St. Mary’s County Commissioners Approve Spending and Fees Amid Concerns Over Navy Influence

St. Mary’s County Commissioners Approve Spending and Fees Amid Concerns Over Navy Influence

By John E. O’Connor

The St. Mary’s County Commissioners kicked off December with a joint meeting alongside Captain Doug Burfield, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The biannual meeting, touted as a step toward maintaining strong military-community relations, covered topics such as the Encroachment Agreement, Military Installation Resiliency Review, and redevelopment plans for Millison Plaza. However, critics suggest that these sessions are less about partnership and more about catering to the Navy’s priorities, often at taxpayers’ expense.

During their regular meeting, the Commissioners approved several grant-funded initiatives, including $84,607 for the Adult and Family Recovery Court Program and $20,000 for tobacco compliance enforcement. They also approved forest conservation easements for the Three Notch Trail and finalized over $3.7 million in funding for the St. Mary’s Transit System. While these approvals leveraged outside funding, the board faced sharp criticism for a decision with more direct taxpayer impact: the new lease agreement for Lancaster Park.

Under the new terms, the county will now pay the Navy $42,000 annually to lease Lancaster Park, a property the county had previously used rent-free. Despite millions of dollars in improvements funded by local taxpayers, the Navy declined to factor those investments into the lease agreement, offering only limited credit for in-kind services.

The Perils of Pauline

This move has sparked outrage among residents who view the Commissioners as too willing to impose new fees and costs, driven by fear that the Navy might reduce its presence in the region—a scenario that appears highly unlikely in the foreseeable future. Detractors argue that the board is using this perceived risk to justify unnecessary spending and additional taxpayer burdens, effectively implementing what some call a “backdoor tax” for public park access.

As the Navy remains exempt from property taxes, many taxpayers feel they are shouldering a disproportionate burden while the Commissioners prioritize appeasing the base rather than protecting residents’ wallets. For critics, this decision is yet another example of a board that struggles to resist imposing new taxes and fees, even when long-term threats appear speculative at best.

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