provide capacity for Heritage Green once it gets started," he said. "It will also provide flow capacity to [the] Agricopia [subdivision] and stop sewage overflows at the end of Centennial Street."

The recession has not slowed down commercial construction in town, Hale said. A new McDonald's restaurant is going to be built this year on Drury Drive and Panera Bread is slated to begin construction on Shining Willow Way in front of the Petco store, he said.

The town's economic health will continue to be strong in 2010 as long as the La Plata Town Council holds the line on spending, Hale said. The budget will feel the impact of the stagnant real estate market, lowered property tax assessments and job losses, he said.

"We're going to have to be very careful and look at how we spend our money and designate it, but we always try to be very careful. With the way the economy is right now that's going to be more of a challenge," he said. "Overall, I believe that La Plata is well positioned to move ahead in 2010."

Nancy Bromley McConaty

Safety a key in schools

The new year does not bring a new school year to Charles County, but halfway through the current school year Superintendent James E. Richmond reflected on 2009 and gave some insight as to what's in store for 2010.

2009 brought many budget cuts across the county and the state and Richmond said the school system was not immune to them having some $11 million cut in 2009 from county and state payments in initial budgets.

Richmond said he is grateful that while some programs were scaled back due to budget cuts, no academic or athletic programs were cut last year and there is currently no need to cut programs for students in 2010.

For 2010, Richmond's wish is to be able to continue a full schedule of academics, extracurricular and interventional programs for students.

"We work hard to make sure that happens," he said.

Safety, Richmond said has been and will continue to be a top priority in 2010.

Richmond said the school system works hard with the Charles County Sheriff's Office to help provide safe schools.

He said he has met with many students through scheduled school visits where he specifically sits down with students to hear from their perspective.

He said he would continue to hear from students and heed their advice in 2010.

As for the future of school funding, Richmond said for now the county funds the school system at maintenance of effort, a funding level required by state regulation that ensures a county is providing — at minimum — the same amount of money to its school system as the previous year, plus additional funds for increased enrollment. Talk of changes to the maintenance of effort law which will likely be discussed during the upcoming General Assembly session do not have Richmond rattled.

"It is what it is," he said about whether maintenance of effort laws would change. When and if changes would occur, Richmond wasn't sure but knew that whatever it may be, "We will do the best we can to deal with it."

Richmond said the No. 1 priority for the school system in 2010 would be students and teachers.

Gretchen Phillips

Hope for economy

In terms of the economy Ken Gould, executive director of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes for the best but fears the worst.

Nationally, good news like rising stock and housing prices give some reason for optimism but he still sees a failure of nerve in local businesses that could hinder a recovery.

"In a lot of cases, specific individual businesses, I just don't see the confidence that so many of our members need to have back before they feel comfortable and, in a lot of cases, before they start rehiring staff they may have either laid off or just replaced for those who had left," Gould said. "I'm afraid — and I tend to try to be positive, I really think there are going to be exceptions to the rule — I'm afraid in 2010 people are going to feel like they're in limbo."

Low housing prices, which persist in the region, represent both a challenge to and an opportunity for property owners, according to Noel T. "Tim" Wood, president of the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors.

Low prices put pressure on those who are not behind on their mortgages but still have to leave, including workers at Naval Support Facility Indian Head or Patuxent River Naval Air Station who are transferred somewhere else.

"Somebody who comes in here for a three-year tour or a four-year tour and bought a house, they bought their house right near the peak of the market and right now, even though they may be fully up to date on the mortgage, no danger at all of foreclosure, Uncle Sam or wicked corporations are transferring them to another location," Wood said.

"… If you bought a house in early 2006, at the peak of the market and paid fair market price for it, in St. Mary's County if it's the average house, that house is worth 10 percent less on an assessment basis than it was last time it was assessed. They could conceivably have a mortgage balance higher than they could get for it even if they are in no danger of foreclosure," said Wood, a senior sales associate with Coldwell Banker J. Lilly Real Estate in California.

He expects prices to remain low, he said, but that makes now the time to buy.

"It's a double-edged sword. My advice to anybody who needs to buy a home is to go ahead and buy it if they can," he said.

Erica Mitrano

Stores opening in Indian Head

Although the economy is down, Indian Head has hope.

Many of the little storefronts in town are starting to fill up. For example, Java Scripts Coffeehouse and Bookstore took over the old Brewhouse and Sewing by Susan recently opened next to Hilltop Salon. Not to mention, a family restaurant with home-style cooking is slated to go in the old Longhorn Inn.

"These are the kind of businesses we can expect in a small town," Mayor Ed Rice said.

The town also plans to welcome a Family Dollar store in 2010 and clearing is set to begin this month on the property at the corner of Poplar Lane and Indian Head Highway.

As for the planned boardwalk along the Potomac River, the town is waiting for two state approvals.

"I think it will be summer or fall before we award a contract," Vice Mayor Dennis Scheessele said.

From an economic standpoint, property values will be reassessed in 2011. Rice expressed some concern about revenue cuts later in 2010.

"We know it's coming," he said, adding that they are making the necessary provisions now to accommodate the changes.

Scheessele added that highway user revenues were cut by 90 percent last year and he suspects another cut this year.

"We have to figure out how to fund repairs without highway user funds," he said.

The town plans to install speed cameras in the school zone along Indian Head Highway; the proceeds can go to fund new projects in the town, but cannot finance repairs.

Rice hopes the town can "survive the recession and come out in a good position to take advantage of growth and development" by using the down time in the economy to prepare for the future.

Scheessele wants to see "increased use of the Indian Head Rail Trail," he said. "I'd like to capitalize on that and develop small businesses to support [the rail trail]."

And as always, the town council would love to see increased participation in community events.

"The activities committee works very hard," Councilwoman Margie Posey said.

Sara Poynor

Sheriff's office ready for challenging year

Sheriff Rex W. Coffey said a high unemployment rate might present challenges to his agency over the upcoming year, as many young people are without jobs.

"It puts more pressure on them, and that puts more pressure on us," said Coffey (D).

In addition, the sheriff's office is tightening its belt in the tough economy and trying to "do more with less," he said. He added that he is focused on making sure sheriff's officers have high morale during 2010 and helping the agency stay team-oriented.

Bethany Rodgers