St. Mary’s County commissioners accept revenue updates, direct staff to balance budget and move some nonprofit funding to fund balance

St. Mary’s County Commissioners on the afternoon of the budget work session accepted updated revenue figures and a set of departmental appeals and directed staff to return next week with updated, balanced operating and enterprise budgets and a plan to realign capital funding.

The commissioners voted to accept the package of revenue changes “as proposed,” after staff presented updated state and assessment figures that increased county revenues. Chief Financial Officer Jeanette Cudmore told the board the package reflected new assessment numbers from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation and changes in state aid. Cudmore said the county had an additional $357,516 in revenue and that departmental appeal adjustments produced credits of $234,246; when combined these items increased funds available in the near term.

Why it matters: The session moves the county closer to a final FY2020 budget. Commissioners used the revenue changes and several operating tweaks to avoid or reduce proposed tax changes while keeping final approval on the calendar for later this month.

Most important decisions and direction

- The commission formally accepted the revenue changes presented by staff (motion and second on the floor; vote recorded as affirmative). CFO Jeanette Cudmore summarized the key increases as coming from updated assessments and state aid calculations. She said highway-user aid and state police aid had risen in the state 90‑day report and that the county’s assessable base changed after the March 31 SDAT update.

- The board reached consensus to move the county’s nonprofit funding allocations…