[{"_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",6377642,"mediaKeyId","2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6","parentId",2138865,"title","Commissioners discuss sheriff’s FY2023 request; direction given to fund vehicles from reserves","audioSeconds",2461,"startMs",1735000,"endMs",4196000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6&start=1735&end=4196","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6/thumbnail_1735000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6377642/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-discuss-sheriffs-FY2023-request-direction-given-to-fund-vehicles-from-reserves","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377642-4feca1fc2439f996571cf0a2bfca1c6e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312799&Signature=YprWaxVICb5XsK8trcM1lYl7COXbCzkroIVLMgLX52Hz4F0hf-zE43gt0tZnn7vX7yd5OKAarjy5XZGynr-0YkhhHMS~OSsxze031vDAs1ZF39PR~PBQw1ssUsR7Nb3GWE5w93Dic4hYE7U6x2GLEy9TrAKi19f6Q1L4B5lD5zLJqY4hFVOwjprKBplxgZj54urM4C7cABL6dM-71tMCqWuqPDSy3Q7PjDEFiU8YWoAO4REjxLEh9FgnORRSj8DVdR-uMREe7W4I0LO41Q1RsK1JPpgtTZsFJmuS2~0TxVzmUKX3G5ibIS3J1SfgoTsXNdhLfgtQXCPC2bFGupwyEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-22T18:38:06.783Z","article","The St. Mary’s County sheriff’s office appeared during the March 8 budget work session to review its FY2023 funding request, including exempt-financing vehicle purchases and proposed operating changes.

Finance staff placed the sheriff’s request in the context of total county revenues and an earlier discussion about treating elected officials consistently. Commissioners discussed two approaches: (1) set a flat supplemental allocation from new money for the sheriff and let the office allocate internally, or (2) review line items in detail. Some commissioners favored a flat allocation to respect the sheriff’s discretion over priorities; others pressed for department-level detail.

Jeanette Cudmore and Deputy Director Jody Quasney told the board the sheriff’s essential cost changes (ECCs) total about $2.282 million on the schedule; about $350,000 of that relates to vehicle exempt financing annual payments. Quasney said if vehicles are removed from exempt financing and purchased out of fund balance, the sheriff’s operating request would be reduced by roughly $350,000.

Commissioners discussed parity with Maryland State Police (MSP) and local recruiting/retention pressures but declined to codify a parity rule. Instead the board signaled willingness to set a flat supplemental allocation drawn from new money. Commissioner Morgan and others discussed percentages tied to “20% of new money” as a planning metric; commissioners ultimately instructed staff to present a package that removes vehicles from financing and to return with payroll and department-level calculations. At the meeting recap staff recorded a direction figure of $1,500,000 for the sheriff’s supplemental funding; commissioners also agreed the sheriff will receive his share of the countywide COLA/step increases.

Why it matters: the decision over vehicle financing and supplemental allocations affects the sheriff’s operating flexibility, recruitment and retention efforts, and long-term county recurring costs. Commissioners asked the sheriff’s office to refine its numbers with staff and return to the board for final incorporation into the budget.

Staff follow-up: the sheriff’s office will work with finance staff to reconcile ECCs, vehicle adjustments, payroll impacts and fuel increases and will report back in the next work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/8/2022 CSMC Budget Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","St. Mary’s County commissioners discussed the sheriff’s FY2023 budget request, vehicle financing and a supplemental allocation; staff will remove vehicles from exempt financing and return with refined payroll and fuel numbers.","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},6377647,"St. Mary’s County finance staff recommends $1.086 million fuel baseline; commissioners agree",112,124000,236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6&start=124&end=236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6/thumbnail_124000.jpg","/articles/6377647/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-finance-staff-recommends-1086-million-fuel-baseline-commissioners-agree","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377647-98b78beb121518e306ee01034db02536/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312799&Signature=S4kOzyno87ECnY0pEsK~JI2QCPSls3zkW5UVjW9RDp64QjeKzN8o6y47OkQGji66OwpxwP4OjQ4Uyx8qySqmqAL9mfGHCM~hbNasaAJlmNsd3oPQ-5vV2SUyqH3Eh2aDiX4ygDogZXUHp~0R8j94i7CtDN6KC3Ff~PLqZIoTEdg11SAX2OsdkjXfAkNG3Eleuxy5i1iIdMvkSXu~tM3D5XKzIo8SmvMIJL8SYEnMoM8H79uKxIrujBkE1qDflh6Fl4BU8iEqlyMYKZctNH69TvPOhe-~wM0PHVhk0cK1QlWyEY0baoNwbZ-ztvlIlicC4fO61GNtCaGxl48g80aD2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County finance staff told St. Mary’s County commissioners on March 8 that recent market moves and supplier contract clauses justify increasing next year’s fuel budget by $1,086,000.

The increase, presented by Jeanette Cudmore, the county’s finance director, reflects rapid jumps in retail and contract fuel prices since departments prepared their budget requests in January. “We started off with a fund balance of $25,000,000 that you can use,” Cudmore said while summarizing available resources and the proposed baseline changes. She told the board she updated fuel accounts to reflect March 1 contract pricing and Maryland averages included in the reference materials.

Cudmore and Deputy Finance Director Jody Quasney described the technical drivers: supplier delivered-heating fuel rose from about $1.90 last year to $3.17 in January, retail gasoline reached $4.19–$4.49 per gallon in local stations, and contract language can allow vendors to issue notices and renegotiate within 60 days. Cudmore said she increased the county’s auto fuel baseline to $838,000 and heating fuel to $248,000 and recommended keeping a combined $1,086,000 in the FY2023 baseline for fuel.

Commissioners discussed alternatives including using ARPA funds and fund balance. Some commissioners cautioned that ARPA is largely already allocated and preferred preserving it for one-time uses. Commissioner Morgan (surname used as in transcript) suggested rounding the figure to $1,000,000 as a simple contingency; commissioners ultimately reached consensus to keep the $1,086,000 baseline Cudmore proposed. Cudmore noted if prices moderate the board could later sweep unused amounts back to the commissioners’ emergency reserve.

On vehicle financing, staff recommended removing vehicles from exempt (financing) schedules and paying outright from fund balance to avoid increasing operating costs with annual lease payments. Commissioners instructed finance staff to amend the package so vehicle purchases (about 40 vehicles totaling roughly $3.6 million in the package) would be funded from fund balance rather than included in exempt financing. Quasney confirmed the 5-year annual payment shown in the draft (about $828,000) would be reduced if vehicles are purchased outright.

Why it matters: fuel-cost increases and vehicle financing choices affect recurring operating costs and the county’s ability to use one-time ARPA or fund-balance dollars for capital needs. Commissioners said they want to preserve ARPA for nonrecurring priorities and use operating/fund-balance tools to absorb volatile commodity costs.

Looking ahead, finance staff will bring updated payroll and department-level fuel breakout figures back to the commissioners in the next work session and will restore any unused contingency to reserves if market conditions permit.","County finance staff told commissioners rising market fuel costs and contract clauses require an increase to the FY2023 fuel baseline. Commissioners agreed to keep $1,086,000 in the budget and directed vehicle purchases be funded from fund balance rather than exempt financing.",{"_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},6377635,"State’s Attorney says caseload and digital evidence growth justify new staff; commissioners set $250,000 planning allocation",1284,2845000,4129000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6&start=2845&end=4129","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138865-89e20e1c5eb8c624b2b1859b6c82e4a6/thumbnail_2845000.jpg","/articles/6377635/St-Marys-County/Maryland/States-Attorney-says-caseload-and-digital-evidence-growth-justify-new-staff-commissioners-set-250000-planning-allocation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377635-60344d3d055de7b8d929fb54abde7915/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312799&Signature=P6QWzrtPQogeV~YiUyJoOwel8U4iol4yC7tAhqOO9-Hs7dbkEfXiQ53OTok0PUcL4xICuGG2qXMY8hcAgiX90fa4ceWQ7rOsGQITGD-axxEdWHRii-e5BvwrQ7Qp2dN2vqnD202n0impliMEBsduso9684Ejdel5bUF4r4uzYvvBWBhXjopt3SDpQVYNoAs7rpkBVDSKfi0BLaOP647mCOMcz0RZ8ltfbmoQSTfnw6HKLJxtZx5na81vbThD49HvY-iYxa-jSkywuDBE4HomzRD5O6ijO2ASD85idGnLQYk6cwaSqrD37MAA7z2SsCDaXUjEsxokt9AjfezMjG~aqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State’s Attorney Richard Fritz told commissioners March 8 that the office’s caseload and the volume of digital evidence have grown substantially and that the office needs additional operational support to process evidence, pursue asset forfeiture and manage grants.

“This is my 20th year at the state attorney’s office. ... the two biggest to me are the intersection of criminal events and the enormous amount of evidence that is prepared and collected and presented at trial,” Fritz said, describing increases in video, jail calls and other electronic evidence. He said the office had hired an evidence analyst last year but still needs additional capacity in the district court and for fiscal/grant work.

Fritz presented a package that included new positions such as electronic evidence analysts, an operations manager and a fiscal coordinator to pursue grants and criminal asset forfeiture work. He said some requested positions overlap with reclassification work HR is completing; if reclassification addresses certain senior legal-coordinator needs, some of the newly requested FTEs can be removed. Commissioners asked about vacancies and staffing levels; Fritz said the office currently had roughly 44 employees and about four vacancies being filled.

After discussion — including commissioners’ preference to avoid duplicate reclassifications and to consider HR’s recommendations — the commissioners agreed to include $250,000 in planning funds for the state’s attorney’s office in the recap. County staff said reclassification cost impacts (HR) would be reported back next week and that any overlap would be reconciled before final budget adoption.

Why it matters: the request reflects workload changes in criminal justice systems — more electronic evidence and interconnected cases — and poses staffing and resource choices that affect case processing, trial readiness and victim restitution collection.

Next steps: HR and the finance office will finalize reclassification costs and the county will reconcile duplicate FTE requests. Commissioners asked staff to return with a revised package that incorporates reclassifications and clarifies which new FTEs are still needed.","State’s Attorney Richard Fritz presented staffing and evidence-processing requests citing heavier caseloads, more electronic evidence and backlog. Commissioners accepted the county administrator recommendation and recorded a $250,000 planning allocation while reclassifications are finalized.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners discuss sheriff’s FY2023 request; direction given to fund vehicles from reserves

St. Mary’s County finance staff recommends $1.086 million fuel baseline; commissioners agree

State’s Attorney says caseload and digital evidence growth justify new staff; commissioners set $250,000 planning allocation