Keedysville officials press Washington County on golf-cart enforcement, school capacity, transit pilot and local services

Keedysville town officials presented a list of local concerns to the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 24, asking county staff to clarify enforcement and provide follow-up on infrastructure, public safety and health services.

The most immediate enforcement question concerned whether golf carts may be operated on county public roadways. “Golf carts cannot be operated on public roadways,” said Lieutenant Grama of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, adding that “Maryland traffic laws does not have a provision to properly license, and tag them, including vehicle insurance.” He said residents who observe golf carts on public roads should contact the non-emergency number for the county’s emergency communications center.

Town officials also asked the county to improve the appearance and repairs at the highway facility on Route 34 and Kaufman Farms Road. Andrew Eshelman, Washington County director of public works, said he will follow up after the meeting and can send highway staff to meet with town representatives about fence and tree planting options.

Keedysville council members raised concerns about school capacity tied to new development in the Boonsboro area. Jill Baker, director of planning and zoning, was identified as the county point of contact for school-enrollment projections; county staff said Baker receives enrollment data from the Board of Education and uses that data to forecast student impacts from planned developments.

A proposal to study a property tax credit for active and volunteer first responders drew a fiscal caution from county staff. A county official told the meeting that the county already provides “over $10,000,000 of support…for fire apparatus, for turnout gear for SCBA” and that a hypothetical $2,500 property tax credit applied to an estimated 2,500 eligible first responders would lower county revenue by roughly $6,250,000—“which is not sustainable and not affordable at this time,” the official said. The official suggested alternatives, such as more targeted credits for surviving spouses of fallen officers, and said staff would gather data on who would be affected.

Town members asked about homelessness services and whether the county had seen an increase in encampments following a recent Hagerstown city ordinance. A sheriff’s office representative said deputies have not reported a significant increase in county-patrolled areas and noted that many services for people experiencing homelessness are provided by outside agencies, including Community Action Council, Interfaith Housing Coalition, REACH and others.

Keedysville and county participants discussed the county’s 250th-anniversary planning and said the county will coordinate town events with a countywide calendar. County staff listed planned county events including a July Fourth celebration at the Ag Center (Sharpsburg Pike), commemorative coins, a float in the October mummers parade and a county birthday celebration scheduled for Aug. 30, 2026, at Pen Mar Park.

County staff said the county’s director of grants management is finalizing a plan for opioid-settlement funds; the plan will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for review and then to the state once approved.

Public-transit expansion was discussed in the context of the county’s five-year Transit Development Plan. Eshelman said the plan includes a pilot bus service to Smithsburg, Boonsboro and Clear Spring but does not currently include Keedysville. He invited feedback on potential demand indicators that could persuade the county to study service to Keedysville.

Keedysville residents also raised access to cardiac rehabilitation services. Meeting participants reported that Hagerstown-area cardiac rehab recently moved to Hagerstown Heart, had been closed for about two weeks because of staffing shortages, and that limited space meant the program can serve only five people at a time. A county official said staff would contact Dr. Joshi, identified in the meeting as the CEO of the local health system referenced by speakers, to relay concerns and seek clarification.

Commissioners and county staff addressed storm response and debris disposal: staff said the county opens transfer-station or landfill stations after major storms for free residential storm debris drop-off (typically about two weeks), coordinates emergency operations as needed and helps facilitate utility restoration with private providers. Keedysville leaders also told commissioners they value the town’s shared-deputy program; Sheriff Brian Albert and Deputy Dakota Watkins were cited by town officials for responsive community policing.

The meeting concluded with county staff agreeing to follow up on several items raised by Keedysville and with an adjournment motion carried by voice vote.

The discussion produced several staff follow-up commitments rather than formal county actions; county officials said some items (property-tax changes, new transit routes) would require further study or budget decisions before any policy change.

Votes at a glance: The only recorded formal vote on the transcript was a procedural voice vote to adjourn the meeting; no named roll-call votes on ordinances, resolutions or budgets were recorded.