Residents raise concerns about schools and seniors during county budget hearing

ST. JAMES — Fewer people showed up to speak at this year's county budget hearing, but overall, their comments echoed sentiments from last year: They sought more money for schools and the elderly.

About a dozen residents spoke during the hearing on the county's Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal during the hearing Wednesday at the Washington County Public Safety Training Center on Sharpsburg Pike.

Afterward, some of the commissioners expressed sympathy for what those who spoke had to say. Few, however, were prepared to make changes to the budget before it's officially adopted.

"I'm a firm believer that children and seniors are the bookends of our community," Tim Fisher, CEO of the Washington County Community Action Council, told the commissioners. "I'm also a firm believer that if we're not doing all that we can for our children and our seniors on those bookends, that the story in between those ends will not be a great story."

Continuing a campaign he's been waging for the last year, Hagerstown businessman Ed Lough, president of the board of directors for the Commission on Aging, reminded the commissioners of the growing population of senior citizens and the number he said are on waiting lists for services, and restated a concern he expressed when earlier budget documents were released.

This year, because of recommended accounting practices, the county budget includes the value of "in-kind" sponsorships to various agencies that receive county funding. But without an explanation of that, Lough said, the county's contribution to the Commission on Aging appears to be much higher than the actual cash allocation.

Of the $1.6 million allocated to the agency — $540,050 higher than reflected in the current budget — $433,600 is for in-kind transactions the agency already receives. In-kind transactions are not cash payments; they represent material or services the county provides to an agency.

In most cases, the in-kind transactions are for the use of county-owned buildings, Washington County CFO Kelcee Mace told The Herald-Mail earlier this year.

What that means, Lough said, is the Commission on Agency is really getting $106,450 more than in the current budget, rather than $540,050.

Superintendent of Schools David Sovine told the commissioners he and the Board of Education had left more than $16 million "in true needs" out of the school system's FY 2025 budget proposal, and then cut nearly $3 million more after learning Washington County Public Schools would not receive as much money as anticipated from the state.

WCPS had asked the county for $9.6 million more than in the current budget. It was "a reasonable ask" for compensating teachers and staff, Sovine said.

At $110.2 million, the proposed allocation to the WCPS is the largest in the county budget. It's $1.1 million more than in the current budget, and above the "maintenance of effort" funding level required by the state.

But educators and sympathetic citizens have been regularly lobbying the commissioners to "fully fund" the school board's requests all year.

"A 1.01% increase of the school budget will not come close to covering the impact of inflation," said Dave Williams of Smithsburg, who regularly speaks in commissioners' meetings on behalf of county schools.

"I realize the only good time to raise taxes is when you have good reasons," he said. "This year, you have good reasons" just as they did in 2019, when a previous board raised the local income tax to pay for emergency responders. That increase also qualified the county for more money through the state's program of "disparity" grants, but has since been cut back.

"I'm willing to pay my share," Williams said. "Please raise the local income tax rate to 3.2% so we have the funds to better address the needs of our county."

Williams added that his comments are "based on my assumption that you want to better fund the schools and the seniors, but you just don't have the money.

"My fear is that in spite of all the budget presentations and testimony that you'll hear, you don't believe that the schools and seniors really need more funds or even deserve more funds."

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Williams wasn't the only speaker who referenced the income tax rate, which is set to be unchanged at 2.95% of taxable income — as is the property tax rate, $0.928 per $100 of assessed value.

"I never thought I would ever see so many people ask for you to increase taxes in this county," said firefighter Mark Kopp of Fairplay, who appealed for more money for emergency services. "I think it's apparent that it's time that a tax is added to Washington County" for adequate public safety, he said.

Why some items in the county budget look higher: This year, in-kind expenses were added

Commissioners respond

Commissioner Wayne Keefer said he'd be willing to alter the budget to provide more money for seniors.

"I heard many comments that just reinforces my desire to … increase funding to our senior citizens; just further enhanced that desire," said. Asked whether he'd make officially make that request, he said "I've tried and I'll try again."

Commissioner Derek Harvey said he remains concerned about the Commission on Aging, "and I understand the new mandates that have come down from the state and federal level. It will require some additional funds. So we're gonna have to explore options. And I have a couple of things I want to talk to the other commissioners about."

Harvey said he didn't believe the reference to in-kind benefits for the agency "was intended to reflect a 50% increase in actual cash available."

An audience member approached Commissioners Randy Wagner and Jeff Cline after the hearing to lobby for an income tax increase, but they appeared to be unmoved.

"What I heard tonight was everybody has needs, including us," Cline told The Herald-Mail, "and there's not enough money to go around and meet those needs, with this current economy and inflation and pressure on services."

"We cut our own budget by $14 million, if I'm not mistaken," Wagner added. "I think sometimes, you know, we don't know what's coming from Annapolis; we're sort of sitting and waiting, and see what it does to our revenues. I think we're just treading cautiously right now to see where it goes."

"There's a lot of people who don't want us to raise taxes," Cline said.

But Commissioners President John Barr told The Herald-Mail he would like to have made adjustments "three months ago … I want to add at least $5 million more to the overall capital budget and give $4.5 million to the (Board of Education) and a half a million more to the Senior Center. I've said all that."

Barr said he believes the county could increase its overall budget from the proposed $300.6 million to $305 million, "because I think it's going to be there.

"Wait till September when we do the budget adjustment with actuals. I've already stated that if, in September, if it's $10 million or more over what we anticipate, shame on us."

The commissioners must take a final vote to approve tax rates and the operating and capital budgets for FY 2025. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Residents comment on county's FY2025 budget proposal