With Callahan Out, Council Ties 2-2 on Short-Term Rental Referral

Lesher and Mielke yes; Stepp and Haythe no. Same night: data-center pause introduced, $243,600 water-sewer rewrite, and roads gear approved.

Helen Voss, a Civic Affairs desk pen name · August 11, 2026

Empty county council dais and gavel at evening

AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of county council dais and gavel at evening.

With Council President Chuck Callahan absent on August 11, the remaining four Talbot County Council members split 2-2 on sending a new short-term rental text amendment to the Planning Commission. A tie sends nothing forward.

Democrats Pete Lesher and Republican Lynn Mielke voted yes. Republicans Dave Stepp and Democrat Keasha Haythe voted no.

The same night, council introduced a numbered resolution for a 12-month pause on processing new data-center applications while the county writes zoning with the Town of Easton. No action was taken on Bill 1652, the Next-Generation 911 road-naming measure, which is eligible for a vote at the August 25 meeting.

Council also awarded a $243,600 contract to rewrite the Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan and approved more than $266,000 in roads equipment from the FY27 capital budget.

Source: Talbot County Council

Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.

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