Board of Public Utilities approves FY26 joint utilities budget and budget option, forwards to council

The Board of Public Utilities unanimously approved and forwarded to County Council the Department of Public Utilities proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on March 19. The motion passed 5–0 and directs staff to send the full budget and a $1,450,000 budget option to council for adoption.

Department staff summarized the joint utilities fund and said the total proposed expenditures are $107,289,835 (presented as the combined Joint Utilities fund). Staff outlined adjustments since the prior draft, including interdepartmental charge reallocations, an increase of approximately $145,000 in wastewater testing mandated by recent requirements, and corrections to revenue fund flows tied to wastewater volume assumptions.

Karen Kendall and the department identified no change in employee counts for FY26. The budget documents include a schedule of funds and reserve targets as required by county ordinance and the charter; staff said the department aims to achieve fully funded reserves within a 10‑year planning horizon.

During public comment several residents emphasized affordability concerns. Sandra Medieta Perez said she understood infrastructure needs but worried about low‑wage and fixed‑income residents: "Some people can afford it. Some people make $12 an hour... I live at Elkridge... We have a lot of people that in and out of the hospital... It's gonna be hard for me to pay that bill." Staff noted existing assistance programs and outreach including frequently asked questions, press releases and customer care training.

A board motion to approve the FY26 budget and the FY26 budget option passed with roll call votes recorded as Heffner: yes; Hollingsworth: yes; Nockley: yes; Stromberg: yes; Gibson: yes. The board thanked department staff for the multi‑month preparation.

Next steps: The budget package will be included in the county budget documents presented to council for final adoption.