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County treasurer seeks $1.1M supplemental appropriation after state billing adjustments
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Summary
Robbie Salas, Harford County treasurer, asked the council for authority to appropriate $1.1 million to cover corrected bills from SDAT and new MSDE private pre‑K invoices; Salas said invoice details remain incomplete and staff will follow up before payment.
Robbie Salas, Harford County treasurer, asked the County Council for authority to appropriate $1.1 million to cover two unanticipated state charges that arrived after the county’s budget was adopted. Salas told the council the amount reflects a corrected billing from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) and a direct invoice from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for private pre‑K slots under the state’s Blueprint initiative.
Salas said SDAT issued a true‑up that increased Harford County’s bill by roughly $200,000 after the county’s prior estimate was recorded as a credit. On the MSDE charge, Salas said the county received an October 10 letter from State Superintendent Carrie Wright indicating Harford County’s 50% share would be billed directly; he said the county’s invoice arrived weeks later and was lower than an earlier estimate but still substantial (he described figures in the roughly $500,000–$620,000 range). “Trust us. This is what your bill is,” Salas said, summing county staff’s difficulty in getting detailed backup for the MSDE invoice.
Council members asked whether the school system or the county should verify the students and providers tied to the billed pre‑K slots. Salas said the school system has been a willing partner and that the county is seeking additional information from MSDE to verify enrollment, provider accreditation and lot‑level detail; he said staff were using the appropriation authority primarily to ensure the county could cover the expense if it is ultimately determined to be owed.
Salas framed the request as part of a pattern of state costs being passed to counties, citing increased county shares of teacher pensions and other state charges. He and council members noted there is some time to reconcile invoices and that appropriation authority does not require immediate payment. The council did not take a final vote on the appropriation during the hearing; the item will return for consideration at a future legislative meeting.
What happens next: County staff will seek additional documentation from MSDE and SDAT, reconcile the final invoices, and bring a formal appropriation ordinance to the council for action. The public hearing record will remain part of the legislative file.
