Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner says St. Mary's County could have $2–3 million to redistribute; public hearing set for April 22
Summary
An unnamed commissioner told the board the county may have between $2 million and $3 million available for redistribution, and emphasized prioritizing employee cost-of-living adjustments and step increases. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 22, with budget work sessions May 6 and May 13.
A commissioner said St. Mary's County may have between $2 million and $3 million available to redistribute in the coming budget cycle and urged that any new funds be used for employee step increases and cost-of-living adjustments.
The commissioner (name not specified) told the meeting that discussions with the Board of Education have centered on the school system being flat-funded, but the county’s estimates differ. “We have found that we could have between $2 million and $3 million now to redistribute,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner also signaled opposition to hiring new positions while the county budget is tight, saying, “I still say this commissioner will oppose any new hires. It's still too tight, but I do believe we need to take care of steps and COLAs.” The remarks identified county employees, and employees of other entities operating in St. Mary’s County, as intended beneficiaries of any pay adjustments.
Board members were told the schedule for public engagement and internal work on the budget: a public hearing is scheduled for April 22; budget work sessions are planned for May 6 and May 13. The speaker said the May 6 session will likely be when the county decides how to allocate any additional funds.
The commissioner framed economic uncertainty at the federal level as a reason to prioritize measures that give residents and employees greater stability, saying residents are “worried about their retirement funds” and other savings. No formal motion or vote on redistributing funds was recorded in the meeting transcript.
The remarks occurred during the board’s opening comments on the budget schedule and priorities. Follow-up items identified in the discussion include staff preparing details for the April 22 public hearing and for the May work sessions so the board can consider specific allocation options.
