St. Mary's County commissioner says state budget pressures may be passed to counties; county has not raised property tax rate

An unnamed St. Mary's County commissioner said the county will return to budget work sessions next week and warned that state budget decisions may shift financial pressure onto counties.

The commissioner said the county maintains a good bond rating and the ability to raise taxes, but added the board has not increased the property tax rate. "We do have a good bond rating like, commissioner president Guy stated, and we have the ability to tax. But the important thing about the ability to tax is our unwillingness to exercise that ability," the commissioner said.

The official also called attention to increased property assessments from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). "We all got nailed by SDAT and their increased assessments on all of our properties," the commissioner said, urging residents to note that the assessment notice comes from the state, not the county.

Why it matters: counties commonly rely on a mix of property taxes, state aid and other revenue. The commissioner’s remarks signal the county anticipates having to make budget decisions in the face of state-level changes, while stressing that the commissioners so far have chosen not to raise the county property tax rate.

County context: The commissioner said the board will resume "nitty gritty" budget work sessions next week to navigate those pressures. He encouraged residents to contact commissioners directly with questions rather than relying only on social media, calling direct dialogue a "service to us as commissioners."