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Mechanicsville volunteer rescue squad asks St. Mary's commissioners to include tax-rate increase in recommended budget
Summary
Members of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad presented a request that would raise the squad-specific rescue tax rate from 0.008 to 0.014 and asked the Board of County Commissioners to include the increase in the recommended budget for public hearing.
Members of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad presented to the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners on March 17, asking the board to include their requested tax-rate increase in the recommended FY2016 budget to be taken to public hearing.
Vic Dematia, a resident of St. Mary’s County and a member of Mechanicsville Rescue Squad, said the squad explained its reasons for seeking the increase at a local public hearing and heard support from residents who attended. “We explained the reasons why we were asking for a tax increase,” Dematia said, and that the presentation showed an example taxpayer facing about a $14.10 increase. “We're we're looking at probably the the 10 to 20 dollar range for most residents in our area.”
A county staff summary and the squad's meeting minutes and presentation were provided to commissioners in the packet. Commissioners voiced support for forwarding the squad’s request to the recommended budget for the board to take to public hearing. One commissioner asked that the support be recorded “in deference to Commissioner Charbel,” and multiple commissioners said they agreed with moving the request forward to the public hearing schedule.
County staff confirmed that the formal recommended budget — which will be presented for a vote next Tuesday, March 24 — will include the rescue tax rate hearing among other public hearings scheduled for April. No formal tabulated vote was recorded in the transcript; the record shows commissioners’ verbal agreement to include the Mechanicsville request in the items taken to public hearing.
The request and related materials appear among the budget packet items labeled “boards and state agencies” and in a separate set of pages that included the squad’s presentation and meeting minutes. Commissioners and staff noted no negative public comments had been received in the county office as of the morning of March 17.
The board will consider the formal recommended budget next Tuesday; the rescue tax-rate increase will be part of the items set for public hearing in April.
