Dorchester County officials moved ahead this week with a new plan for distributing cannabis tax revenue, while also approving a long-range solid waste plan and hearing complaints from local business owners about delays in getting a zoning request before the County Council last night.
Cannabis Tax Funds
The most substantial discussion involved the county’s Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, which receives money generated by Maryland’s cannabis tax.
County officials said the state collects a 9 percent cannabis sales tax and distributes a portion of the revenue to local governments. The county uses those funds for programs intended to benefit communities affected by poverty, substance abuse, crime and other social problems.
During the meeting, county staff said Dorchester had awarded $819,379 to five organizations in the previous grant cycle. However, Dorchester County Council minutes from August 5, 2025, list five approved awards totaling $831,993.
Dorchester County Temporary Shelter received $317,124 for its “Sheltering from the Storm” program.
For All Seasons received $175,265 to expand services at its Cambridge office.
Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc. received $134,920 for its Club F.E.A.R. mentoring program.
ALL4LOVE, Inc. received $140,000 for its Next Generation 2026 youth mentoring program.
The Dorchester County Health Department received $64,684 for its Connecting for Success program.
Under the updated distribution plan approved by the council, a committee will review local data to determine the county’s most pressing needs before recommending future grants.
The information considered will include poverty and unemployment rates, school absenteeism, housing conditions, homelessness, substance-abuse treatment and behavioral health statistics. Applications addressing the needs identified as most important could receive additional consideration.
Gregory Meekins, representing the Dorchester Temporary Shelter Board, told the council that homelessness remains a serious issue and said the organization expects to seek additional county support.
“We will be back at the trough requesting some support,” Meekins said.
He said the shelter is working on short-term plans for the coming winter as well as longer-range strategies.
County officials said the committee reviewing the cannabis funds is scheduled to meet September 21, with recommendations on available funding and the structure of the next grant program expected to return to the council in early October.
10-Year Solid Waste Plan
The council also approved Dorchester County’s updated 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan.
Consultant Sean O’Donnell of Geosyntec Consultants said the plan provides a roadmap for handling the county’s waste while meeting state and federal requirements. Dorchester currently handles roughly 60,000 tons of waste annually, with that figure projected to rise to nearly 68,000 tons during the planning period.
The county’s Beulah landfill is expected to have roughly 30 to 35 years of capacity as additional landfill cells are constructed.
Recycling remains one of the challenges identified in the plan. Officials said Dorchester’s relatively small population, transportation costs and distance from recycling markets make it difficult to find companies willing to collect some materials.
The county is considering expanded electronics recycling, household hazardous-waste disposal and possible composting programs.
During the public hearing, one resident questioned whether private recycling contractors are monitored to make sure collected materials are actually recycled. O’Donnell said he was not aware of a Maryland auditing program, although he said recycling markets nationally have improved.
Zoning Request Draws Complaints
The evening’s most significant exchange came during public comment.
Business owner David Mansky, appearing with business partner Jesse Andrews, complained that a zoning proposal affecting their business had not been placed on the council agenda after they submitted the required paperwork.
Mansky said he was informed roughly 72 hours before the meeting that the council would not hear the request.
“What you may not think is important to be heard may be very important to our business,” he told county officials.
County staff said the issue had been scheduled for the council’s October 6 meeting because a strategic planning session was already scheduled immediately after the regular meeting.
Officials said postponing the presentation would give Mansky and Andrews adequate time to explain their proposal and allow council members to ask questions.
Council members stressed that they were interested in hearing the request. Mansky said his main concern was the late notification and the effect delays can have on businesses and their clients.
County staff agreed to contact the business owners before the October meeting.
Watch the full meeting here.