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Commissioners debate school funding and sheriff staffing; proposal to increase revenue projection draws criticism
Summary
Commissioners debated how much local funding to commit to the Board of Education’s negotiated agreement and whether to restore sheriff positions. Proposal to raise revenue growth assumptions to 4 percent was called “voodoo economics” by a commissioner.
Commissioners at a St. Mary's County budget work session spent extended time debating additions to Board of Education funding and sheriff staffing and clashed over how aggressively to rely on higher revenue projections to pay the costs.
Commissioner Morgan proposed restoring 1 percentage point to the Board of Education’s instructional salary calculation (to reach a 3 percent figure tied to state incentive language) and adding $350,000 to the board’s allocation, saying the board could then work with the school system to account for remaining gaps. “I would propose putting $350,000 additional into that account,” Morgan said.
Morgan also proposed restoring sheriff positions and rolling back prior stipulations on how station-clerk funding would be spent, and suggested raising the county’s growth assumption on income tax receipts to 4 percent to generate roughly $1,000,000 in revenue to cover the increases. Several other commissioners questioned relying on a higher growth projection. Commissioner Hewitt called the idea "voodoo economics," reflecting concern about depending on optimistic revenue assumptions rather than secured revenue. "You're talking voodoo economics on numbers," another commissioner said, and later the remark was repeated in discussion.
Supporters of adding funding said the county should try to honor the negotiated agreement with the Board of Education and that some grant receipts would help cover school safety and counselor positions. Opponents cautioned that commissioners do not negotiate the board’s agreement and warned that raising revenue projections or taxes to meet school funding targets could leave taxpayers exposed if state or one-time funds do not materialize.
No final vote to increase the revenue projection or to raise taxes occurred during the session. Commissioners directed staff to incorporate agreed changes into the budget packet and return next week for signatures; the transcript shows a plan to revisit specific allocations and to work with the Board of Education and the sheriff on priorities and implementation.
Ending: Commissioners agreed to continue negotiations and to revisit the details when staff returns the revised packet for final signature. The session closed with staff saying they would bring the adjusted package back next week.
