[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6377513,"mediaKeyId","2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee","parentId",2138952,"title","Library board seeks staff funding and QuickBooks conversion as commissioners consider one-step increases","audioSeconds",311,"startMs",4169000,"endMs",4480000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee&start=4169&end=4480","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee/thumbnail_4169000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6377513/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Library-board-seeks-staff-funding-and-QuickBooks-conversion-as-commissioners-consider-one-step-increases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377513-d54b7d9dfa19ca5b263b1243083d976e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312746&Signature=Eg7Mfh4U80cntxUIu3HJ2OcG47dbU44RPVVJ6dAJ3K0q~dxYGP-IiGEsMw-difMBlTkOCz7JNIBGYIoVuZ6BYl9X-JtulPZuXDIJN98fKW6BZG5uOKgrtoKXEVoIvn8ctiw7grB9z561VreaD54xxoel7EHbDsdi-Qtf5vsPoLGpe2Bfi~jV7XRkw-qkv9X4RPks3eEZSYWmGmXrSV3gg5HoGoAlBaw2Tfi9KwTHATUYqd-ouuuVlL1-cFfobadmVKZpU6RnxEi51n13BtDp3-RfjbP3gJ8Pg6N~vgnWmXBPtCORAgqQviIzBBSFMMxcemCP8qLjDnGLKUmx2rnfvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-22T19:22:09Z","article","Representatives of the St. Mary’s County Library Board asked commissioners on March 17 to include the library among employee groups considered for step increases and requested additional one-time funding to support a fiscal-system transition and increased health costs.

A library board representative said library staff number 48 full-time-equivalent positions and rely primarily on county tax dollars for compensation and benefits. The board requested funding for: (1) one step for library staff (estimated $40,000), (2) an estimated $20,000 to cover additional health-insurance costs, and (3) approximately $30,000 to support a QuickBooks Online conversion and associated staffing to move financial functions into the library.

Commissioners discussed the request and several said they could support funding the QuickBooks integration, one step for library staff and the health-cost item. One commissioner described the library as a “fourth group” of employees dependent on county funding and urged the board to be included in step considerations alongside county employees, sworn corrections and the sheriff’s office.

County staff and commissioners noted that some administrative functions had previously been provided by county finance staff and that moving those functions to the library will create ongoing staffing requirements; the library estimated part of the $30,000 is additional staffing rather than software subscription costs alone. Commissioners asked staff to reflect the $90,000 package (step, health costs and QuickBooks conversion) in the recommended budget materials prepared for the March 24 vote.

No formal roll-call vote appears in the transcript; the record shows commissioners’ verbal agreement to include the library package in the recommended budget materials forwarded to public hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/17/2015 CSMC Budget Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The St. Mary's County Library Board asked commissioners to treat library staff as a fourth employee group for step increases, and requested funding for health-cost increases and a planned QuickBooks conversion; commissioners indicated support to fund one step and the conversion as part of the recommended budget.","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},6377518,"Board of Education seeks restored positions and flexibility on OPEB as commissioners weigh steps and fund balance use",468,3209000,3677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee&start=3209&end=3677","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee/thumbnail_3209000.jpg","/articles/6377518/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Board-of-Education-seeks-restored-positions-and-flexibility-on-OPEB-as-commissioners-weigh-steps-and-fund-balance-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377518-b2df3564c43c882dcdcf93fdd5c94e4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312747&Signature=SIbr5OpnFyByE9EV00bAXB2roueuUR34ewyMZqOqI1Q2pvmkBP9phV1feh0Sv47jlyCl9ti1Xj3hc1BljA-8HdF-rBJpK2oSK2FHrltVWclRWjCj1R5Jp4LZscAsQunZWGyk4o5DYZpNT1yhWjAgdEnnXaG1PJVSija0OG1T0PI569maV01fDlyaW00kIHyVFiTDpKaYpdEtmZ4m~fYNH7iCqVIfw9G9TcBbOhBowbKqTdy60TSa0eTwSbNNSNH4mIXkBrKhVu1e~QuxEEQ1o4xbSBP6YV4nmt1FMv~H-7xY1L~yqt8cttKdKbkeBuQP9drVewnkS0tmCXDX8uXkrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A representative for the St. Mary’s County Board of Education described the FY2016 request and explained how instructional resource teachers (IRTs) were handled in the supplemental budget materials, and asked commissioners for flexibility on a $2 million OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) contribution.

The Board of Education representative said last year’s materials consolidated instructional resource teachers into the general teacher line; for clarity the FY2016 packet breaks those positions back out so the board and the public can see the numbers for IRTs and classroom teachers separately. The representative said that while 28 IRT positions existed in FY2014 and none were listed in FY2015 due to cuts, the FY2016 request shows 23 positions to be reintroduced in the recommended budget.

On OPEB, the board noted that $2,000,000 had previously been identified as a fund-balance item and the transcript records a directive to remove that $2,000,000 from the recommended fund-balance draw for the school system while revenues are adjusted first. The Board of Education representative said that removing the recurring OPEB allocation would give the district more flexibility to negotiate with associations and to open a new elementary school with required staffing.

Commissioners and the Board’s representatives discussed teacher step increases. The board’s representative said their original request totaled roughly $7.1 million more than last year and that the ability to offer up to two steps to teachers would depend on budget reconciliation and potential one-time funds. Commissioners signaled they could support one step going forward into the public hearing and that the second step could be considered later depending on public-hearing outcomes and further reconciliation.

The transcript shows ongoing negotiation and information exchange; commissioners asked the board to provide supplemental material before the public hearing so both sides could refine options and present tradeoffs during the public process.","The Board of Education presented its FY2016 budget request, including restoring instructional resource positions, seeking flexibility on a $2 million OPEB contribution, and signaling that one or two step increases for teachers remains a key negotiation point in public hearings.",{"_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},6377523,"St. Mary's commissioners opt to use 4% income-tax growth assumption to narrow FY2016 deficit",803,2039000,2842000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee&start=2039&end=2842","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee/thumbnail_2039000.jpg","/articles/6377523/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-commissioners-opt-to-use-4-income-tax-growth-assumption-to-narrow-FY2016-deficit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377523-1c180bf017c4d28e3673e02a21f4f9f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312747&Signature=opi0hMyuvSkNjxuyfdzztiuNZtACykmuvvDiO8tJHceEKNPeINqghkbtAUZl1Nu-kFkQiPhwTVhDNbMSwIGMeQlUYROVwc~szvEYznv3SEi7dUooQQYvhIRZDX0TKKi4LZeqYEqYnD3LnSyLcvYCCKzHknY~zDYyC9epp3d5XsCVzguiQzrj6dI7r-SMWl5-ValhOaoFIAslQ0T~SpGo4n41YGM1tjaxUzWZCINSE0zBoI5v88SOBOTuSZD6JUiVAYeXvhiu8w3GOjVPfyLFOCB8P4vJrl6hZX2G0aCIEvBAqh0xBTvFGT5RMKGj3Td0qZF9SSNhAv7ZB87LHK1QQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Mary's County commissioners on March 17 agreed to instruct staff to revise the county's FY2016 income-tax revenue estimate from a 3 percent growth assumption to 4 percent, a change officials said would reduce the projected operating deficit by roughly $2.8 million.

Commissioner Hewitt (last name used in the transcript) urged the higher estimate, citing an 11-year trend of conservative budgeting that typically understates revenues. “I think that the trend has continually been that our delta is positive,” Hewitt said. After discussion, Hewitt said he would “go 4%,” and the board asked staff to incorporate the 4 percent figure into the recommended budget materials for next week.

County finance staff prepared alternate calculations showing the difference between 3 percent and 4 percent assumptions; the transcript records the commissioners discussing two finance sheets and resolving to use the 4 percent figure when staff re-run totals for the recommended budget. Commissioners who voiced caution during the discussion said they were reluctant to overstate revenues but agreed the board should plan for possible upside and keep some fund balance in reserve.

The adjustment to a 4 percent growth assumption was described in the meeting as direction to county staff to update the revenue estimates for the March 24 recommended-budget vote and subsequent public hearings. The transcript does not record a formal roll-call vote; commissioners reached verbal agreement and instructed staff to produce the updated figures.

Commissioners noted remaining budget choices — including potential personnel changes, fund balance uses and program adjustments — would be revisited during the public hearing process and when the board receives the fully reconciled recommended-budget package next week.","Commissioners agreed to use a 4 percent income-tax growth assumption for FY2016 revenue projections, reducing the projected budget deficit by roughly $2.8 million compared with a 3 percent assumption; the decision was presented as a consensus direction to staff rather than a formal roll-call vote.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6377528,"Mechanicsville volunteer rescue squad asks St. Mary's commissioners to include tax-rate increase in recommended budget",303,183000,486000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee&start=183&end=486","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2138952-6f4e0cd8b4fd182f40313efc18965aee/thumbnail_183000.jpg","/articles/6377528/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Mechanicsville-volunteer-rescue-squad-asks-St-Marys-commissioners-to-include-tax-rate-increase-in-recommended-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6377528-c27dd5552039bdca6ee804e5922ae4b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775312747&Signature=RoV5ga8atSJpPyvWxABy8-0A2hnb7HzJowjmO9sOlXPahrxVO9hXApAWUnk-DcfRrk0keZB~QwH7kRfoiecjCTLUQ6neEvLc5fYnkX9p4F35JyGlAwZvnVhnHl-Y~IR7oOaZJ92DPEaMEMc9Oo6E0z3Czz8u5yadRbe5Fud6ZALNh6BzscJqN4w9KX7YhPjMP26n~MI~hlcUgf3Y-CKhV0QNMXFw~ChLXgXWfgw5wIUT~c8yWKDMSdQQlGm2TzqFxzXP0zb7NAHdDzfyPmkOPtI0BQzmsr1HjavL~~UCw-UAN84GddxHBkjc0F3yKF0CQZlCvfk1HOc8ePtyBQDWRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad presented to the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners on March 17, asking the board to include their requested tax-rate increase in the recommended FY2016 budget to be taken to public hearing.

Vic Dematia, a resident of St. Mary’s County and a member of Mechanicsville Rescue Squad, said the squad explained its reasons for seeking the increase at a local public hearing and heard support from residents who attended. “We explained the reasons why we were asking for a tax increase,” Dematia said, and that the presentation showed an example taxpayer facing about a $14.10 increase. “We're we're looking at probably the the 10 to 20 dollar range for most residents in our area.”

A county staff summary and the squad's meeting minutes and presentation were provided to commissioners in the packet. Commissioners voiced support for forwarding the squad’s request to the recommended budget for the board to take to public hearing. One commissioner asked that the support be recorded “in deference to Commissioner Charbel,” and multiple commissioners said they agreed with moving the request forward to the public hearing schedule.

County staff confirmed that the formal recommended budget — which will be presented for a vote next Tuesday, March 24 — will include the rescue tax rate hearing among other public hearings scheduled for April. No formal tabulated vote was recorded in the transcript; the record shows commissioners’ verbal agreement to include the Mechanicsville request in the items taken to public hearing.

The request and related materials appear among the budget packet items labeled “boards and state agencies” and in a separate set of pages that included the squad’s presentation and meeting minutes. Commissioners and staff noted no negative public comments had been received in the county office as of the morning of March 17.

The board will consider the formal recommended budget next Tuesday; the rescue tax-rate increase will be part of the items set for public hearing in April.","Members of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad presented a request that would raise the squad-specific rescue tax rate from 0.008 to 0.014 and asked the Board of County Commissioners to include the increase in the recommended budget for public hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Library board seeks staff funding and QuickBooks conversion as commissioners consider one-step increases

Board of Education seeks restored positions and flexibility on OPEB as commissioners weigh steps and fund balance use

St. Mary's commissioners opt to use 4% income-tax growth assumption to narrow FY2016 deficit

Mechanicsville volunteer rescue squad asks St. Mary's commissioners to include tax-rate increase in recommended budget