According to the US Census Bureau, St. Mary’s County experienced the greatest population growth in Maryland. This places St. Mary’s County in the unique situation of having to trim their budget while making sure that their services still accommodate all of their residents – new and long-standing.

The County Commissioners have decided to go ahead with the Loffler Senior Center Rebuild Project, working with LGIT and FEMA to be sure that new structural reinforcements are implemented to prevent weather damage like that experienced from the snow of February 2010. Other areas of concern are unemployment expenses and wastewater recyclying. The expansion of the Leonardtown wastewater treatment facility is being discussed.

Citizen engagement is also a top priority for the St. Mary’s County Commissioners. They are changing the way they interact with residents by abolishing the under-attended Development Review Forum and replacing it with less-frequent, more public meetings with more and diversified participation in a round table format.

No specific budget details have been released, but the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners is encouraging citizen participation and feedback and is focusing on providing efficient, cost-effective services for their growing county population. You can read the full article from Baynet.com here.