St. Mary’s County commissioners review revised draft budget; school funding deferred pending state aid figures

St. Mary’s County Board of Commissioners met April 27 in a budget work session to review updated revenue and expense estimates, consider department appeals and realignments, and direct staff on next steps before finalizing the fiscal‑year 2016 draft budget.

The session focused on updated general fund numbers, enterprise fund adjustments, and a still‑uncertain increase in state education aid that commissioners said will affect recurring commitments to schools and labor negotiations. County staff reported a net increase in available funds of roughly $1.4 million in the revised draft as of April 27, driven by adjustments to pension and payroll calculations, restored state shared revenues, and certain revenue corrections.

Why this matters: the board must balance one‑time uses of fund balance against recurring obligations such as steps and healthcare for employees and the school system. Commissioners said they want to preserve a cushion for revenue volatility while funding urgent items raised during public hearings.

County staff presented the revised revenue total and described the main changes: an added HR Medicare drug subsidy, a $387,500 adjustment tied to an excludable Board of Education cost, restored parkland shared revenue, and a net correction to state police aid. On the expense side, staff said reallocation of previously reserved public hearing funds, corrections to payroll and pension rates, and departmental reallocations reduced projected expenses so that draft revenues exceeded expenses by about $1.4…