Wicomico council approves $184,750 transfer from fuel-farm project to AP Tech Park

Wicomico County Council members voted unanimously Oct. 7 to approve Resolution 153-2025, moving $184,750 from an under‑budget airport fuel‑farm capital project to pay for increased costs at the county’s AP Tech Park project at the Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport.

The transfer was presented at a public hearing before the council approved the resolution. Finance and airport staff described the change as a routine capital‑project reallocation: the fuel‑farm work is nearly complete and under budget, while the AP Tech Park project needs additional funds to cover unexpected soil and construction costs.

County staff member Miss Hurley opened the hearing and introduced Tony Rudy, the airport director, who said the fuel‑farm project “is under budget” and that capital project funds that are no longer needed can be moved to projects with shortfalls. Rudy and finance director Pam Olin said the capital project fund differs from the general fund and that reassigning appropriations within capital projects avoids tapping broader fund balance. Rudy added that county roads employees assigned to help with site work will track time and be internally billed so the capital project, not the general fund, pays for that labor.

Residents at the hearing questioned the accounting and the project history. Jim Atkins, a Wicomico County resident, reviewed budget entries in the Capital Improvement Program and asked why funds previously reported as moved from the fuel farm — including about $400,000 approved for transfer in a September resolution — appeared again available tonight. “If unused funds were approved to be moved on Sept. 9 in the amount of $400,000, how are there now tonight additional funds that are being requested to be transferred to the fuel farm?” Atkins asked. He also raised concern that $15,000 was being charged to the airport to cover county employees’ time and called that an “accounting number” unless the airport reimburses the general fund.

Joe White, also of Parsonsburg, said repeated mid‑year transfers are a “red flag” and asked whether the county will review how projects actually played out. Tony Rudy and Pam Olin told the council and public that the fuel farm had multiple funding sources over several years, including CARES Act and PAYGO funds, and that one funding source retained a small balance that can be repurposed. Rudy said soils at two other projects proved worse than anticipated and required additional fill and disposal; he described that as the main reason for the AP Tech Park shortfall.

After the hearing the council moved, seconded and voted “aye” to approve the resolution; the motion carried and Resolution 153‑2025 was adopted. Council discussion at the meeting did not change the transfer amount.

The new allocation will allow the AP Tech Park work to proceed while staff indicated they will report back with a final accounting of remaining balances in the fuel‑farm project once the transfers and final invoices are completed.

Why it matters: The reallocation shifts funds among capital projects rather than drawing from general fund balance, but residents at the hearing urged clearer tracking and public accounting of multi‑year federal and local funding to prevent confusion about how much remains available for future projects.