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Library leaders, coaches and drivers press Calvert commissioners during budget hearing
Summary
Public commenters urged additional library staffing and investment in athletic fields, raised concerns about bus driver hours and asked the board to prioritize core services and community projects; several speakers asked the county to fund requested library positions and to consider alternatives to some proposed capital items.
During the public comment portion of the staff-recommended budget hearing, residents and organizational representatives addressed a range of priorities from library staffing to athletic fields and transportation worker protections.
Jeffrey Lewis, representing the Board of Library Trustees, asked the commission to fully fund four requested library staffing positions (two full-time and two part-time) to sustain service and administrative capacity; when asked about cost he said the request was "just under 300,000." Scott Deacon, president of the Calvert Library Foundation, described large increases in library program attendance and urged that staffing and technology needs be baseline-budgeted in the county’s multi-year plan.
Athletics and career education advocates also spoke. Steve Krause, a local coach, urged the county to invest in turf fields so local athletes would not leave the county for facilities, citing neighboring jurisdictions with multiple turf fields. Several speakers said capacity constraints at the Career and Technical Academy (CTA) left students without access to specialized programs.
Workers and fiscal critics: Dale Shaner, a contracted school bus driver, described the financial hardship that would result if drivers lost an hour per day of scheduled work and said drivers depend on consistent contracted hours. Patrick Flattery and others questioned the size of the $411,000,000 staff-recommended budget and whether the county is practicing the promised ‘‘zero-based’’ budgeting approach.
Remote commenter Joseph Cormier raised concerns about timing and transparency—asking why BOE numbers were publicly discussed in that meeting and urging more investment in behavioral and emotional supports for students rather than relying solely on SRO presence.
The board did not act on specific public requests at the hearing. Staff closed the evening by thanking participants and noting the commissioner's budget will be presented on May 5; the board left the record open through April 11 for additional comment and submittals.
