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Commissioners discuss sheriff’s FY2023 request; direction given to fund vehicles from reserves
Summary
St. Mary’s County commissioners discussed the sheriff’s FY2023 budget request, vehicle financing and a supplemental allocation; staff will remove vehicles from exempt financing and return with refined payroll and fuel numbers.
The St. Mary’s County sheriff’s office appeared during the March 8 budget work session to review its FY2023 funding request, including exempt-financing vehicle purchases and proposed operating changes.
Finance staff placed the sheriff’s request in the context of total county revenues and an earlier discussion about treating elected officials consistently. Commissioners discussed two approaches: (1) set a flat supplemental allocation from new money for the sheriff and let the office allocate internally, or (2) review line items in detail. Some commissioners favored a flat allocation to respect the sheriff’s discretion over priorities; others pressed for department-level detail.
Jeanette Cudmore and Deputy Director Jody Quasney told the board the sheriff’s essential cost changes (ECCs) total about $2.282 million on the schedule; about $350,000 of that relates to vehicle exempt financing annual payments. Quasney said if vehicles are removed from exempt financing and purchased out of fund balance, the sheriff’s operating request would be reduced by roughly $350,000.
Commissioners discussed parity with Maryland State Police (MSP) and local recruiting/retention pressures but declined to codify a parity rule. Instead the board signaled willingness to set a flat supplemental allocation drawn from new money. Commissioner Morgan and others discussed percentages tied to “20% of new money” as a planning metric; commissioners ultimately instructed staff to present a package that removes vehicles from financing and to return with payroll and department-level calculations. At the meeting recap staff recorded a direction figure of $1,500,000 for the sheriff’s supplemental funding; commissioners also agreed the sheriff will receive his share of the countywide COLA/step increases.
Why it matters: the decision over vehicle financing and supplemental allocations affects the sheriff’s operating flexibility, recruitment and retention efforts, and long-term county recurring costs. Commissioners asked the sheriff’s office to refine its numbers with staff and return to the board for final incorporation into the budget.
Staff follow-up: the sheriff’s office will work with finance staff to reconcile ECCs, vehicle adjustments, payroll impacts and fuel increases and will report back in the next work session.
