The St. Mary's County Treasurer's Office is extending the due date for tax payments (due December 31, 2016) to January 3, 2017. Payments may be remitted online, by mail or walk-in service. Payments submitted by mail must be postmarked by January 3, 2017.
The Treasurer's office will close at 12 p.m. on December 23 and December 30. The office will be closed all day on December 26, 2016 and January 2, 2017.
Additional Holiday Office Closures
In addition to holiday closures on December 26, 2016, and January 2, 2017 as previously announced, all St. Mary's County Government Administrative offices will close at 12 p.m. on December 23 and December 30.
Commission on Aging's December Meeting Canceled
The St. Mary's County Commission on Aging has announced that due to the Christmas holiday, their December meeting, scheduled for Monday, December 26, has been canceled.
The commission's next regularly scheduled meeting will take place on Monday, January 23, 2017.
Non-Profit Funding Utility Now Available
Non-Profit entities in St. Mary's County, seeking funding in the FY2018 Budget as awarded by the Commissioners of St. Mary's County, may now begin the application process by accessing the Applicant Funding Utility. Some significant changes have been put in place this year.
The Notice of Funding Availability can be found at www.stmarysmd.com/finance/non-profit. Applicants are advised to review the entire Notice of Funding Availability and follow the links. The application process is completely electronic and must be submitted on-line.
The new process is for agencies with IRS 501(c)(3) status only. Deadline for submission is February 3, 2017. Final adoption of the FY2018 Budget is anticipated to occur in May 2017.
Entities are strongly encouraged to not delay in submitting an application as the process is new this year. The system will allow a submission to be saved and to return to edit a submission until the February 3, 2017 deadline.
Questions regarding the process can be emailed to nonprofithelp@stmarysmd.com.
Commission for Women Names Barbara Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
The St. Mary's County Commission for Women has named Barbara Thompson as the recipient of its 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented annually to an outstanding woman in St. Mary's County who has exemplified continual dedication and support of the community. Ms. Thompson will be honored at the Commission's annual Women's History Month Banquet on March 15, 2017.
The theme of the banquet, "Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor & Business," is a perfect fit for Ms. Thompson. A longtime resident of St. Mary's County, Ms. Thompson is well known for her hard work and support of the community. She is a pioneer serving in leadership roles which have not been traditionally filled by women. Ms. Thompson served as the first woman President of the Board of County Commissioners from 1990 to 1998. Currently she is Chair of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital's Board of Directors, where she has served since 2009 and is President of the Leonardtown Rotary. She is a Co-Founder and past Chair off the St. Mary's Republican Central Committee, past Vice Chair of the Salt and Pepper Organization and the St. Mary's County Charter Writing Board.
Ms. Thompson says she is her own mentor—always self-motivated and inspired to accomplish goals. Although employed in some traditionally "male" roles, her hard work and determination have enabled her to overcome gender obstacles. She says it may have taken longer for her to be promoted, but eventually her salary was usually commensurate with men doing similar work. Her "can-do attitude" has enabled her to balance career and family while still finding time to serve her community in many volunteer roles.
In addition to honoring Ms. Thompson, the Commission for Women will also present awards to the Woman of the Year and the Woman of Tomorrow at the Women's History Month Banquet in March. Nominations are now being accepted for these honors. To access nomination forms, go to the St. Mary's County Commission for Women website at www.co.saint-marys.md.us/voluntr/women.asp. The banquet is open to the public.
Public Invited to Comment on Draft Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County and Department of Recreation and Parks invite the public to provide comments on the draft 2017 St. Mary's County Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP).
The LPPRP is an important document for identifying recreational, agricultural and natural resource and open space preservation needs in St. Mary's County. The LPPRP is updated every five years and offers an opportunity to reassess priorities in light of population growth and changing economic, social and market conditions.
The St. Mary's County plan, along with the plans from other counties, will be used by the State to guide planning, funding and programs to meet land preservation, parks and recreation needs across the state.
For more information on the LPPRP, please contact the Department of Recreation and Parks at 301- 475-4200 ext. *1811, or e-mail Kathy Bailey at kathy.bailey@stmarysmd.com.
Citizens may download a copy of the 2017 plan at www.stmarysmd.com/docs/SMC%20LPPRP%20Draft%20Plan.pdf