Ridgely is governed by three Commissioners who are elected to three-year terms. Terms are staggered, so one Commissioner is elected each year in April. Town elections are held on the 4th Monday of April. There are no term limits for Town Commissioners. Each Commissioner serves as President in the final year of their term.
Commissioners’ meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall.
John Hurley – Commissioner
Email: jhurley@ridgelymd.org
John Hurley has been a Ridgely Commissioner since 2012. His term expires in April 2018. Commissioner Hurley has lived on the Eastern Shore all his life and in Ridgely since 1987. His favorite thing about the town is its small-town charm. Commissioner Hurley has worked for the BWI Airport Fire Department for 30 years. He’s also a member of the Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department.
Leonard John Buckle – Commissioner
Email: jbuckle@ridgelymd.orgJohn Buckle has been a Ridgely Commissioner since 2013. Commissioner Buckle has lived in Ridgely all his life. His favorite thing about Ridgely is that it’s a small, quiet town where almost everyone gets along with one another. Commissioner Buckle owns a school bus and drives for the Caroline County Board of Education. He also works as a new bus driver trainer.
Town Administrators
Office Hours: M-F 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
410-634-2177 | questions@ridgelymd.org
Stephanie Berkey – Clerk-Treasurer
Email: sberkey@ridgelymd.org
Phone: 410.634.2177
Stephanie Berkey, CMC is the Clerk-Treasurer for the Town of Ridgely. She earned her Certified Municipal Clerk’s designation from the International Institute for Municipal Clerks in 2016, is a graduate from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy Academy for Excellence in Local Governance, and was the 2013 Maryland Rural Water Association Clerk of the Year. Stephanie is in charge of all the accounting and financial processes of the town, personal property tax billing, recording the minutes of all of the Town Meetings, keeping the records of town ordinances and resolutions, preparing the annual town budget, grant writing and administration, and processing accounts payable and the general ledger.
Melissa Leonard – Assistant Clerk-Treasurer/Zoning Administrator
Email: mleonard@ridgelymd.org
Phone: 410.634.2177
Melissa Leonard, CMC is the Assistant Clerk-Treasurer for the Town of Ridgely. She earned her Certified Municipal Clerk’s designation from the International Institute for Municipal Clerks and is a graduate from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. Melissa is in charge of all the processing of receivables for the town, human resources and payroll, and recording the minutes of all of the Planning & Zoning Meetings. If you have questions about building permits and Zoning, she is your go-to liaison. She keeps track of the Rental Properties in town and schedules them for their tri-annual inspections. In addition, she handles all of the Commercial & Residential water billing accounts. Generally, if you have a question – she can get you an answer!
Gerald Sutton – Financial Assistant
Email:
Phone: 410.634.2177
Gerald Sutton, CPA is the Financial Assistant for the town. Jerry handles all bank reconciliations and acts as an advisor to the Commissioners on all financial matters. He also serves on the Parks & Recreation Board, is a member of the Ridgely Lions club, and is a life-long Ridgely resident.
Maintenance & Code Enforcement are provided by Middle Department lnspection Agency | 410-822-8300
Public Works
Office Hours: M-F 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
410-634-2177 | dcrist@ridgelymd.org
After-Hours / Emergency Number: 410-479-2515
The Ridgely Department of Public Works maintains Martin Sutton Park, Railroad Park, town streets & sidewalks, alleyways, signage, and equipment. The department also maintains the town’s flower beds and trees. The department is responsible for snow removal and public trash removal (through a contactor), and responding to citizens’ concerns regarding town infrastructure.
Regular Trash Pick-Up
Standard trash pick-up takes place every Monday.
Definitions & Policy Regarding Bulk Trash
Bulk trash pick-up for brush takes place weekly on Tuesdays (weather permitting). There is no charge for unbundled limbs and branches. These items cannot be mixed with anything else.
• To allow for all residents to be served weekly, it is requested that piled tree limbs & branches not exceed four (4) inches in diameter or four (4) feet in length AND No more than the size of the bed of a small pickup truck, should be placed out at a time.
Bulk trash pick-up for rubble also takes place weekly on Tuesdays (weather permitting) and must be paid in advance at the Town Office by 4:00 p.m. on the day prior to pick-up.
All bulk trash pick-up for rubble must be scheduled through the Town Office by visiting in person to pre-pay. Any questions, call 410.634.2177. Bulk items should be placed in the same location where your regular trash is picked up.
The rate for all other bulk items is $10 per item. This includes the following items, which cannot be mixed:
• Household rubble (furniture, TVs, wooden doors, and other household items)
• Metal items (bicycles with tires removed, appliances, lawn mowers, lawn furniture, air conditioners, swings, etc.
• Bagged yard waste
The town truck may be rented for $100/day plus tipping fees for large volume bulk trash. You may haul your own bulk items to the Mid-Shore II Regional Landfill located at 11930 Holly Road, Ridgely.
The following items are not permitted for bulk pick-up and will not be loaded. To dispose of these items, arrangements can be made with Mid-Shore II Regional Landfill (410-820-8383) or Dependable Sand, Stone & Recycling (410-822-6363). WE DO NOT TAKE ANY FLOORING, CONTRUCTION DEBRIS OR PORCELIAN/FIBERGLASS/CERAMIC
• Paint cans containing paint (unless the paint has been allowed to dry and has hardened)
• Chemical cans or bags
• Tires or tubes
• Asbestos
• Stumps & tree trunks
• Hazardous materials
Leaf pickup is done as needed, but more routinely as the leaves begin to accumulate. Place them loosely (unbagged) in the curb and we will come by with the leaf vacuum.
The Town may pick up tires annually in conjunction with Caroline County’s Tire Amnesty Program. This program is generally administered in the fall.
Street Plowing Requirements
Park off-street if at all possible. Please do not shovel snow into the street after it has been plowed. Please stay off the roads while they are being plowed if at all possible.
David Crist – Director of Public Works, Water & Waste Water Superintendent
Email: dcrist@ridgelymd.org
Phone: 410.634.2177
James Moore – Maintenance Worker II
Brandon Samuel – Maintenance Worker II
The Maintenance Worker II position is an experienced position that performs a variety of specialized duties in construction and maintenance. Areas of responsibility include street maintenance, storm water systems, water and wastewater facilities, and other infrastructure.
Water & Sewer
The Water & Sewer Department is responsible for all distribution and collection of water and wastewater. This includes checking three wells daily and performing tests on the drinking water to ensure it is safe to drink. On the wastewater side, four pump stations are checked daily to ensure proper operation.
The Water & Sewer Department also operates and maintains miles of underground piping. At the Waste Water Treatment Plant, we maintain nineteen acres of storage lagoons and dispose of effluent, either by spray irrigation (April- December) or by stream discharge (January – March). Many tests are done on the effluent to ensure there is no negative impact on the environment.
Water meters are read according to the following schedule:
Third week of March
Third week of June
Third week of September
Third week of December
Rate Information
Water, sewer, and garbage fees are billed quarterly on the first day of the quarter. Payment is due within 30 days of the date billed. Unpaid accounts will be assessed a late fee of 10% of the balance on the 31st day.
Any accounts remaining unpaid by the 42nd day will be disconnected without notice and will be charged a $50 disconnect fee. DISCONNECTED PROPERTIES WILL BE RECONNECTED THE SAME DAY IF PAYMENT IS RECEIVED PRIOR TO 4:00 PM; PAYMENTS RECEIVED AFTER 4:00 PM WILL BE RECONNECTED THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY
Ridgely Volunteer Fire Company
The Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department has served the greater Ridgely community since 1905. The volunteers who generously give their time to the Department provide both fire and emergency services. Their coverage area expands well beyond the town limits of Ridgely to the surrounding unincorporated areas of Caroline County. To learn more about the Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department, please visit their website.
