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Wicomico County holds public hearing on $237 million FY27 budget as city officials warn fire/EMS cuts could threaten services
Summary
At a May 5 public hearing on the proposed FY27 budget, county and school officials largely praised continued support for schools while city leaders and residents urged the council to address proposed cuts to Salisbury Fire & Ambulance reimbursement and asked for clearer revenue details; the council introduced the annual budget bill and scheduled follow-up work sessions.
Wicomico County Council opened a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on May 5 after staff read departmental operating and enterprise fund requests that total roughly $237 million. County staff detailed major line items — for example, the sheriff's office at $23,868,568, the Board of Education at $68,564,440, corrections at $25,483,647 and a nursing home at $11,870,000 — and said the executive submitted a balanced budget funded primarily by local income and property taxes.
The county introduced Legislative Bill No. 202604, the annual budget and appropriation ordinance, and voted unanimously to formally introduce the measure and begin work sessions over the coming weeks.
School officials praised the proposal. "Our school system enjoys a strong positive relationship with county government," said Brian Reager, chief finance and operations officer for Wicomico County Public Schools, noting the budget supports HVAC replacement and phase 1 of weapons detection systems in high schools and that the district continues to receive clean audits.
City officials and residents urged the council to revisit proposed reductions in reimbursements to Salisbury for fire and ambulance services. "We are practically begging you all to help us with this fire service agreement," said April Jackson, president of the Salisbury City Council, adding that the city serves roughly 60% of county residents and is at risk of losing collective bargaining if funding gaps continue.
A city resident at the podium urged the council to examine revenue assumptions and provide a full accounting. "Where are we going to get this revenue from? How much is the property tax going to go up?" Robert Taylor said, calling the one‑page brochure an "extract" that omits revenue detail.
Other residents and council members raised concerns about personnel costs and targeted increases for departments, questioning requests for additional office assistants and engineering positions and urging close scrutiny of small expense items that add up.
The council heard many of those same concerns during the public comment period and committed to further work sessions and additional review before the final vote on the appropriation. The executive's office and council staff said the proposed budget materials are posted on the county website and that more detailed briefing packets are available.
Next steps: the council scheduled work sessions to examine line items, after which the budget bill will return for further votes and potential amendments.
