Carroll County unveils $581 million general-fund proposed budget for FY2026, boosts school and public-safety funding

Carroll County budget staff presented the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget on April 22, outlining a $581 million general-fund operating budget (about $800 million all funds) that includes a $13 million net increase for Carroll County Public Schools and multiple new or one-time investments in public safety, parks and capital projects.

The budget presenter summarized the package as the commissioners’ proposal to the public, saying, “we're here to talk about the fiscal year 26 proposed budget, and our plans for fiscal years '26 through '31.” The presentation highlighted commissioner-directed changes, state funding shifts that reduce local flexibility, and federal funding uncertainties that could affect county programs.

Why it matters: The proposal both increases recurring spending for services county residents use and sets aside reserves designed to protect the county against future revenue shocks. County leaders described the plan as balancing near-term needs — school compliance costs tied to state "blueprint" legislation, pension and insurance cost increases, and Fire & EMS vehicle and staffing needs — with longer-term capital projects such as school additions and park expansion.

Major budget changes and numbers

- Schools: Commissioners added $5.8 million on top of $7.2 million previously recommended, yielding a $13 million increase from FY25 to FY26 for Carroll County Public Schools. The presenter said much of the increase is tied to state "blueprint" legislation and therefore earmarked for compliance rather than discretionary use.

- Public-safety pensions and payroll: The presentation described a shift in public-safety pension benefit assumptions. Disability benefit levels were changed to 66.6 percent (from prior levels cited in the presentation), the benefit multiplier moved from 2.1 to 2.5 percent, and employee pension contributions are planned to rise from 8 percent to 9 percent of salary. Commissioners had already budgeted $2 million annually in anticipation of pension changes.

- Fire & EMS: The commissioners added funding for a third ambulance ($600,000 one-time), two EMT firefighter positions and two paramedic firefighter positions, and upgraded 12 existing positions to supervisory paramedic roles. The presenter cautioned the county is still refining an ambulance replacement schedule.

- State's attorney facilities and debt: Commissioners added $200,000 for salary increases and moved $13.4 million in cash to the state's attorney headquarters capital project, replacing $13 million of planned bonds with cash. The presenter said this swap will reduce annual debt service by about $1.1 million.

- Parks and recreation: The commission allocated $4.8 million in one-time general fund cash for expansion at Krim/Crumpgold Park (transcript contains inconsistent spellings), plus funding for maintenance staffing and air conditioning at the Hoshua cabins (as noted in the presentation).

- Road and capital projects: The budget includes $3 million set aside for Slacks Road improvements in Eldersburg to support a planned veterans' home; commissioners also made permanent a stormwater engineering position in planning and land management.

- Fund balance and reserves: The commissioners plan to set aside a 5 percent unearmarked fund-balance reserve to provide flexibility in the event of revenue downturns, mandates or other unplanned expenditures.

State and federal impacts

The presenter repeatedly noted that state and federal actions materially affect the county budget. Examples cited in the presentation: - The state is shifting additional pension obligations for school employees and community college workers to counties (the presentation cited roughly $2.5 million for schools and $115,000 for the community college). The presenter warned repeated shifts could increase the county’s long-term obligations. - Highway user revenue shared with the county is higher than the recent past but remains well below levels received a decade earlier. The presenter noted the county received about $4.3 million in highway user revenue in the plan (up $500,000), versus roughly $12 million a decade earlier. - Program Open Space: recent legislation allows more flexibility by permitting land-acquisition funds to be used for park development and maintenance; the presenter estimated roughly $200,000 per year in new usable funds and about $900,000 accumulated. - Federal and state grant uncertainty, including potential reductions in Medicaid and other federal support, could reduce EMS billing revenue and other program revenue; the presenter said about 7 percent of EMS billing revenue is tied to Medicaid and that a newly secured pot would add roughly $300,000 in Medicaid-related revenue.

Operating- and capital-budget context

- All-funds totals: The presenter said the county’s all-funds budget is roughly $800 million for FY26 (up from about $742 million in FY25). The operating/general-fund budget is $581 million (a 6.5 percent increase over FY25).

- Capital projects: The FY26 capital plan includes school additions (kindergarten and pre-K expansions, HVAC and roof work), continued roof and HVAC projects, and smaller park projects including pavilion and parking work at Piney Run and pickleball courts at Leister. The presenter noted large-scale modernizations (for example, Liberty High School) would cost well in excess of $100 million and would absorb state and local funding for several years if pursued.

- Enterprise funds and rate changes: The presentation covered enterprise fund transfers and said the solid-waste tipping fee was increased; investment income and the tipping-fee change reduce the required general-fund transfer to solid waste for FY26.

Discussion, process and next steps

The presenter described the current package as the commissioners’ proposed budget and explained the review process: a series of public hearings and open-admin sessions are scheduled (listed by community: Eldersburg, Mount Airy, Taneytown, North Carroll) with the proposed budget expected to be posted online early next week. The presenter said technical questions about numbers are best directed to budget staff, while policy positions should be directed to the commissioners.

Quotes and attributions are drawn from the meeting transcript. Several commissioners and staff exchanged brief remarks during the presentation; the presenter repeatedly emphasized uncertainty tied to state and federal decisions.

Ending

County staff provided contact information at the end of the presentation and thanked attendees. No formal votes or policy adoptions were recorded during this open-admin session; the presentation introduced the proposed FY26 budget for public review and comment ahead of formal adoption.