![[photo, Charles County Government Building, 200 Baltimore St., La Plata, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/36loc/ch/images/1198-1-718b.jpg)
In Charles County, the legislative and executive branches of County government are administered by the Board of County Commissioners, also known as the Commissioners of Charles County, Maryland.
Elected to four-year terms by the voters, the Board of County Commissioners consists of five members. Four of whom are elected at large, with one residing in each of the four County Commissioner Election Districts. The fifth member who holds the position of President of the County Commissioners, may reside in any area of the County and is elected at large by the voters. The terms of the Commissioners begin on the first Tuesday of December following the General Election (Code Local Government Article, secs. 9-401 through 9-406; County Code, sec. 27-1).
County Government Building, 200 Baltimore St., La Plata, Maryland, May 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
The Board will submit a Charter to the Charles County voters for ratification at the November 2024 General Election.
Appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, the Charter Board consists of twelve members.
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD
Effective July 1, 2022, the General Assembly required each Maryland county to have a Police Accountability Board (Chapter 59, Acts of 2021). In Charles County, the Board of County Commissioners established the Police Accountability Board in December 2021 (Resolution no. 2021-23).
To improve matters of policing, the Board meets quarterly with heads of law enforcement agencies, and works with those agencies and County government. The Board receives complaints of police misconduct filed by members of the public. Appointing civilian members of Charging Committees and Trial Boards, the Board also, on a quarterly basis, reviews outcomes of disciplinary matters considered by Charging Committees.
The Board consists of nine members. They are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to four-year terms. The Chair also is designated by the County Commissioners (Code Public Safety Article, secs. 3-102 through 3-104).
Meeting monthly or as needed, the Committee reviews the findings of each law enforcement agency’s investigation of police misconduct complaints forwarded by the agency to the Committee. From information related to the investigation, the Committee makes determinations and recommendations. It may review body camera footage, call a police officer before the Committee, determine if a police officer should be charged administratively, or recommend discipline. The Board also may submit written opinions to the director of the law enforcement agency, the accused police officer, the complainant, and the Police Accountability Board.
Five members constitute the Committee. Two are appointed to two-year terms by the Board of County Commissioners, and two by the Police Accountability Board. One member serves ex officio. Annually, the Chair is chosen by the Committee (Code Public Safety Article, secs. 3-102 through 3-104).
REDISTRICTING BOARD
After each federal decennial census, the County Code requires that the Board of County Commissioners revise the County’s four commissioner election districts (County Code, sec. 27-1 B).
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