Washington County manager proposes FY22 budget with half‑cent tax cut; solid‑waste fee increase proposed
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Summary
County Manager Curtis S. Potter presented a recommended FY22 budget May 17 that would lower the ad valorem tax rate by half a cent while keeping school funding steady, allocating money to a long‑underfunded hospital pension and proposing a $25 rise in the household solid‑waste fee.
Curtis S. Potter, Washington County manager and budget officer, presented the board of commissioners with his recommended FY22 budget on May 17, proposing a half‑cent cut in the county's ad valorem tax rate while maintaining funding levels for the local school system and increasing household solid‑waste fees.
Potter recommended reducing the tax rate by 0.5 cent, moving it from roughly 84.5 cents to 84 cents per $100 in assessed property value, saying the reduction balances taxpayer relief with continued funding for county services amid a recent property revaluation. He said the county's assessed valuation rose roughly 1.4% and that the county should not rely on a temporary annual windfall of about $500,000 tied to pipeline materials currently stored in the county.
The recommended budget would continue a $1,705,000 allocation for school current expenses and $400,000 from the School Capital Outlay Fund, the same levels as the prior fiscal year, Potter said. The proposal also includes a $410,000 allocation to the Washington County Hospital Pension Plan, which Potter described as severely underfunded since the hospital sale in 2007 and now dependent upon county payments as liabilities come due.
To address ongoing shortfalls in the Solid Waste Fund, the recommended budget raises the Solid Waste User Fee (SWUF) from $275 to $300 per household and recommends reducing the annual free C&D landfill tipping allowance from 8,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds. Potter said the landfill has been strained by increased curbside waste and by several large DOT bridge projects and home demolition activity; a new landfill cell expansion was under contract and expected to be completed in 30–60 days.
Potter also outlined enterprise fund projections: Waterworks revenues and expenses were projected at $1,532,441, while the Solid Waste Fund was projected at $1,447,583. For EMS, he projected total EMS and transport revenues and expenditures of $2,265,927, with $1,647,100 expected from outside sources, a recommended $383,987 transfer from the General Fund, and an appropriated EMS fund balance of $234,840. Potter said management has pursued changes to reduce EMS overtime and improve collection rates but cautioned the county cannot indefinitely rely on general‑fund transfers for EMS operations.
The recommended budget includes no countywide cost‑of‑living adjustment and contains no newly funded full‑time positions. Potter noted the county adopted a new compensation system tied to years of experience, and that adjustments under that plan have been factored into the proposal.
A public hearing on the FY22 budget was scheduled for June 7, 2021, in the Commissioners' Room at 116 Adams Street, Plymouth, with final adoption anticipated in June 2021 after any necessary amendments. The board set a budget work session for May 24 at 5:00 PM to continue deliberations.
Chair William R. "Bill" Sexton thanked Potter for the presentation. The budget remains a recommendation until the board completes its review and any formal votes at future meetings.