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Calvert County to use $4.76 million from fund balance to replace 31 aging county vehicles; record left open 10 days
Summary
At a Feb. 24 public hearing, finance staff proposed using about $4.76 million from prior‑year fund balance to replace 31 aging non‑public-safety vehicles; public commenters criticized timing and transparency, and the board voted to leave the record open for 10 days under Local Government Article 9‑105.
Mary Andes, deputy director of budget for the Department of Finance and Budget, presented a budget amendment during the Feb. 24 meeting requesting an allocation of roughly $4.76 million from prior‑year fund balance to replace 31 critically aging vehicles in the county’s non‑public‑safety fleet.
As Mary Andes explained, the request would establish a strategic fleet replacement project in the capital improvement plan while treating the purchases as one‑time operating expenditures funded from the prior‑year fund balance. “The proposed FY2026 vehicle purchases will be funded through prior year fund balance,” Andes said, adding that including the initiative in the CIP provides transparency and helps preserve reserves needed to maintain the county’s AAA bond rating.
Joseph Cormier, a member of the public, strongly criticized the timing and transparency of the request. “This board has preached about fiduciary responsibility… but kicking the can down the road is not responsible,” Cormier said, urging the board to include any such purchases in the normal budget cycle and to consider third‑party performance reviews.
Jerry Cosgrove, the county’s director of public works, told commissioners the majority of the vehicles identified for replacement support snow removal and other essential public‑works functions and that deferrals have increased maintenance costs. Cosgrove said the county relies on several heavy vehicles for high‑mileage tasks such as trash runs and snow response and that some units have reached the end of their useful lives; the presentation noted a phased approach to avoid overleveraging reserves.
After staff answered commissioners’ questions about outfitting and use, the board voted to leave the record open for 10 days pursuant to Local Government Article 9‑105 so staff can gather additional comment and return with a final resolution for adoption.
