The Saint Mary's County Board of County Commissioners voted March 4, 2008, to transmit the recommended fiscal-year 2009 capital improvement plan (CIP) and the 2010–2014 plan to a public hearing in April.

County financial staff and planning staff briefed commissioners in detail on the recommended CIP, the planning commission's concurrence, and outstanding funding uncertainties. "First priority means that it's current year, and b 1 means it's later year," staff said as they reviewed the project legend. Commissioners asked about timing for projects that rely on state funding, including school and detention-center projects; staff said the planning commission's recommendations were consistent with the draft plan and that state funding indications supported current project timing but that final confirmation would come later in the legislative and budget processes.

Commissioner Raley moved to take the recommended CIP as presented to public hearing; Commissioner Mattingly seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Commissioners were reminded that the public hearing process allows revisions and that the operating-budget implications of capital choices (debt service and future operating costs) would be discussed in subsequent sessions.

Staff also summarized recent revenue updates: a modest downward revision from the December baseline of roughly $325,000 for a set of large revenue categories (property tax, income tax, recordation, highway user and other local taxes). Staff described the logic for the revised income-tax projection (a 5.6 percent growth assumption tied to county net taxable income reported by the state for calendar-year 2006) and said the county will revisit revenue estimates in May before finalizing a recommended operating budget. Staff noted debt capacity remains within acceptable limits for the recommended plan and that commissioners could defer some projects depending on May revenue updates.

The board approved sending the CIP to public hearing and scheduled continuing budget work sessions; staff will return in later budget sessions with updated revenue detail and operating-cost impacts tied to capital projects.