Budget deliberations underway

Work on the Fiscal 2022 Worcester County budget has begun. Discussions this year will be shaped by issues whose scopes and impacts have, as of this writing, yet to be defined and in some cases identified.

Although the County budget is a complex document comprised of hundreds of pages on which are contained revenue and expense estimates, capital improvement projections, state funding mandates, OPEB Trust requirements, bond payment responsibilities, department allocations and a host of other line items, the budget, at its core, documents what we as taxpayers have, what we need and what we can afford. It’s no different than a household budget, albeit on a larger scale.

Budget deliberations are a push and pull exercise similar to kneading dough. This year's kneading will incorporate the effects of COVID-19 and the ramifications of state mandates, as well as issues big and small that require County attention. Determining how to address singular budget realities illuminates the interconnectivity of the whole.

There are a few issues of which I want to make you aware, because they could be integral to the budget’s construction.

Presently, the state legislature is considering a community college collective bargaining bill that will impact Wor-Wic Community College. You may ask, “how does that affect me as Worcester County taxpayer” Well, state aid to community colleges has been reduced eight times since 2008. Each time this has impacted Wor-Wic, students and Worcester County taxpayers have made up the difference through higher tuition and larger annual County allocations. Should this collective bargaining bill become law, Wor-Wic will have to hire additional staff as well as fund the budget impact of collective bargaining negotiations. This will likely result in additional Worcester County taxpayer funding being allocated to the college, on top of the anticipated $2.5 million for FY22.

Then, there is the yet-to-be understood provisions and impact of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Kirwan Commission Plan), that became law in February over the governor’s veto. It’s likely taxpayers will be required to invest even more for PreK through 12 education. Presently, County tax- payers spend more than $94.6 million on the Board of Education operating budget, plus an additional $12.4 million for debt service, for a total of $107.1 million. This represents 52.4% of the County budget.

We expect our students will have an exceptional learning experience when they attend our schools. As the parent of three Worcester County school system graduates, I believe our schools are head and shoulders above the other jurisdictions around the state. But the sticking point for me is that because of an unfair, convoluted, mandated state funding formula, Worcester County taxpayers pay a higher per-student cost than any other county taxpayer in the state. Is that fair? I don’t believe it is. The Kirwan Commission failed to address this situation, despite being mandated to do so, and I fear you and I will be on the hook for their failure to act.

Another critical issue is funding for our volunteer fire companies and EMTs. In this current fiscal year, County tax- payers allocated about $8.4 million to the 10 Fire/EMT companies throughout the County. The truth is realities are changing. The costs to maintain a fire station and EMT unit are rising more quickly than fundraising efforts can handle. Think about this for a moment: a new ambulance costs be- tween $250,000 and $350,000 before being fit out. A new lad- der truck can cost upwards of $750,000. Plus, there’s the cost of replacing and maintaining turnout gear and equipment.

There are only so many raffles and oyster roasts that can be held each year to cover these costs. And think about this: efforts to recruit volunteers are stymied, because men and women who may be interested do not have the time to de- vote to hundreds of hours of required.

In an emergency, we expect qualified personnel to arrive on the scene quickly. That’s why it is necessary for the County to continue addressing the fiscal realities faced by our volunteer fire companies. This will be a multiyear endeavor and will impact this year’s budget deliberations.

This year’s public budget hearing will be held virtually on May 4, beginning at 7 p.m. Go to the Worcester County website,    www.co.worcester.md.us, for more details.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 443-783-3248 or [email protected]