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Residents and agency leaders praise county support for schools, libraries, fire and EMS during FY26 hearing
Summary
Public commenters at the Queen Anne's County FY26 budget hearing praised commissioners for education and library funding and thanked the county for support of volunteer fire and EMS services; several volunteer leaders described local needs and ongoing volunteer commitments.
Multiple residents and agency leaders used the public comment period at the FY26 budget informational meeting to thank the county for financial support for schools, the library and volunteer emergency services and to describe service needs.
Dr. Salins, who identified herself with Queen Anne's County Public Schools, thanked commissioners for the district's continued funding above maintenance of effort and listed recent student and program achievements. "Because of your support for our staff, students and ultimately programming, we have accomplished so many amazing things over the last four years," she said.
Janet Salazar, director of the Queen Anne's County Public Library, thanked the commissioners for supporting library staff and said funding for cost-of-living adjustments and substitute hours would help the library maintain services. "Your commitment to the cost of living adjustments and the funding for our dedicated substitute hours will ensure that we can continue to provide consistent ... services while offering competitive benefits to our staff," Salazar said.
Volunteer fire and EMS leaders also spoke. Bill Faust, past chair of the county Fire and EMS Commission and second vice president of the Maryland State Firefighters Association, lauded local volunteer work and thanked the county for financial support. "You guys really have done an outstanding job for Queen Anne's County and the residents," he said. Raymond Aaron, a long-serving leader of the Fire and EMS Commission, urged residents to visit local fire stations and expressed appreciation for county support that keeps volunteer services operational.
Several of the county commissioners and the administrator publicly thanked volunteers and staff during closing remarks and acknowledged the continuing need to monitor service levels, especially ambulance coverage and call volumes. Commissioners and the administrator also praised county department heads and finance staff for preparing budget materials and making the meeting accessible through local channel broadcasts.
Ending: Commenters and officials emphasized gratitude for existing support and noted continuing operational needs in volunteer emergency services and library staffing as the county proceeds toward budget adoption.
