Chesapeake Beach council adopts emergency budget amendment to pay town administrator

The Chesapeake Beach Town Council adopted emergency ordinance EO-25-1 amending the town's fiscal-year 2025 general fund budget to appropriate $100,000 from fund balance to the salaries and wages line to pay the town administrator, Similia Haccordu.

The ordinance text read into the record amends the general fund budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 by transferring $100,000 from line item 100-430130 (transfer in GF fund balance) to expense line item 100-6000-60200 (salaries and wages). The town administrator and council discussed the need for the amendment after the previous administration used a large portion of the salary budget to provide what the current mayor characterized as a generous severance to the prior town administrator, Holly Wall.

Council took a motion and second on the ordinance and approved it by voice vote. The meeting record shows multiple members saying “aye,” one reference to abstentions, and the presiding officer declared the motion carried. No roll-call tally naming each member's vote was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Councilmembers asked follow-up questions for the public record, including whether Similia's compensation was greater or less than the prior administrator's and whether the previous salary amount would be disclosed; the mayor indicated that some salary details would be addressed through public information avenues at a later meeting.

The emergency meeting adjourned and the council moved into a scheduled work session where multiple other agenda items were discussed.