Taneytown council introduces budget, tax rate and multiple ordinances; votes summarized

Taneytown, Md. — The Taneytown Mayor and City Council on May 12 introduced the city's fiscal year 2025'26 operating budget and advanced a slate of ordinances and resolutions, including a yearly water-workshop requirement tied to a 5% reduction in water and sewer rates currently reflected in the draft budget.

The most significant procedural actions were: introduction of Ordinance 06/2025 (FY2025'26 operating budget); introduction of the tax-rate ordinance and emergency adoption of the FY2025 tax rate; introduction of an ordinance establishing an annual water-system workshop (tied in the package to a 5% rate reduction already budgeted); introduction of ordinances related to the police manual and police staffing rules; introduction of city attorney and officer/agency clarifications; and adoption of a resolution setting legislative priorities for the next six months.

Why it matters: Several introduced items carry operational effects (positions, capital projects, and utility rates) and will return for public hearings or additional council action. The water and sewer rates and the capital-improvement funding that underlie them drew the most extended discussion at the meeting and are likely to be focal points for follow-up hearings and a dedicated annual workshop.

Votes at a glance (motion outcomes shown as recorded in the meeting): - Ordinance 06/2025, FY2025'26 operating budget: motion to introduce — carried by voice vote (ayes). (Introduced May 12.) - Ordinance 07/2025, FY2025'26 water and sewer rates: motion to introduce (to be adjusted to reflect a 5% reduction already budgeted) — introduced by voice vote (ayes). (Introduced May 12.) - Ordinance 08/2025 (tax rate) / Emergency adoption of FY2025 tax rate: motion to introduce and motion to adopt as an emergency — both carried by voice vote. (Introduced and adopted as emergency May 12.) - Ordinance 09/2025, Police Manual: motion to introduce (removed the word "sole" from chief authority language) — introduced by voice vote. - Ordinance 10/2025, City Attorney requirements (change from required to may be requested for attendance/review): motion to introduce — introduced by voice vote. - Ordinance 11/2025, Executive Administrative Assistant (new position): motion to introduce — introduced by voice vote (with note chief of police removed from earlier draft). - Ordinance 12/2025, Amendment to sign code (community-based signs): motion to introduce — introduced by voice vote; council directed further refinement and referral to planning and zoning before final adoption. - Ordinance 16/2025, Repeal chapter 18 (campaign finance): motion to introduce — introduced by voice vote; multiple council members urged caution and said repeal should be paired with a replacement (repeal/replace recommended by some members). - Ordinance 17/2025, Water & sewer rates / annual workshop: motion to introduce — introduced; council instructed staff to remove redundant rate-change language and to codify the annual April workshop requirement before final action. - Multiple other amendments and organizational ordinances (IT officer/agency designation; officer removal/agency language; temporary administrative suspension; police protection standards; sign-code details) were introduced or discussed and advanced for further drafting.

Formal motions to adopt, to introduce, or to declare emergency were recorded multiple times; most actions were decided by voice vote and recorded as "aye" or "nay" with no roll-call breakdown in the transcript. Any ordinance introduced will return for the statutorily required public hearings and subsequent adoption votes where required.

What comes next: Several items the council directed staff to refine or refer to the planning commission (notably the sign-code amendment). The council asked staff to prepare a capital-improvement/cash-flow package and a draft capital-improvement program in advance of a scheduled water workshop so members can assess long-term utility funding, debt service and PFAS/PFOA grant-funded projects. The tax-rate ordinance will be delivered to the county as adopted under emergency procedures, and budget and rate items proceed to public hearing in accordance with municipal rules.

Quotes (selected): - City Manager Jim: "I would suggest that our existing user rates are not adequate to cover the long term maintenance of the system." (May 12 discussion of utility fund and capital needs.) - Mayor Christopher G. Miller: "I don't see the justification for not doing 5%... we'll readdress it in a year if we really need to." (Arguing for a temporary 5% reduction reflected in the draft budget.)

Ending: Detailed ordinance text, public hearing dates and the draft capital-improvement program will be posted with agendas and public-notice materials before adoption votes. Council members asked staff to circulate supporting financial projections and the utility fund's five-year cash-flow estimates ahead of the water workshop so the public and council have data available for the decisions that follow.