Garrett County, MD elected officials: county council or commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Garrett County: 15 seats on 7 elected bodies. 13 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Council or Board of County Commissioners
Garrett County Board of County Commissioners
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Garrett County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
8
0
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
1
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (2 in Garrett County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Garrett County
28,615people
48.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$67,688 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$235,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.2%U.S.: 8.4%
35%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.4% · White 94.7% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 2.8% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Garrett County
3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. Maryland: 3.5%.
475people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
13,740people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
14,215in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.3%
475
13,740
14,215
August 2026
3.7%
535
13,798
14,333
July 2026
4.1%
579
13,693
14,272
June 2026
3.9%
551
13,521
14,072
May 2026
3.6%
500
13,335
13,835
April 2026
4.4%
600
13,048
13,648
March 2026
4.7%
652
13,082
13,734
February 2026
5.7%
779
12,963
13,742
January 2026
5.3%
715
12,782
13,497
December 2025
4.0%
549
13,102
13,651
November 2025
3.9%
520
12,986
13,506
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.1%
575
13,305
13,880
August 2025
4.3%
608
13,434
14,042
July 2025
4.3%
606
13,378
13,984
June 2025
4.2%
587
13,333
13,920
May 2025
3.7%
514
13,199
13,713
April 2025
3.8%
515
12,950
13,465
March 2025
4.5%
616
12,969
13,585
February 2025
5.2%
703
12,855
13,558
January 2025
5.4%
724
12,745
13,469
December 2024
3.8%
518
13,204
13,722
November 2024
3.4%
464
13,110
13,574
October 2024
3.3%
458
13,360
13,818
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.3%
592
13,114
13,706
2024
3.6%
493
13,358
13,851
2023
2.7%
360
13,083
13,443
2022
3.5%
474
12,891
13,365
2021
5.3%
733
13,052
13,785
2020
7.0%
991
13,205
14,196
2019
4.5%
670
14,093
14,763
2018
5.1%
726
13,533
14,259
2017
5.6%
799
13,365
14,164
2016
6.0%
849
13,272
14,121
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Maryland's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.9% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Garrett County
20.6 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 358.0.
494.0 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 1,819.7.
0murders2025, 6 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
6
20.6
144
494.0
2024
8
27.0
137
462.5
2023
12
40.6
131
443.7
2022
9
30.4
189
638.1
2021
19
63.4
162
540.5
2020
37
124.8
214
721.5
2019
62
208.3
273
917.2
2018
54
181.5
257
864.0
2017
44
146.4
347
1,154.3
2016
46
153.7
268
895.4
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Garrett County Sheriff's Office
2025
6
139
26,398
Oakland Police Department
2022
1
35
1,811
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Maryland · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.49 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 28,203 people.
42sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
35civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Garrett County Sheriff's Office
40
35
26,398
Oakland Police Department
2
0
1,805
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
42
1.49
35
2
2024
38
1.33
45
2
2023
38
1.33
45
2
2022
37
1.29
47
2
2021
38
1.31
15
2
2020
38
1.32
15
2
2019
41
1.42
15
2
2018
37
1.28
17
2
2017
33
1.13
25
2
2016
33
1.13
26
2
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Garrett County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
William L. Bittinger (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Jeffrey D. Murphy (Republican) is the Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Michael B. Beard (Republican) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Mary Jo Wolters (Republican) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County Register of Wills?
Rita L. Watson (Republican) is the Register of Wills of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County Sheriff?
Bryson Meyers (Republican) is the Sheriff of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Garrett County State's Attorney?
Christian W. Mash (Republican) is the State's Attorney of Garrett County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Garrett County commissioners?
Paul C. Edwards (District 2); S. Larry Tichnell (District 1); Ryan S. Savage (District 3).
Who is on the Garrett County School Board?
M. Thomas Woods (At Large); Rodney B. Glotfelty (District 2); Sadie M. Liller (District 1); Donald B. Morin (District 3); Jane A. Wildesen (At Large).
What is the population of Garrett County?
About 28,615 people, with a median age of 48.3; the median household income is $67,688 and 11.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Garrett County?
3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 475 people unemployed in a labor force of 14,215, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Garrett County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal and 1 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Maryland Manual On-Line published by the Maryland State Archives; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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