Bel Air commissioners receive tentative FY2026 budget; tax rates held steady

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners on April 21 received the Town Administrator's tentative fiscal year 2026 budget and opened it for public comment before scheduling further review in upcoming work sessions.

Town staff presented a proposed General Fund budget of $18,803,284 for FY2026, about $180,000 higher than FY2025. The presentation said salaries and benefits would total slightly more than $12.7 million (about 66.1% of General Fund expenditures) and the budget includes funding for a merit increase, a 2.9% cost-of-living adjustment, and a one-time adjustment of roughly $313,000 to the civilian pay scale plus a 1% increase to the sworn pay scale. The presentation also proposes adding a second part-time file clerk in administration, a full-time police communications officer (previously funded with grants), a lead executive officer funded without grant dollars, and one additional sworn police officer.

"Tot…