[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6377533,"mediaKeyId","2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473","parentId",2138948,"title","Commissioners direct staff to model reduced school increase, debate SROs and teacher compensation","audioSeconds",1029,"startMs",4452130,"endMs",5481355,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473&start=4452&end=5481","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473/thumbnail_4452130.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6377533/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-direct-staff-to-model-reduced-school-increase-debate-SROs-and-teacher-compensation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377533-719dfdc7568c26a5390bf3b52bafba6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775298921&Signature=Z4c64YdnL5bakGkjYFu0kArxUsb-mFSQiXrU81DvfIaIJ1hnIOsIkAq9B87ARa5RN9GBT6Z0De8LJEfhhxs15PUEncFjeO90NwQKN31mJsyCSCrtJ6Ls~aUJRmORxAySQRsP6DoB8LcklRBVl4lU~AlIro165x~FBB2bX1M7opy0y3fJsv2EpQZ8bnpZsAo~LGP0C4GckxcoPuAjBK9abaPG5p9hW~XGK4T~Mpr4D3k~NFBHTk5YjFJZtiDGZA72Lrz6tiJU9GSoKITg7qqBx8o2XRqG0OVtsrmIiR0f1lB22VCZST-jx99q89yU-Ahcy5sOpysiENSed-OFsQiDlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-22T19:26:31Z","article","St. Mary’s County commissioners spent a major portion of their March 19 budget work session on school funding, school security and teacher compensation, asking staff to model a reduced Board of Education request while debating whether to add more school resource officers (SROs).

School-system representative Dr. Martirano reported a memorandum outlining current negotiations: the total negotiated cost to date across bargaining groups is about $3.5 million. He told commissioners the approximate planning factors staff used were about $1.2 million for a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) and roughly $2.4 million for steps when applied across all employee groups; the memo also referenced a proposed $800 one-time stipend for employees at top-of-grade who cannot receive a step.

Commissioners discussed different growth targets for the Board of Education. Staff showed that reducing the board’s request from the originally requested level to a 5% increase required a $2,193,322 reduction; commissioners directed staff to model an even smaller 3% scenario for the Board of Education so the board can see the fiscal impact. Staff estimated each 1-percentage-point reduction for the Board of Education is roughly $800,000 and that changing BOE funding from 5% to 3% would free about $1.6 million for the public‑hearing reserve in the recommended budget.

School security drew extended debate. Commissioners and school representatives said the county currently has SRO coverage in the three high schools and in parts of the middle-school system. Some commissioners urged a cautious, evidence‑based approach: several suggested pausing new SRO hires for elementary schools and directing a task force and experts to review needs and options (including private security models) before committing to more hires. Others pressed for immediate additions to middle-school coverage.

After discussion the board reached a practical outcome for the draft budget: commissioners agreed to keep the existing SRO presence, to approve adding two additional resource officers for middle‑school coverage, and to defer further new SRO hires for elementary schools until a security study and joint school/county plan is completed. Commissioners also asked county and school staff to provide comparative information about security models used by other districts and the legal differences between sworn deputies and private contractors.

Commissioners emphasized they remain split on final funding levels and that the recommended budget will return next week with the board’s directed scenarios and the school-system compensation calculations for further review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/19/2013 CSMC Budget Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The board asked staff to prepare a recommended budget that models a 3% increase for the Board of Education, debated resource officers and school security, and heard the school system describe negotiated compensation costs of about $3.5 million so far.","taxTitle","St. Mary's County, Maryland","taxId",51086,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6377538,"Commissioners set one-time spending limits, fund-balance uses and DECD placeholder in FY2014 budget work session",628,88650,717315,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473&start=88&end=717","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473/thumbnail_88650.jpg","/articles/6377538/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-set-one-time-spending-limits-fund-balance-uses-and-DECD-placeholder-in-FY2014-budget-work-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377538-7d2b27392a5b4d9eeae175c2957bc0a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775298921&Signature=ka7pPyw8jPixQfnLPljaKk0aqpF3poNjdLtw6ODBnkDmuhwi4oO005TscV~mioun2NbYwKFVjFOOg3RMNlEMYqeJcAqO2eA5Ie1Y6L99P4BtzCqKFK18hrpNx-eVVToSmycrRBKWwi2j6FqcfxhucfKcBED5aQZBxTs4qBWtjUA0QwnnNRnYK-dYaEubtzGUX7KoY2bhYgZv4wXVoI3oICjjIhFHwokqO2ENRbj1uaDIc17OD1s9ACMLFMaOPRsi8TXkvaRNLv4PVjcJ5qSY8K0UuB1XQdo1ufmpu4Ucqe9PeyDaV~0-ZcMLDBpDnppNRvhx3alpLBPCr3mXsTQmqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Mary’s County commissioners on March 19 directed staff to use fund balance for a set of one-time expenditures, kept a $350,000 placeholder in the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) budget, and asked staff to return a revised recommended budget that reflects board guidance on core agency increases.

CFO Kramer told commissioners staff had realigned nonrecurring furniture and equipment purchases across county departments and elected-official budgets (reductions of about $51,000 and $118,000, respectively) and proposed using fund balance for selected one-time items. Staff identified $50,000 for detention-center-related IT software and $100,000 for a consultant to support procurement of new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software; together those items total $150,000 and were described as one-time uses of fund balance.

Commissioners also left a $350,000 placeholder in DECD’s proposed FY2014 budget to fund BRAC- and economic-development-related work. Several commissioners said they expect DECD to return to the board with plans before spending the money; one commissioner asked that the board use a public process before distribution so the community can see deliverables.

Other technical and reclassification adjustments were discussed and directed: county staff moved Johnson grass funding ($16,900) into a revolving fund so fees and expenses could be handled together; staff will prepare a budget amendment to advance septic funding for Tri-County Bridal Shelter in the coming week; and staff noted some enterprise-fund reclassifications will follow in Friday’s package.

Commissioners debated the overall growth target for major agencies. After discussion, the board asked staff to prepare a recommended budget reflecting a reduced Board of Education request (staff were directed to model a 3% increase for the board) while retaining a 5% guideline for the sheriff’s non‑grant budget; commissioners were split on library guidance but staff were asked to show scenarios. Staff said the change from a 5% to a 3% Board of Education allocation would free about $1.6 million for the public‑hearing reserve in the recommended budget.

On compensation, staff reviewed options for county employee pay adjustments. The county presented an option of a one-step increase on anniversary dates (with an $800 one-time stipend for employees at top-of-grade) as an alternative to a full two-step plan; staff said a one-step approach would reduce the two-step cost by roughly $550,000 (a rough, ballpark estimate presented in the session). Commissioners directed staff to retain the two-step plan in the draft for now but to reflect the board’s direction as discussions continue.

Staff said when the revised recommended budget is returned it will show the board’s direction in the expense and reserve lines; staff estimated the public‑hearing reserve would approach $2.9 million after the board’s revisions were applied.","At a March 19 budget work session commissioners directed staff to use fund balance for several one-time items, to keep a $350,000 placeholder in the Department of Economic and Community Development budget, and to return a revised recommended budget with specified agency guidance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6377543,"St. Mary’s County commissioners advance volunteer rescue tax increases to public hearing",168,13600,182120,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473&start=13&end=182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138948-e033487f067b1adbfdc3321acfba0473/thumbnail_13600.jpg","/articles/6377543/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-commissioners-advance-volunteer-rescue-tax-increases-to-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377543-98625955262a7ccf764703732d00d553/orig.mp4?Expires=1775298921&Signature=n3cSu7Qn080VtuzKNtaU5zk5boxH1eH8KssSVyFw~Mm2~VZ2Z19MPZTrpirpxvvzfdbdx1l3AhyILg0C0QexKGHHVtvPR-edrqDiO9oCE~~MK3MuVdQn41K9cisOIxIkm6iMsmEOXiAuX0i2SuqIqMwOxAxYnWGIyBTuLg-b4E8D0t0z4uZxNmDkFnysLjau3UkHhi1rc4RKfxcZ4bMEav7BBTE21~fM~RVu8LuobSA74GzxH9sCZKlefHaUM3hc7UxIYZhS7TY5jNn6B~Eq73cByHtZx6GziQdK-u2e7shnv9NxkXeE9HZAb3yNTNMpOXKvqwq47GCXKNOTza9JSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Mary’s County commissioners agreed on March 19 to include two volunteer rescue squad tax-rate requests in the county’s recommended budget and to send those requests to public hearings.

The requests, presented by county staff, would raise Ridge Volunteer Rescue’s rescue tax from 0.8¢ to 1.1¢ and Hollywood Volunteer Rescue’s rescue tax from 1.1¢ to 1.4¢. Staff told commissioners the change will be incorporated into the recommended budget and appear on the agenda for the county’s public hearing night.

The rate requests were advertised for two weeks and each squad held a public hearing: Ridge’s hearing was Feb. 21 and Hollywood’s was Feb. 28. Staff reported that Ridge submitted letters in support of its request, and that Christy Bright of Ridge emailed to say no one signed up to speak at Ridge’s hearing. Staff also reported 10 days had passed since the hearings with no additional procedural issues raised.

Commissioners did not take a roll-call vote at the work session; staff represented that the board’s direction was to fold the requested rate changes into the recommended budget and to schedule separate public hearings on the rescue-tax increases.

The change will appear in the recommended FY2014 budget documents the board considers at its next business meeting; separate public hearings on each rate change will follow as part of the advertised public-hearing calendar.","Commissioners agreed to include requested tax-rate increases from Ridge Volunteer Rescue and Hollywood Volunteer Rescue in the recommended FY2014 budget and to schedule separate public hearings on the requests.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners direct staff to model reduced school increase, debate SROs and teacher compensation

Commissioners set one-time spending limits, fund-balance uses and DECD placeholder in FY2014 budget work session

St. Mary’s County commissioners advance volunteer rescue tax increases to public hearing