Calvert commissioners approve Commission on Aging bylaw revisions to extend terms and officer length

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 25, 2025 to approve changes to the Calvert County Commission on Aging bylaws that adjust membership criteria and extend term lengths.

Ed Sullivan, division chief of the Calvert County Office on Aging, presented the recommended amendments on behalf of the commission. The board authorized the changes by voice vote.

Key revisions approved include: - Membership: the number of voting regular members remains limited to 16, and members must be Calvert County residents or maintain a principal place of business in Calvert County unless included by virtue of representing a designated entity or stakeholder (the change explicitly allows nonresident representatives of local partner entities to serve). - Terms: regular membership was revised from two consecutive four‑year terms to three consecutive four‑year terms (extending the maximum service time as a regular member). The bylaw also states that certain elected‑official members who serve by virtue of office have no fixed term and serve at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners. - Officers: the term length for elected officers on the commission was increased from 12 months to two years.

Sullivan explained the rationale: commissions often benefit from continuity because learning county processes and program operations takes time, and some nonresident appointees represent agencies that do substantial work in Calvert County (for example, regional transportation and disability service organizations). Commissioners expressed support for the changes and thanked Sullivan and Office on Aging staff for their work on behalf of older residents.

A motion to approve the bylaws changes and authorize the board president to sign the updated bylaws passed by voice vote.