St. Mary’s County officials say revenues exceed expenses by about $2 million as they debate impact fees and cutting the energy tax

St. Mary's County Chief Financial Officer Jeanette Cudmore told the Board of County Commissioners that the county's current multi‑year budget shows revenues exceeding expenses by about $2,000,000 after removing a one‑time lease payment tied to the 2012 lease and 9‑1‑1 center equipment.

The difference comes after staff removed the final payment of a large 2012 lease, Cudmore said: “The last payment, which is about 2,200,000, is in this year, FY17. So we won't need that $2,200,000 payment in 18. So that was actually removed. So right now, our revenues are exceeding our expenses by $2,000,000.”

Why it matters: commissioners used the updated cushion as the basis for several policy choices they must make before the recommended budget: whether to raise impact fees (charged to new development for schools,…