This is the next episode in a series of podcasts and videos about La Plata’s budget, which aims to provide transparency and information as the Town Council prepares the FY 2026 budget.

This episode is based on work by Strong Towns’s priority campaign – Transparent Local Accounting - “Local government should be the place where residents collectively shape their cities. But to do that, you need clear, accurate, accessible information about your local finances. Local governments must be properly funded, but your money must also be properly stewarded.”

YouTube Link

Sources:
Strong Towns Transparent Local Accounting

Parsing Through Your Local Budget to Find Some Real Answers

Strong Towns Financial Action Guide

La Plata Calendar for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget

This episode is about the need for a La Plata Economic Development function.

At the December 10, 2024, Town Council meeting, Town of La Plata Ordinance 24-20, Tourism Zones was introduced as a first reading.

This is based on State enabling legislation enacted by the Maryland General Assembly in 2024, House Bill 1281/Senate Bill 0014 (Maryland Code, Local Government § 18-401), which enables municipalities to create tourism zones to encourage the growth and expansion of tourism-related businesses within areas designated by those jurisdictions.

I was not in favor of moving the proposed tourism ordinance to legislation for this and other reasons, including:

*Limited administrative or staff capacity to run this program
*No incentives were provided
*What are fiscal impacts – costs, revenue generation?
*Can current town functions support tourism or diversity in our tax base?

Are there other options – form an Economic Development Commission or function, combining current town activities?

YouTube Video Link

Downtown La Plata Development

My Third Year as Town Council Member

La Plata 2025 Election

Ordinance 24-20 - Tourism Zones

The first episode in this series about La Plata’s budget was posted on December 16, 2024, and talked about the preparation of the FY 2026, including the calendar of Town Council meetings, basic budget definitions, the different funds, revenue sources, and expenditures (how money is spent), and the Captial Improvement Plan (CIP).

This and later episodes provide information and transparency as the Town Council prepares the FY 26 budget.

This episode provides additional information and performance indicators about the current and adopted FY 2025 Town Budget. These include budgeted positions (FY 23-FY25, Workload, and Performance Indicators. An important metric is Expenditures per Capita. This can then be compared to other towns/municipalities, seeing how we do.

YouTube Link to this episode

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget

This episode and later ones will provide information and transparency as the Town Council prepares the FY 26 budget, which includes the operating budget, enterprise budget (water, sewer, trash/sanitation, stormwater management), and capital improvement plan (CIP).

References:

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Town Budget
• Adopted Town of La Plata Calendar of Events Preparation and adoption on the Town FY 2026 Budget

This episode provides the results from La Plata’s 2024 National Community Survey, presented to the Town Council at our September 20, 2024, meeting.

In April 2024, the Town engaged Polco to conduct the National Community Survey (NCS) to ascertain public perceptions of La Plata and its general livability. The NCS consists of standard questions asked of all municipalities and a limited number of custom questions provided by the client which may be tailored to ongoing or anticipated conditions affecting the municipality. The last such survey was conducted for La Plata by Polco’s parent company, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in 2016. The questions were largely the same in both surveys.

Polco randomly identified 3,500 residents for initial survey participation, after which the survey was opened to the general public. Between online surveys and paper surveys, Polco received 426 responses. Results were weighted to reflect La Plata’s adult demographic profile (see p. 2 of the 2024 survey analysis).

Possible applications for data collected in this survey:

• Clearer perspective on community priorities

• Review and adjustment of Town FY 26 and future budgets, staffing, and operations to better address community priorities

• Guidance for Town Council following the May 2025 Town elections

• Revision of 2022 Town Strategic Plan to foster community sustainability

YouTube Video Link

La Plata, MD The National Community Survey Report of Results 2024

This is David Jenkins, La Plata Town Council member from Ward 4 and your host for this podcast and videos, now available on YouTube, and YouTube Music.

This episode is about questions and frustration from many Town and County residents about a new 7-11 gas station starting construction at Rosewick Corner.

Future podcasts/videos:

• Why La Plata should have an economic development/placemaking function
• Best practices by other towns in Maryland, from my attendance at the Maryland Municipal League’s (MML) Fall Leadership Conference, November 6-8th, Cambridge Maryland.

YouTube Link

Reference: “The City Should Put a Trader Joe’s There” (and Other Muddled Thinking About Development)

This is a follow-up to my August 13, 2024, podcast and video – Speed and Traffic, and the article in the latest Town newsletter. There is a need for traffic calming options and a community/town cooperative program in our residential neighborhoods. This is needed to reduce speeding and prevent a tragedy from happening.

Two recent incidents in Clarks Run - first, last week, a car did not stop when a school bus deployed its STOP sign as children got on the bus at Scarlet Oak and East Patuxent, and the second Tuesday morning, October 29th, two cars both ran the to stop at STOP sign at Scarlet Oak/East Patuexnt. These recent incidents again highlight the persistent and real speeding and safety concerns by residents in CR and all La Plata neighborhoods.

I’ve reached out to the Clarks Run Citizen Association (CRCA) with this information and to the Town Council and LP Police Chief, hoping we can initiate a quick, and cost-effective safety program in La Plata’s neighborhoods.

Thanks again for listening and watching.

YouTube Link

Streets and Sidewalks, People and Cars THE CITIZENS’ GUIDE TO TRAFFIC CALMING -

Tactical Urbanism Short-Term Action | Long-Term Change

How to Calm a Street, Starting with Your Own Anger -

Smart Growth America - Quick Build Demonstration Projects -
South Bend, IN demonstration project: Neighborhood traffic calming -

A Safer Intersection in 80 Minutes

I want to follow up on my October 8th podcast/video, La Plata 2025 Election, why I’m not running for re-election, and my greatest regrets comments – the lack of a Town citizen participation/engagement program, and little resident participation with their town government.

I want to tell you a different perspective about citizen engagement/participation learned from my recent Facebook post and then a citizen response.

YouTube Link

Reference: Staying Strong, Chuck Marhon, November 3, 2017