Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Dorchester County budget hearing draws widespread opposition to proposed property tax increase and elimination of Cambridge and Hurlock differential
Summary
At a public hearing on Ordinance 2025-4, residents and local officials urged the Dorchester County Council to preserve a long-standing tax differential for Cambridge and Hurlock and asked the council to find fairer revenue alternatives; council members asked staff to return with revised options next week.
Dorchester County opened a public hearing on Ordinance 2025-4, the FY26 annual budget and appropriation ordinance, during which dozens of residents, municipal leaders and nonprofit representatives urged the County Council not to eliminate the longtime tax differential for the cities of Cambridge and Hurlock and questioned a proposed property tax increase.
The hearing, opened by the council as part of its legislative session, featured repeated appeals from Cambridge officials and residents who said removing the differential and raising rates would deepen housing unaffordability and could trigger foreclosures. LaJanne Cephas, mayor of Cambridge, told the council, "I just plead, with the the council, to to continue the differential." She also urged creation of a financial-task-force-style committee to explore alternatives and left the council a copy of a letter from the Midshore Board of Realtors expressing concern about the proposed changes.
Why it matters: The budget draft presented to the council shows several revenue…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
