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DENTON – Legislation was not included in the hour-long meeting of the Caroline County Commissioners Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, but boilerplate items occupied the agenda.
Highlights of the meeting include:
Operation Green Light for Veterans proclaimed
Commission President Travis Breeding read a proclamation declaring Operation Green Light for Veterans in Caroline County and encouraging citizens to recognize “the importance of honoring those who made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve freedom by displaying green lights in their place of business or residence” Nov. 4 to 11.
“The residents of Caroline County have great respect, admiration, and the utmost gratitude for all who have selflessly served our country and the Caroline County community in the U.S. Armed Forces,” Breeding read.
Mid Shore Behavioral Health representatives Ann Simpers and Lisa Short were on hand for the proclamation, saying that their organization is one of many in the area dedicated to serving the needs of veterans.
Greensboro Library repairs requested
Caroline County Public Library Executive Director Jonah Owens and Board of Library Trustees President Sarah Dahl presented a funding request to create a less bird-friendly environment in the common area of the building the Greensboro branch leases at 101 Cedar Lane.
The building is owned by Maryland Rural Development Corporation, but Executive Director Chuck Huester, via Owens, requested funds to assist with installing bird netting to handle a decade-long problem of birds in the lobby rafters creating a mess, in the “very poorly constructed building,” Owens said.
Owens said the library is responsible for 33% of the $5,671 cost, making the library’s contribution about $1,846. The Commissioners said they were comfortable with the library board’s decision to pay its share in mitigating the problem, as the county waits for state reimbursement for other repairs to the building.
County finances on track
Deputy County Administrator and Finance Officer Daniel Fox and County Grants Coordinator Stacy Seward presented an update on the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which began July 1, 2025.
Revenue and expenses presented no surprises or concerns. Property tax collection has positioned the county $8.4 million ahead in revenue. “This is fairly typical for our first quarter,” Fox said. “Most of your local governments are going to be very cash heavy through the first and second quarter, and then third and fourth is where things kind of dip off, and you're spending most of the money that you saved up through the first two quarters.”
Solar emergency response training planned
Commission Vice President Larry Porter said he met with emergency management personnel and NextEra Energy’s Cherrywood project personnel on Oct. 28 to discuss “potential training for volunteer fire companies.”
“I thought (the three NextEra Energy employees) were very, very responsive and provided good information,” he said. “So they have agreed to incorporate some training for volunteer fire companies throughout the county.”
New hires announced
County Administrator Katheleen Freeman announced the names of two new county employees.
New Department of Human Resources Director Shanise Hairston began her position Nov. 5. Nathan Stephens, who attended the meeting with County Assistant Director of Planning Leslie Grunden, is the new geographic information system (GIS) planner.
Road construction update
The Pealiquor Road drainage project construction project is set to begin after Dec. 1.
MACo legislative priorities announced
As a member of the 2025 Maryland Association of Counties’ Legislative Committee, Porter reported on the Oct. 29 meeting that narrowed down same 50 of MACo’s 2026 proposed legislative priorities to four: restoring Highway User Revenues (HUR) to support safe, reliable local infrastructure; expanding local housing tools; rebalancing the State–local partnership for school construction; and protecting county budget security.
While the county budget security priority is “going to try to put a little pause … on the shifting of state expenses to counties,” Porter said, “I am concerned about the (local) housing tool.”
“I think the towns should probably be on the lookout for preemption of local zoning laws,” he said. “It appears to me there's going to be a move to just say, ‘This is where we want housing built. We don't care what your zoning laws say.’”
Breeding explained that the state of Maryland’s HUR structure constrains “the counties (to) have to deal with the roads, but they don't have any revenue generation ability,” he said. “So we rely totally on the state to collect all the revenues and then send us a disbursement. …That model has proven to be difficult, especially when the legislature decides to raid the tag license (and) gas tax for other purposes other than road maintenance.”
In observance of Veterans Day, the Commissioners will not meet Tuesday, Nov. 11. The next regular meeting will be held Nov. 18. Only five more meetings in the calendar year are scheduled.
To view the livestreamed Nov. 4 meeting, visit carolinecountymd.new.swagit.com/videos/359748.
