St. Mary's County commissioner opposes raising taxes to 3.3%, urges waiting for Annapolis budget

A commissioner on the St. Mary's County Board of Commissioners (name not specified) said the county should not raise taxes to 3.3% and urged officials to wait for Maryland’s budget from Annapolis before revising the county’s proposed budget.

The commissioner described the county budget as "not a great budget" and said, "we do have time to fix it," attributing the uncertainty to outstanding developments coming from Annapolis. The commissioner added, "this is why I voted this way," without specifying the vote being referenced.

The remarks stressed that the county should "wait and see" for the state budget to settle before making county-level adjustments, noting the county could then "help those departments that . . . we need to help" and aim to treat departments fairly. The speaker said they would not vote to increase taxes to 3.3%, calling that position "a hard no for me." The comment referenced a previously allowed tax rate of 3.3% but did not cite a statute or ordinance.

During the same remarks the commissioner announced several community events taking place that weekend: a Civics Bee at Cole Cinema at 10 a.m.; a Women’s History Month brunch at 10:30 a.m. at the White Rose; the Cherry Blossom Festival in Lexington Park Manor Park from noon to 4 p.m.; and the unveiling of a mural on Tulagi Place at 2 p.m. at the 3 Notch Theater. The speaker closed by encouraging residents to enjoy St. Mary's County and noting Maryland Day.

No formal motions or votes on the county budget were recorded in the provided transcript segment. The commissioner’s statements were presented as remarks and a personal vote position rather than as a formal board action.