LA PLATA, Md. — A $10,000 monthly stipend paid to Mayor Jeannine James for assuming town manager duties was officially suspended during the May 20 Town of La Plata special council meeting, following a motion introduced by Councilman Tyjon C. Johnson and unanimously approved — including by Mayor James herself.
During the meeting, Mayor Jeannine James proposed officially appointing Assistant Town Manager Michelle Miner as acting town manager to streamline operations and restore a traditional separation of duties. While the council expressed support for the move, the discussion reignited scrutiny over the mayor’s stipend arrangement and how it was approved. The $10,000 monthly stipend began in September 2024 and was backdated to cover duties assumed after the former town manager’s resignation in July.
The stipend was revealed through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by Johnson, which showed it had been authorized during closed sessions by the previous council. Councilman Patrick McCormick, who seconded the motion to suspend the payments, issued a public statement afterward calling the situation “deeply troubling.”
“Let me be crystal clear: This is a violation of the Town Charter,” McCormick said. “First, credit to Councilman Johnson. While reviewing past approvals, he discovered a stipend approved in September 2024 for a ‘town manager’ — but the town had no town manager at that time.”
McCormick pressed Town Attorney Jack A. Gullo Jr. to explain how the stipend agreement — labeling the mayor as “CEO” while referencing “town manager duties” — was allowed to move forward. Gullo appeared uncertain whether he had personally reviewed the agreement before it was approved.
McCormick argued that the Town Charter makes it clear: In the absence of a town manager, the mayor assumes those responsibilities automatically, without additional compensation. “It states in the Charter that if there is no town manager, the mayor will run day-to-day operations,” McCormick said.
Gullo countered, “The tasks of the mayor is not to be in the day-to-day operations of the town,” but then added pointedly, “I guess the point is, if you run for mayor and the town manager is not here, you know that you’re taking on a full-time job?”
McCormick responded firmly: “Absolutely.”
In his public statement, McCormick also emphasized the broader fiscal impact of the arrangement.
“Let’s put this into perspective,” he wrote. “The mayor’s base salary is $21,000. Over the past several months, she has taken an additional $120,000 — taxpayer dollars — for doing what she was already obligated to do. That’s nearly six times her actual salary.”
McCormick pointed out that town employees have not received a raise in three years. He noted that the $120,000 paid to the mayor could have instead funded a 2% raise for every town employee.
The council unanimously voted to suspend the mayor’s $10,000 monthly stipend and advanced legislation to formally appoint Assistant Town Manager Michelle Miner as acting town manager until a permanent hire begins in approximately 20 days.
You can watch the full recording of the May 20, 2025, La Plata Town Council meeting on the town’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@LaPlataEvents
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Get rid of her. Clearly she isn’t doing anything to benefit the town of LaPlata. Sounds more like theft in my opinion.
Long story short, La Plata Mayor steals/embezzles tax payer money with the help of the town attorney and no one is getting arrested and they both are keeping their jobs
So, is the LaPlata Town Council going to claw back that $120,000 that has been erroneously paid to the Mayor? A question that really needs to be asked and answered?
That’s gonna be a resounding “no.” If there’s one thing we should all have learned by now, it’s that government officials are entirely immune from consequences or prosecution.