Frederick County reviews FY26 budget scenarios, considers advertising tax-rate increase and capital priorities

Frederick County officials reviewed updated fiscal-year 2026 budget scenarios and capital priorities during a board workshop where staff presented revised revenue and expense estimates and potential policy options for covering projected shortfalls.

County Administrator Mike presented updated population and revenue assumptions and a draft set of administrator adjustments, telling the board, "This gives you an idea of where your revenues come from" and noting the materials distributed to supervisors included a draft of county administrator adjustments and a school capital asset plan.

The presentation laid out three headline planning points: revenue scenarios tied to different tax rates, a tightened capital fund balance if several large projects move forward, and department cost drivers including growth in fire staffing, school resource officers (SROs), and social services.

Why it matters: the board must decide whether to advertise a tax rate above the revenue-neutral rate next week to preserve options for FY26 spending. Advertising a higher rate would trigger a public hearing; staff said the advertised ad would go on March 4 with a public hearing following the ad schedule.

In the models shown, staff identified the revenue-neutral rate at $0.424 per…