Board moves to hire Bradley J. Neitzel as county attorney; contract approval made contingent on broader employment-term decisions

The Board of County Commissioners indicated support for appointing Bradley J. Neitzel as Calvert County's next county attorney, with staff recommending an anticipated start date of Oct. 19, 2026, and asking the president to be authorized to execute the employment agreement.

Human Resources Director Melanie Woodson read the proposed terms and told the board the agreement would "memorialize the terms of Mr. Neitzel's appointment and allow the county to proceed with his anticipated start date of 10/19/2026." Several commissioners pressed for a change to section 5 — the leave/severance language — arguing the board had historically used three months and should be consistent. Commissioner Hart said, "I have a problem in section 5. It has a 6 month payment with leave. We've always been 3 months to be consistent," and asked that the contract be adjusted or made contingent on the outcome of broader contract discussions.

The board resolved to make the appointment contingent on the pending review of employment contracts on the consent/new-business calendar and directed staff to incorporate the county attorney contract into that process. No final signed contract for Neitzel was posted at the meeting; the board asked staff to return with finalized paperwork once the related county employment terms were clarified.