Calvert County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Calvert County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Countywide data center prohibition (Text Amendment 26-31)
The Board directed staff to pursue extending the data center moratorium, removing data centers as a permitted use, and rezoning heavy industrial properties. The incoming board sworn in December 15 will make the final calls, but the process clock is now running. Residents strongly support action.
Reversal of Industrial II rezoning near Calvert Cliffs
State historic preservation findings cited in public comment indicate the proposed data center campus near Lusby will likely adversely affect two National Register-eligible sites: the Parran's Park tobacco barn complex and the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad bed.
FY 2027 County Budget and School Funding
The Board was scheduled to close the record on the staff-recommended FY2027 operating and capital budget and review the commissioners' own recommended budget — the blueprint for county services, roads, and taxes next year.
FY2027 Budget Adoption
Resident Joseph Cormier asked why the county didn't fold the school board's updated request into the draft, questioned fund-balance accounting, and raised the Constellation tax agreement renegotiated without public input.
Data Center Zoning Conditions (Text Amendment #26-23)
Planning & Zoning brought forward a zoning text amendment adding conditions for data centers. A commenter criticized the county's history of granting repeated temporary permits to non-compliant businesses and urged strong enforcement tools like work stop orders rather than fines.
Potential Data Center and Regional Park Proposal
The county's handling of proposed large-scale data centers near Calvert Cliffs dominated the meeting. Residents pressed for a moratorium and independent studies on noise, water, power costs and school proximity; the board instead advanced a package of zoning text amendments that would apply to projects not yet under construction, with no grandfathering or fast-tracking.
FY 2027 Capital Budget and 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan
The Board took up the staff-recommended capital budget and six-year Capital Improvement Plan, which sets what gets built and maintained countywide over the next several years. A public commenter sharply criticized the plan's treatment of vehicle purchases as capital projects and questioned the transparency of deferring projects.