LUSBY — Calvert County’s Department of Parks and Recreation denied a request from Republican candidate Patrick E. Flaherty to reserve the pavilion at Cove Point Park for a campaign meet-and-greet, enforcing a county directive that bars political activities on public parks and recreation facilities.
Flaherty, a combat veteran running for County Commissioner in District 1, submitted the formal reservation request May 25. The department responded the next morning with a denial stating, “Per Parks and Recreation pavilion rental rules, pavilion rentals cannot be made for political events or campaign gatherings.”
The denial is based on a county-wide directive reminded to staff March 30 in an internal email from Parks and Recreation Director Bob Branham. The policy states verbatim:
“All County Parks and Recreation facilities, parks, and properties (except for golf tournament fundraisers) shall not be used for political events, political campaigning, political fundraising, or any activity intended to support or oppose a candidate, political party, ballot question, or legislative matter. Submission of a reservation request affirms that the applicant will not engage in such activities. The Department of Parks and Recreation reserves the right to deny, cancel, or terminate any reservation if it is determined that the use is political in nature or violates this requirement.”
The directive is an internal departmental policy. It is not listed on the county’s public picnic reservations webpage or special-event permit materials.
Cove Point Park is located at 750 Cove Point Road in Lusby. Its pavilion has an 85-person capacity and is available for private events such as family reunions or birthday parties. According to the county’s official picnic reservations page, fiscal year 2026 rental fees are $150 per day for county residents and $175 for non-residents, or $25 per hour with a four-hour minimum for residents and $30 per hour for non-residents. Reservations are handled by calling 410-535-1600, ext. 2649, or emailing sports@calvertcountymd.gov.
Private pavilion rentals do not require a special-event permit because they are not open to the public, county policy states. Special-event permits are required only for gatherings advertised or open to the public on county park property. The county’s Chapter 82 Parks and Recreation Ordinance authorizes the director to implement regulations and policies for safe and peaceful use of parks but contains no specific prohibition on political activity.
Flaherty called the policy a content-based restriction on protected speech. In a statement, he cited the 1939 U.S. Supreme Court case Hague v. CIO, which held that parks “have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and discussing public questions.”
“As a combat veteran, I am outraged by the new directive recently issued by the Department of Parks & Recreation and approved by the Board of County Commissioners,” Flaherty stated. “Public parks and county-owned property are traditional public forums. Under the First Amendment, citizens have a fundamental right to peacefully assemble, speak, campaign, petition, and express political views in these spaces.”
He added: “This Memorial Day weekend, as we honor the men and women who gave their lives to defend our freedoms, we should be expanding liberty on public land, not restricting it. If elected, or even if not elected, I will fight aggressively to overturn this unconstitutional policy and any other attempt to silence the people of Calvert County.”
Flaherty described the directive as “tyranny by bureaucracy” that chills free speech. He previously ran for the District 1 seat in 2022 and announced his 2026 candidacy during public comment at a February Board of County Commissioners meeting.
Branham, appointed director in March 2024 after serving as deputy director and recreation division chief, sent the March 30 email as a reminder of the county-wide policy. The message included a note to post it for staff without email access.
No response from the Board of County Commissioners or Parks and Recreation was issued regarding Flaherty’s specific request. The policy applies countywide to all facilities managed by the department. Pavilions remain available for non-political private reservations.
The denial comes as candidates prepare for the 2026 primary and general elections. Flaherty’s campaign emphasizes transparency, accountability and common-sense government.
A 2003 federal appeals court decision in Goulart v. Meadows upheld Calvert County’s restrictions on use of community centers as a limited public forum, but that case addressed different facilities and activities. Public parks are generally treated as traditional public forums under First Amendment precedents.
