EASTON, MARYLAND — Talbot County’s short-term rental fight is headed for another round.

On Dec. 9, 2025, Council members Pete Lesher and Lynn Mielke withdrew sponsorship of Bill 1622. No vote was taken. Under the County Charter, a bill without a sponsor dies. Lesher and Mielke first brought a restrictive short-term rental package in May 2025; the Planning Commission sent it back substantially loosened. The numbered Bill 1622 was introduced Oct. 28, 2025, with a Nov. 25 public hearing. Sponsors said the draft still missed the Town Residential and Town Conservation zoning districts, where many of the bill’s own supporters live.

A separate §190-63 licensing text amendment — not Bill 1622 — failed 2-2 on Aug. 11, 2026, on referral to the Planning Commission, with President Chuck Callahan absent. Lesher and Mielke voted yes; Dave Stepp and Keasha Haythe voted no. That tally was not a vote on adopting an ordinance and was not a second death of Bill 1622.

Property owners and rental agents call added restrictions government overreach. Neighbors backing the rules say unregulated rentals are changing the character of residential streets. With sponsors promising new legislation, this section will carry letters and guest columns from readers on both sides as the debate returns to the Council. Letters wanted, with name and town, from either side. Send letters to the Patriot.