LA PLATA, Md. — A $10,000-per-month stipend awarded to Mayor Jeannine James last year continues to divide La Plata’s Town Council, months after the newly elected body suspended it.
The stipend — approved by the previous council during a closed-door session in September 2024 — only came to light after then-candidate Councilman Tyjon C. Johnson filed a Public Information Act request. The Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board later determined that the meeting where the stipend was approved allegedly violated state transparency laws.
Although the current council unanimously voted to end the payments on May 20, questions of legality and accountability resurfaced during a tense July 29 meeting, where councilmembers clashed over whether to revisit the issue or table it pending legal guidance.
Mayor Moves to Table Discussion
At the July 29 meeting, Mayor Jeannine E. James began the discussion on the agenda item titled “CEO Stipend” with a formal statement defending the legality and justification for the $10,000-per-month stipend she received while temporarily assuming executive duties after the town manager’s departure.
Reading from a prepared document, James clarified that the decision to issue the stipend was made during a Sept. 3, 2024, closed session — not by her, but by the prior town council with input from the assistant town manager, the town’s human resources department and the town attorney.
“I did the work. I did not authorize the stipend,” James said. “The town followed precedent established decades ago, and asking for repayment is improper, unfounded and sets a concerning standard for future governance.”
James pointed to a similar situation in the late 1980s, when a former mayor was compensated while temporarily serving as the town’s chief executive officer.
“This was not without precedent. In the late 1980s, our former mayor also assumed the role of CEO during a managerial vacancy and received a stipend for those additional duties,” James said.
The mayor went on to question the motivation behind the renewed scrutiny, arguing it was driven more by personal attacks than genuine oversight.
“If this matter is truly about transparency, ethics and legality, then those raising concerns should begin by seeking clarification from the council that made the decision,” James said. “Otherwise, this becomes less about accountability and more about personal attacks disguised as procedural concerns, which undermines the credibility of this body and the trust of the residents we serve.”
She also noted that none of the current councilmembers — except herself — were serving when the stipend was approved and said the previous council had not been contacted for clarification.
“If each new council reinterprets or undermines the legal decisions of its predecessors, we risk eroding the continuity, stability and integrity of local governance,” James said.
During the discussion, Mayor James referenced a tort claim filed by Councilman Patrick McCormick, which signals potential legal action related to the stipend. She argued that it would be irresponsible to continue the conversation without legal counsel present, given the implications.
Councilman Gregory Sampson Jr. expressed reservations about continuing to rely on the town’s current legal counsel, Town Attorney Jack A. Gullo Jr., whose prior opinion had supported the original stipend decision.
“On the issue of tabling it, I’m indifferent. I can go either way,” Sampson said. “Where I have a concern is legal counsel — our legal counsel — is questionable because that is at the center of this issue.”
While not opposing the motion to table the discussion, Councilman Gregory Sampson Jr. stressed that the town should reconsider who is present for future legal debates on the matter. “He’s not an innocent bystander in this,” Sampson said. “We have a questionable legal counselman, and I don’t think he should be a part of any future discussions about this. I have serious concerns about our legal counsel’s judgment and the advice he gave. The reason we’re here is because of the advice he gave.”
James then motioned to table the discussion until the town attorney could be present at a future meeting and the former councilmembers involved in the original stipend decision could be formally consulted.
The motion passed in a 3–2 vote:
Yes: Paul C. Guttenberg, Tyjon C. Johnson, Mayor Jeannine E. James
No: Patrick McCormick, Gregory Sampson Jr.
Council Urges Caution as Debate Turns Personal
Tensions escalated during the July 29 meeting as Councilmen Patrick McCormick and Paul C. Guttenberg clashed over the intent behind revisiting the mayor’s stipend.
Councilman Paul C. Guttenberg supported tabling the discussion, arguing the council should avoid acting like a judicial body.
“We are not judges … and some members of this council are using this for personal gain,” Guttenberg said. “If we take action in here that is outside the purview of what we are legally allowed to do … we expose the residents of the Town of La Plata to costs. How much money are some members of this council willing to pay to get some amount of money back?”
He also urged his colleagues to shift focus: “I think we would all be more productive in that effort if we took down some of the rhetoric that’s going on in here over this issue — for personal gain, in my opinion, by the way — and focused more on the business of the residents of the town.”
Councilman Patrick McCormick, who opposed the motion, pushed back after all other councilmembers had shared their positions.
“It is interesting that Councilman Guttenberg uses the word ‘judgment’ but then claims we are not judges,” McCormick said. “The charter gives us specific powers as councilmembers to police our own. That’s what I’m asking for here. This has nothing to do with criminality. This has nothing to do with going to court. What personal gain could there possibly be for this?”
Earlier in the exchange, McCormick had also expressed frustration with Guttenberg’s actions, saying, “I think it’s disgusting that Councilman Guttenberg seconded this, running for transparency. This is terrible.”
Both Mayor James and Guttenberg framed the motion to table not as an effort to dodge accountability, but as a necessary step to avoid legal missteps and ensure that future discussions are informed by legal guidance.
Public Statement and Resignation Call
Following the meeting, McCormick issued a public statement to media outlets, calling for Mayor James to resign, return the stipend funds and allow for a mayoral election.
“As a private resident in the Town of La Plata, I am calling on the resignation of Mayor Jeannine James, the repayment of any stipend received for the performing the role of town manager and the open election of a new mayor in accordance with our charter and town code.”
McCormick also announced his intent to request formally:
- A censure motion against the mayor
- A charter compliance review
- A referral to the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor
In his statement to the media, McCormick cited quotes from past meetings to argue that Mayor James acted in a dual role as both mayor and town manager — an arrangement he claims violates the La Plata Town Charter, which prohibits elected officials from serving as town manager during their term.
“We are either a town of laws, or we are not … There is a pattern of disregard for our charter, our rules, our norms and our procedures — and they all seem to be violated by the same person,” he wrote.
The BayNet reached out for further comment from Councilman McCormick, who said:
“The argument that Mayor James made that we need legal counsel present because of the tort claim falls flat, and she is using the tort claim, in my opinion, to not have a conversation that this council has the power and obligation to have.”
Read Councilman McCormick’s complete statement below.
For official meeting minutes, agendas and council documents, visit:
www.townoflaplata.org
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Wow and people wonder why no one trust the government anymore. This is the small town of La Plata. The Mayor is clearly compromised and taking money for herself? 10K a month is insane and is that before or after taxes???