| 
|
 
Living
in Southern Maryland
Business
Environment
St. Mary's County is the home of
over 1,575 businesses that employ in excess of 20,119 people. The major
employers include DynCorp, Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Allied-Signal, C-Cubed,
Compliance Corp., Eagan McAllister Assoc., Eagle Systems, Information
Spectrum, Lockhead Martine, Lundeberg
School of Seamanship, MACI, Mantech, St.
Mary's Hospital, Sabre Systems, PRB, Marconi,
Veridian, and the NAWCAD,
which employs over 12,000 military and other federal service employees.
The Maryland
Department of Business and Economic Development is
an excellent source of state and regional information as is the Census
Office. St. Mary's County's business environment
information contact the St.
Mary's County Chamber of Commerce.
Of Calvert County's 75,000 people,
more than 18 percent hold college degrees. Calvert offers access to one
of the largest, most divers, and highly skilled pools of professional,
management, and technical labor in the nation. In excess of 50% of the
county's workforce, however, commutes outside the county for employment.
Among the largest employers in Calvert County are Baltimore Gas & Electric,
Calvert Memorial Hospital, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, DynCorp and
Direct Mail Management. For more information on business in Calvert County,
Contact the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce at 410-535-2577 or the
Calvert County
Department of Economic Development at 800-331-9771.
Charles County supports over 2,500 businesses and employs in excess of
29,000 workers. Just 15 miles from the Capital Beltway, the county is
ideally situated to act as a gateway between the Washington metropolitan
area and the rest of Southern Maryland. The largest employers include
Besche Oil, Chaney Enterprises, Civista Medical Center, Applied Ordinance
Technology, Automated Graphics Systems, and the Southern
Maryland Oil Company, however, more than 35 businesses
have payrolls surpassing 100 workers. Home to over 125,000 people, most
workers commute to jobs outside of the Southern Maryland area. Much of
the workforce is located in the St. Charles planned community in the north,
while the southern and western portions have largely retained their agricultural/pastoral
character. The Charles County Chamber of Commerce can provide more information.
[return to top]
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
(NAWCAD), Patuxent River
 |
The
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD)
is a land, sea, and air test laboratory complex responsible for evaluating
naval aviation's advanced weapons systems. Originally established in St.
Mary's County as the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in 1943, the station
quickly grew with the addition of the Naval Air Test Center in 1945, and
the evolution of the Navy Test Pilot School in 1948. Today, the NAWCAD,
the Flight Test and Engineering Group, and approximately fifty tenant
activities are responsible for most of St. Mary's County job growth.
[return to top]
Government
Both St.
Mary's and Calvert
Counties are governed by an elected five-member Board of County Commissioners.
The entire voting population in their respective counties elects all Commissioners
for four-year terms. The "commissioner" form of government charges these
elected offices to be responsible for the establishment of all County
policies, the enactment of new ordinances, the review and approval of
annual budgets and work plans for all departments and agencies receiving
County funds as well as the appointment of all department heads, and members
of boards, commissions, and committees. The commissioners conduct public
hearings and make decisions on land use matters including zoning, water
and sewer categories, and appeals for the Planning Commission. Additionally,
they are responsible for purchasing and
 |
maintaining County property, approving
road construction and maintenance, and representing our county in state
and federal matters effecting our communities. In the 2002 elections,
Charles
County decided to adopt Code
Home Rule, one of two forms of home rule permitted
under state law. The new form of government went into effect in 2003,
and retained many of the characteristics of Commissioner Rule. It will
allow the local Commissioners to create impact fees, along with enacting
certain types of local legislation without awaiting approval from Annapolis.
Visit Southern Maryland's Link
to Government Information for information on Southern
Maryland’s state and federal governmental representation.
[return to top]
Health Care & Emergency Services
Located in Leonardtown, St.
Mary’s Hospital serves county residents with state-of-the-art
health-care offering the latest surgical, diagnostic and treatment procedures.
The members of our Medical Staff are among the most specialized in the
area.
The Calvert
Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick is a private,
community-based hospital. Certified as a 141-bed acute care facility with
an additional 16 skilled bed rehabilitative Transitional Care Unit, the
hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations, licensed by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene. For information, call (410) 535-4000.
Charles County is served by the Civista
Medical Center, previously known as Physician's
Memorial Hospital. Civista consists of a series of regional facilities
operating on a not- for- profit basis. The center offers 24-hour emergency
care, same-day surgery, intensive care, diagnostic and laboratory services,
obstetrics, pediatrics, rehabilitation, cardiopulmonary services, antenatal
testing, and a community cancer program.
A rescue helicopter
operated by the Maryland State Police is permanently
stationed at St. Mary’s airport transporting critically injured people
to regional trauma centers such as Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins,
the Southern Maryland Hospital Center, Prince George’s Hospital Center
and many others.
In addition to medical transport, the Maryland State Police provide airborne
delivery of law enforcement, and search and rescue services to the citizens
of Southern Maryland. There are currently 8 stations around the state
like the one at St. Mary’s Airport. Our local Trooper
7 spends over 400 hours a year airborne conducting
over 350 medivacs and 700 law enforcement/search and rescue missions each
year.
Calvert
Control provides assistance to citizens in Calvert
County needing emergency services. The
volunteer fire department has 7 company locations throughout Calvert County,
Advanced Life Support teams and Rescue Dive teams. The
Sheriff's Department is located in the main Courthouse
in Prince Frederick. They respond to emergencies, citizen's requests and/or
complaints, provide traffic control, assist at functions needing law enforcement,
and provide many other needed services to Calvert County residents and
visitors.
 |
The
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department has been
the primary law enforcement agency of the County for the past five centuries.
Established in 1637 to serve and protect the citizens of the Mother County
of Maryland, the modern day Sheriff’s manages approximately 100 Deputies,
65 Correctional Officers, 35 civilian employees and more than 45 volunteers.
St. Mary's County has 7 Volunteer Fire Departments 6 Volunteer Rescue
Squads. Together, they provide law enforcement and fire prevention services
to the county’s 85,000 permanent residents and the additional 15,000 people
who commute to the county for work and for recreation.
Charles County is also well-served by 17 mostly volunteer
Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) units. The county's
Department of Emergency Services coordinates the
activities of the fire and rescue units as well as providing animal control
and emergency preparedness services. The Fire/EMS fleet consists of at
least 26 ambulances, 26 engines,4 ladder trucks, 4 advanced life support
units, 24 bush trucks, 5 fire/rescue boats, and 2 dive teams. Most Law
enforcement coverage is handled by the Charles
County Sheriff's Office, or the Maryland
State Police, with the incorporated Town
of La Plata providing its own La Plata Police
Department.
[return to top]
Copy of original work provided courtesy of Rose Crowley with significant
additions, updates and corrections made by the Southern Maryland
Association of Realtors.
[return to top]
|
 |
