Note: This is a SUMMARY of the Commissioners Meeting for the purposes of a Press Release. These are not the official minutes of the meeting.
Review of Actions Taken in the Washington County
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Monday, April 10 and Tuesday, April 11, 2006
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HELD A BUDGET WORKSHOP ON MONDAY, APRIL 10TH FROM 9 A.M. UNTIL NOON
GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION: MONDAY
Budget and Finance Director Debra Murray and Deputy Director Kim Edlund brought this initial discussion of proposed expenditures for Fiscal Year 2007 before the Board. Murray told the Board that Revenues are projected to increase by $17.2 million. The "new money" is proposed to be $2.9 million for Education, $2.9 million for Public Safety, $6.3 million for Capital/Transfer expenses, $1.3 million for support to State Programs and Non-Profit organizations. $1.8 million would go towards mandated GASB expenses, and $320,000 for GIS startup costs in the Information Technology department. All other operating areas would see a distribution of $1.7 million, and would include such County operations as Planning and Community Development and Recreation and Parks.
The Board of Education has requested $83,303,108 including general operations, nonrecurring costs, Crossing Guards and the Judith Center. BOE Operating funds are requested at $81,992,119, an increase of $1.8 million or 2.25%. Nonrecurring BOE costs would decrease by $500,000, for a total of $1.06 million, which is a reduction of 31.97%. Costs for Crossing Guards would increase by $7,051 or 2.88% to $252,149. The Judith Center budget is requested to be $64,840, an increase of $10,140 or 18.54%. Indirect primary educational costs for School Health Nurses would be $3,003,728, an increase of 22.2% or $545,736. Hagerstown Community College's budget request is $6,906,594, an increase of $900,860 or 15%. Other Educational costs would be $7,500 for the Maryland School for the Blind, which is the same amount as requested for FY 2006. The Washington County Free Library operating budget request would be $2,302,624, an increase of 115,176 or 5.27%. The total Education budget request is $95,516,054 for the coming fiscal year.
Public Safety requests would include the Sheriff's Department, Fire and Rescue, Emergency Services, 9-1-1 Communications and Animal Control Services. Total Public Safety requests for FY '07 are $24,476,499 an increase of $2,910,082 or 13.49%. 62% of the funds requested for new personnel would go to Public Safety under the current requests. New cost centers would be seen in the Fire and Rescue budget, with Fire and Rescue Volunteer Services as a new budget category. All Emergency Services budget activity will be part of the County Division of Fire and Emergency Services beginning in FY '07.
Operating and Capital Transfers would total $18,019,850, an increase of 5.9 million or 48.68%, and would cover budget items in the Solid Waste Department, the Agricultural Education Center, the Community Partnership, the Department of Water Quality, The Department of Transportation and Hagerstown Regional Airport.
Tax Setoff to the municipalities would increase by $39,000 or 29% in the coming fiscal year. The Town of Clear Spring will see an increase to $3,000. That community had been receiving the minimum of $2,000.
The Court system increases would include an increase of $139,900 or 12.49% to Circuit Court due to a fifth judgeship and courtroom. Orphans' Court would receive a $10 increase, to $31,410 for the year. States' Attorney operations would increase by $33,860 or 1.62%.
Debt service
would increase by 3.36% or $419,322 in FY '07.
State program
support would increase as well. The Health Department request of $2,381,056,
an increase of $334,684 or 16.35% would fully fund the Teen Pregnancy Prevention
program efforts, and would fund half of the state mandated wage and salary increases.
The Health Department would fund the remainder of that request through attrition.
Social Services' budget would increase by $78.964 or $40.69%. The University
of Maryland Agricultural Center programs would see an increase of 5.78% or $11,192.
The Cooperative Extension Service would receive a 5.3% increase in County support,
raising that allocation to $36,824. The Election Board budget would increase
by $355,620 or 62.40% for wages paid to temporary poll workers for the 2006
elections. Soil Conservation, Weed Control and the Gypsy Moth program would
also receive increases with the largest going to Weed Control in the amount
of $51,780 or 112.18%. All budgets will be reviewed prior to the Public Hearing
set for May 9th at Kepler Theater on the Hagerstown Community College campus.
THE REGULAR COMMISSIONERS MEETING WAS HELD ON TUESDAY, APRIL 11TH
GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION: TUESDAY
Budget And Finance Director Murray and Deputy Director Edlund brought a second look at projected operating expenses before the Board, continuing with the Non-profit Organization category.
The Tri-County Council of Western Maryland will receive an increase of $2,500, or 14.29%. That Organization assists in obtaining state and federal grant funds for the County. $1,300 was recommended as an increase to the Historical Society budget, for repairs to the Miller House in Downtown Hagerstown. The Humane Society request of $1,174,039 was accepted, an increase of 12.03% or $126,051. Children's Village requested an increase of $13,500 to pay instructors. Staff requested the increase to the budget be capped at $5,000. CASA requested an increase of $72,622 for wage and salary adjustments. The Board requested the increase be approved at $50,000. Community Action Council's requested increase of $14,442 or 8.44% for health insurance costs was approved. The Commission on Aging requested an $87,110 increase due to the difference in lease costs between the Alexander House and its new location in the Aspire to Serve Building. The Commissioners approved an increase of $59,000 to that budget. Senior Living Alternatives, or Holly Place, Inc. requested $128,300. Staff recommended an increase of $1,120 or 5%. The Museum of Fine Arts had requested an increase of $78,590 to fund several projects. The Commissioners approved an increase of $6,840 or 5% to that organization's operating budget, with consideration of a one-time donation of funds from the FY 2006 Commissioners' Contingency budget to support one of the programs. No amount was discussed. The Arts Council, Memorial Recreation Center and the Maryland Symphony all received increases of 5%.
PUBLIC HEARING: EXCISE TAX PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
County Attorney Richard Douglas and Planning Director Mike Thompson brought this proposal to Public Hearing. Douglas told the Board that the proposed amendments included 17 minor revisions or clarifications. The definition of “construction” in Section 2 was simplified and references to replacements of units were eliminated.
Definitions were added for “Director of Planning” and “Nonresidential Construction.”
The definition of “gross square footage” eliminated any reference to the building code and was simplified. The definition of “Residential Addition Construction” was clarified.
Section 3A(a)(3) was revised to make it clear that the exemption for residential construction applies “per dwelling unit.” Section 3A(b) was revised to send appeals from decisions on the Ordinance to the County Administrator rather than the County Commissioners, for efficiency and consistency with Section 9. Section 3B(a) was revised to clarify that the Director of Planning shall determine the applicability of the percentages for nonresidential construction and that changes shall be shown on a site plan. Section 3B(c) was added to provide for the computation of tax on “nonresidential addition construction.” Section 3B(e) was added to prevent piecemeal applications with regard to nonresidential construction. The existing 5(c) was eliminated and a new Section 5(c) was added to set forth the rules for application of the tax to replacement construction. Section 5(h) was amended to exempt only the schools portion of the building excise tax (70%) on housing for the elderly, and limiting the exemption to properties developed according to federal regulations for elderly housing. Section 5(j) was amended to add “and additions” to the exemption for “small developments.” Sections 8(b)(2)(a) and 8(c)(4)(b) were revised to set time limits on the deposit of taxes with the Department of Budget and Finance. Several sections of the Ordinance were amended to clarify that decisions as to the applicability and interpretation of the Ordinance shall be the responsibility of the “Planning Director or designee” for consistency with sections of the Ordinance governing appeals. Section 13(b)(2) was clarified as to definition of workforce housing. Some sections were renumbered. Other minor changes were made for consistency. Discussion centered on proposed exemptions for elderly housing, and a recapture provision. The exemption would be 70% of the tax, or the amount that would be used for schools. The provision would require covenants stating that all persons living in housing units receiving elderly exemptions, be over the age of 55, and would be more stringent than federal requirements. Occupancy, not ownership would be the trigger for the provision. If individuals not considered senior citizens moved into the properties, the exempted excise tax could be recouped by the County. 3 citizens appeared to testify in favor of the revisions. 9 citizens appeared to testify against the Elderly Housing Exemption portion of the proposals, two of them testifying against any exemptions for developers. Commissioners' President Greg Snook stated that written comment will be taken for 5 days, and the issue will return to the Board for further consideration in Late April or Early May.
GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION
Budget and Finance Director Debra Murray and Deputy Director Kim Edlund brought a discussion of the FY 2007 operating budget before the Board for review and comment.
Under General Operations, the Board of County Commissioners would see an increase of $19,950 or 8.79%. The County Clerk's office would receive an increase of $16,590, or 16.73%, tied to inventory and maintenance of official records. The County Administrator's Office budget would increase by 2.9% or $5,600.00. The Public Information Office would see an actual decrease in operating costs of $650.00. A total increase for the office, including personnel expenses would be $6.390 or 8.57%. Budget and Finance would see an increase if $25,140 or 2.77%. Independent Accounting and Auditing would be increased by $2,000 or 3.54%. The Purchasing Department budget would increase by only .40%, an actual increase of $1,470.00. The Treasurer's Office budget would increase by $16,030 or 4.39%. The County Attorney's Office would see a 4.77% increase or $29,000. The Operations budget for Human Resources would increase by $3,250 or 2.28%. That figure does not include County personnel wages and benefits, which is a separate line item. Central Services, copying and mailroom support, would increase by $21,170 or 15.57% primarily due to the rise in postage costs. Information Technologies would increase by $462,450 or 35.07%, due to assimilation of the County's GIS system, new hardware and upgrades in software. General Operations would have an increase of 18.99% or $177,220 due to post-employment pension benefits, federally mandated accounting procedures, and liability insurance increases.
Planning and Permits budgets would see increases primarily tied to increased workload under the current construction market conditions. The request is for $155,400 or 14.22%, and would include a 30% increase in part-time salaries for the Planning Commission. The Board of Zoning Appeals requested a $6,580 or 10.76% increase. Permits and Inspections is requesting $286,040 or 18.67% for 3 new positions and vehicles to support those positions. Commissioner Bill Wivell requested in-depth justification for those positions. Plumbing Inspections would see a 44.4% increase or $62,690 tied to a new position and vehicle for its support.
Buildings operations budgets would include $13,820 for The Martin Luther King Center, a decrease of $39,780 for the County Administration Building, $43,540 in budget increase for the Court House, $27,900 in operational increases for the County Office Building and an increase of $4,000 for the Administrative Annex. The Dwyer Center request is for an additional $5,000. Rental properties would see a 100% decrease, as the County is phasing that program out. Library branches would see a $1,500 increase for Clear Spring, $14,500 in startup for Smithsburg and $1,500 for planning at Boonsboro. Additional budget discussions will be held at the meeting on April 18th and in a budget workshop on April 19th. All budgets will receive further review before the Public Hearing on the FY 2007 Budgets, set for May 9th at 7:00 p.m. at Hagerstown Community College's Kepler Theater.
SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM ARMORED VEHICLE DEMONSTRATION AND MEETING WITH MARYLAND HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
The Board traveled to the Washington County Sheriff's Office to see a demonstration of the Washington County Special Response Team's (SRT) new Bearcat Armored Rescue Vehicle and meet with Maryland Homeland Security Secretary Dennis Schrader. Schrader said that the County and City of Hagerstown were to be commended for working together to form the SRT. Schrader briefed the Board on the 2006 State Homeland Security Grant process and echoed the Governor's support for the new communications system the County is putting into place. Schrader was instrumental in obtaining funds for the vehicle and security gear used by the SRT. The Armored Truck was approved in June, 2005 with $209,000.00 in funding from a Homeland Security Grant. Schrader said the County has some special Public Safety Challenges and that the Governor's Office of Homeland Security has been attuned to needs of the County and the Region. Purposes. Schrader said the state is aware that public safety radio communication is a big issue in the County and Western Maryland, and cited Washington County's commitment to the radio project now underway. Schrader said that an initiative has been included in the latest round of state Homeland Security Grants to be called the Quad-State initiative, which would provide federal funding for interoperable communications to Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Schrader said the state was grateful for Washington County's help in taking the lead on interoperable communications planning in the region.