Dorchester County Council introduces FY2027 budget; no tax increase, two public hearings set

The Dorchester County Council introduced its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and appropriation ordinance, with the document to be posted online the following day and two public hearings scheduled, the council said.

Clerk Miss Barnes presented the introduction and staff noted the document had been prepared over the budget sessions. The chair moved to introduce the bill and the council approved the motion to introduce at tonight’s meeting.

Mister Jones, speaking after the introduction, thanked staff and department directors for their work on the budget and said the county had changed how it records grants at auditors’ recommendation, which produces a significant difference between the FY26 and FY27 bottom lines. “There’s no tax increases in this budget, and there’s no change to the tax differential to our municipal workers,” Mister Jones said.

Jones cautioned the council to watch for state-level developments that could shift costs to the county, telling colleagues the staff would continue monitoring any legislation that might affect county finances before finalizing budget decisions.

The clerk said the full budget document would be available on the county website tomorrow, and council members encouraged citizens to review it and to attend the two public hearings where the budget will be taken up for public comment and possible amendment.

Next steps: the county will post the budget online, hold the advertised public hearings, and return for subsequent readings and votes as required by the county’s budget process.