La Plata — The Town Council unanimously adopted Resolution 25-28 on Nov. 18, which formalizes the town's 2026 meeting schedule and the fiscal year 2027 budget calendar.

Town Manager Chuck Stevens and staff framed the calendar as consistent with the town charter and the Maryland Open Meetings Act and said the calendar follows Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) best practices for transparency. Stevens described a March 17 full-day work session during which council members are expected to meet with department heads to review budget materials; staff said if more time is needed they will schedule additional sessions.

Councillors discussed whether to add standing work sessions to the calendar and raised concerns about a 7-day rule in the current rules of procedure that constrains how quickly items can be placed on agendas. Several council members asked for a procedural change to allow more breathing room so work-session items can be considered earlier; Stevens agreed to draft rule revisions and said he would provide draft language in December.

The council adopted the schedule by roll call: Councilmembers Guttenberg, McCormick, Sampson, Johnson and Mayor James recorded aye votes.

Why this matters: adopting a calendar and budget timeline sets expectations for public engagement and staff workload during the budget season, and the council requested procedural changes to improve how work sessions and agenda items are scheduled.

Next steps: staff will provide draft rule changes on agenda timing in December and prepare materials for the March 17 budget work session.