Prince Frederick, MD – There will be no fee increases for environmental health services provided by the Calvert County Health Department (CCHD). During a public hearing held Tuesday evening, June 2 the Calvert County Commissioners voted unanimously to leave various levies at their current levels. Instead the board will—with the help of county health officials—draft a letter to present to state leaders expressing displeasure in health department funding cuts and unfunded mandates that have been placed upon local jurisdictions.
Commissioner Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R – District 3] called for the missive to be “a strongly worded letter explaining the impacts of unfunded mandates.”
Noting that his colleague frequently travels to Annapolis to represent the board at Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) meetings, Commissioner Pat Nutter [R – District 2] (pictured, right) suggested Slaughenhoupt “hand-deliver” the letter to state officials. Slaughenhoupt agreed to do just that.
A public hearing on the proposed fee increases was held in early May and at the time there appeared to be some support for the various increases. However, Nutter expressed concern that the hearing was being held in the daytime and indicated he wasn’t ready to support the fee structure modifications until an evening hearing on the proposal was held.
Any support the fee modification plan may have previously garnered evaporated when the proposal came up for another review June 2. The county’s health officer attempted to make the case for the increases.
Dr. Laurence Polsky stated that the various environmental inspections and permits the county issues for such things as septic systems “are state-mandated.”
Calvert’s environmental health fees have not been adjusted since 2011. Coupled with decreases in county and state funding since 2008, CCHD has a current deficit of $277,320. The proposed fee increases would pare the deficit to approximately $103,170.
Polsky said the proposed fees were based on “actual cost services.”
For example, the current fee for a new septic application is $250. According to the CCHD, the actual cost of services for an application is $352. The proposed fee increase was to $350. An application for septic repair currently costs $175 but the actual cost of service is $435. The proposed fee was $175.
Changes in the fees for review of food service plans were also proposed. The current fee for both new and remodeled is $170 while the actual cost is estimated at $492. The proposed new fee was $490.
“We are not a bloated bureaucracy,” said Polsky. “Our fees are still lower than the surrounding counties. If we don’t make some adjustments we are going to have to cut costs.”
Polsky said some of the adverse impacts would be layoffs for as many as two CCHD employees and a longer wait for permits to be processed and issued.
“The state needs to step up, we can’t take anymore,” said developer Anthony Williams, who was representing the county’s Small Business Alliance. “We are trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. We don’t have any money.”
There was some skepticism expressed by commissioners about the cost estimates for inspection services. Commissioner Tom Hejl [R – At large] stated he “didn’t buy” the notion that the quality of work done by CCHD inspectors “would be reduced” if the fees weren’t increased.
“I don’t think we’re on an unstable ship,” Nutter added.
Still, Polsky expressed concerns that the department could lose inspectors to higher paying jobs elsewhere with no guarantees their replacements would do an effective job.
Noting the county’s tough economic times, Nutter said of the proposed fee increases, “this is just not a good time to do it.”
“We need every tool in the toolbox to get this economy good,” said Commissioner Mike Hart [R]. “You can’t tax your way out of problems.”
Polsky warned the CCHD’s deficit “will climb during the next fiscal year. Our costs are going to keep going up.”
Hejl suggested the board consider using $170,000 in fund balance to cover some of the health department’s deficit, an idea that gathered no support from the other four board members. Nutter said he couldn’t support the fund balance allocation since the commissioners declined to do the same for the public school system earlier in the day when the fiscal year 2016 budget was approved.
Commissioners’ President Steven R. Weems [R – At large] made the motion to not increase environmental health services fees. In a separate motion the board approved the letter to state officials regarding unfunded mandates.
“I’m not shy about pushing back on the state,” said Slaughenhoupt. “They’ve really touched a raw nerve.”
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com