St. Mary's County commissioners voted 4–1 on May 23 to restore funding to fiscal‑year 2011 levels for a set of community social‑service providers and tasked county staff with developing stronger performance and accountability reporting for non‑county grantees.

The restoration covered a targeted list of agencies that commissioners identified as providing direct social services, including Catholic Charities, Hospice, the Literacy Council, the Center for Independent Living, Child Care Resource Center (listed in the record as “The Promise”), St. Mary's Caring, ARC (formerly identified on materials as ARC or similar), Center for Life Enrichment, Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy, 3 Oaks, Tri‑County Community Action, Tri‑County Youth Services, Unified Commission on African Americans, and Walden Sierra. Commissioners described the total restoration as roughly $75,000 added back to the current draft budget.

Commissioner Morgan argued for restoring grants to “boots on the ground” providers to avoid immediate service disruptions. Several commissioners cited concerns that prior across‑the‑board cuts could force layoffs or service reductions among organizations that support vulnerable residents.

Commissioners asked staff and the Department of Human Services to develop a formal accountability process for allocations to non‑county entities, including reporting requirements and clearer performance metrics, to be ready before the next budget cycle. Acting County Administrator Sue Sabo indicated she would coordinate with Human Services to produce the proposed approach.

Ending: The board directed staff to reflect the restored amounts in the operating schedule and to return with a recommended accountability framework for non‑county funded social services before the FY13 budget cycle.