Charles W. Gilchrist

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Charles W. Gilchrist received degrees from Williams College and Harvard Law School. He was active in many civic and political organizations, including the D.C. Bar Association and the Democratic Central Committee, and served as a Maryland state senator. In 1978 he was elected as County Executive after the retirement of James P. Gleason.

Gilchrist's administration was marked by housing problems and a sewer moratorium, pressure to control spending, a reorganization of County government to make it more centralized, and controversies over appointments. He was able to hold property tax raises to the level of or below inflation, and survive questions over his appointments, some of which led to the "Liquorgate" scandal, which he also survived. He was able to expand social services while holding down the size of government, and oversaw the opening of the Ride-On bus system, the Laytonsville landfill, and the incinerator at Dickerson, which had been planned during the Gleason administration. In 1984 he announced his retirement after the 1986 election to devote his life to the Episcopal priesthood. Sidney Kramer, the candidate whom he supported to succeed him, won handily despite being relatively unknown.