2025 State of the Town

2025 was a very productive year for the Town of Boonsboro. We wrapped up several projects and made significant progress in others.

The new Shafer Park Well was completed and put online, and is pulling an impressive 185 gallons per minute.

Thanks to grant funding, the fourth phase of the Shafer Park Walking Trail was installed and both of the basketball courts at the Park were resurfaced. In addition, a number of amenities were added to the Park, including benches, picnic tables, and trash cans. Grant applications were submitted and if funding is awarded, we will construct a new pavilion by Hawkins Grove Pond and expand the Dog Park in the next couple of years.

Perhaps most exciting is the tremendous progress in our Reservoir Replacement Project, which is at approximately 80% completion and on track to be finished in June 2026. A necessary component of the Reservoir Replacement is the Crestview Water Pressure Reduction & Bypass Project. The contract for this was awarded in November and construction is planned to start in early 2026. Together, these two crucial projects will ensure the Town has a consistently adequate supply of treated water for our residents, as well as fire protection for our Town and the surrounding area.

The long-awaited Chase Six Boulevard & Campus Avenue Realignment Project made excellent headway in 2025. The plans are complete and almost all of the deed transfers have been recorded. The construction portion is currently out for bid and will be awarded in January 2026 – in plenty of time for construction to start in June 2026. This project will dramatically improve the safety of students attending Boonsboro schools and will also help alleviate traffic congestion on Main Street.

We identified a section of water line on Potomac Street that needs replaced, and have formed a plan for accomplishing this early in 2026. This replacement will avoid future disruptions to water service for residents along Potomac Street.

Consistent staffing is imperative for optimal functioning across all departments. The Town was fortunate to experience only two staff changes in 2025. While we were sad to say good-bye to our previous Town Clerk, Bryan, we were pleased to welcome Jesse Powers to the Town Hall staff. Jesse has been diligently working to improve processes for staff and residents. We were also very happy to add a Groundskeeper to the Public Works crew. Mike Kinna has done an amazing job keeping Shafer Park the beautiful space we all love. We are delighted to have Jesse and Mike on board, and extremely grateful for the dedicated personnel who make Boonsboro a great place to live and work every day.

2025 brought more development than the Town has experienced in recent years, and while most people do not like change, it does come with numerous benefits. There has been increased resident attendance at public meetings, which brings new perspectives and generates productive conversations. The area is gaining new commercial options, such as the High’s already under construction and the McDonald’s plans currently in review. In addition, the increase in development has spurred the Town to reevaluate processes and update operations, such as codification of Town ordinances.

We are very grateful for all of the progress made over the past year, and looking forward to keeping that momentum moving into 2026.

Respectfully,
Mayor Howard W. Long