This episode and later ones will provide information and transparency as the Town Council prepares the FY 26 budget, which includes the operating budget, enterprise budget (water, sewer, trash/sanitation, stormwater management), and capital improvement plan (CIP).

References:

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Town Budget
• Adopted Town of La Plata Calendar of Events Preparation and adoption on the Town FY 2026 Budget

This episode provides the results from La Plata’s 2024 National Community Survey, presented to the Town Council at our September 20, 2024, meeting.

In April 2024, the Town engaged Polco to conduct the National Community Survey (NCS) to ascertain public perceptions of La Plata and its general livability. The NCS consists of standard questions asked of all municipalities and a limited number of custom questions provided by the client which may be tailored to ongoing or anticipated conditions affecting the municipality. The last such survey was conducted for La Plata by Polco’s parent company, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in 2016. The questions were largely the same in both surveys.

Polco randomly identified 3,500 residents for initial survey participation, after which the survey was opened to the general public. Between online surveys and paper surveys, Polco received 426 responses. Results were weighted to reflect La Plata’s adult demographic profile (see p. 2 of the 2024 survey analysis).

Possible applications for data collected in this survey:

• Clearer perspective on community priorities

• Review and adjustment of Town FY 26 and future budgets, staffing, and operations to better address community priorities

• Guidance for Town Council following the May 2025 Town elections

• Revision of 2022 Town Strategic Plan to foster community sustainability

YouTube Video Link

La Plata, MD The National Community Survey Report of Results 2024

This is David Jenkins, La Plata Town Council member from Ward 4 and your host for this podcast and videos, now available on YouTube, and YouTube Music.

This episode is about questions and frustration from many Town and County residents about a new 7-11 gas station starting construction at Rosewick Corner.

Future podcasts/videos:

• Why La Plata should have an economic development/placemaking function
• Best practices by other towns in Maryland, from my attendance at the Maryland Municipal League’s (MML) Fall Leadership Conference, November 6-8th, Cambridge Maryland.

YouTube Link

Reference: “The City Should Put a Trader Joe’s There” (and Other Muddled Thinking About Development)