Leonardtown, MD — With one of two budget workshops out of the way, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County appear ready to address some of the concerns raised at their April 14 budget hearing. On the plate for final decisions are additional step increases for school and sheriff’s department employees, additional funding for the College of Southern Maryland and a small property tax rate decrease in line with the constant yield.

At the April 27 budget work session, the majority of the commissioners appeared to be ready to move on all the issues, although things could change at their May 4 work session and before a final budget vote May 12.

The St. Mary’s County Board of Education had advanced to the commissioners the idea of a one-time payment from the county fund balance of $1.6 million to pay off existing technology leases. That would allow the school board to free up enough budget money to pay for a second step increase for all of their employees. They did not get a step increase this year.

But the decision was deferred until next week about whether the money should be made up from the fund balance, or could be covered by extra state funding. The amount that St. Mary’s is expecting to get from the state is unclear, with Superintendent Scott Smith saying he believed it was $1.2 million, but several commissioners said they anticipated $1.9 million more.

Any commitment for enough money to cover a second step would still be contingent on the school board’s continuing negotiations with their three employee unions.

Another potential source of extra budget funding is a $682,000 reserve that was set aside to address issues raised at the budget hearing. But Commissioner Mike Hewitt [R – 2nd District], who said he was strongly committed to giving school employees a second step, said he didn’t want the reserve used for that.

Commissioner John O’Connor [R – 3rd] agreed. He advocated giving the sheriff’s department employees the second step as requested at the hearing by the Fraternal Order of Police.

Several of the commissioners advocated giving the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) the extra $262,339 requested by the college’s president, Dr. Bradley Gottfried, at the public hearing and in a March 17 letter. The commissioners had flat-lined the college in the budget that went to public hearing.

Commissioner Tom Jarboe [R – 1st District] said of CSM, “It’s a great deal.” He added, “Dr. Gottfried doesn’t come to the commissioners often asking for more money.”

Hewitt made the suggestion that the commissioners consider adopting a constant yield budget which would mean a reduction of $543,000 in revenue and a reduction in the property tax rate of three-quarters of a cent, Hewitt said. The new rate would be .8525 per assessed $100 of value.

Hewitt also suggested that the commissioners entertain the request of school bus drivers. Director of Public Works and Transportation George Erichsen said it would cost $196,000 to get the public and non-public school bus drivers on parity.

The commissioners did decide to place a full-time American Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator position in the budget instead of hiring a consultant to do an ADA compliance study. The commissioners, however, would have to vote to proceed to hiring for the position. Currently ADA compliance is a collateral duty for a county employee. A full-time coordinator was requested by the county’s Commission for People with Disabilities.

In addition to finalizing all of the operating budget decisions, they will also address the capital budget and what to do with the Navy museum at next week’s meeting.

The commissioners also tentatively decided to use $4.6 million of their undesignated fund balance to pay for capital projects. If they also tap the fund balance for the $1.6 million school board request, that fund balance would be reduced from more than $22 million down to $11 million. There are, however, several other reserve accounts, including the five-percent bond rating reserve and the $7.5 million BRAC reserve.

Fund-balance monies are also being used for the detention center renovation project and for Duke Elementary School textbooks and library collections.

The budget workshops are being conducted by Acting Chief Financial Officer Jeannett Cudmore.

The commissioners also have a pending decision on the site for the new Leonardtown Library. That was also subject to a discussion at the budget workshop. The commissioners toured the two sites with Director of the Maryland Department of Planning David Craig during their April 28 meeting. The Bay Net will have a separate story on that issue.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com