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Dorchester County reports on April finances; ARPA nearly fully expended, data centers boost service charges
Summary
Deputy Administrator/CFO Denise Christmas told council April revenues are tracking near year-to-date targets (general fund ~83.3% of budget), ARPA spending is 99.97% with $10,698 remaining, and charges for services are well above budget largely because of data center activity.
At the May 18 Dorchester County Council meeting, Deputy Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Denise Christmas presented the April 2026 monthly budget report and capital projects update.
Christmas said 83% of the fiscal year has lapsed and the general fund's total revenues are coming in at about 83.3% of the budget; taxes were reported at 86.7% of budgeted collections. She reported licenses and permits collections exceeded budget ("we have collected 7.6 million of our $7.2 million budget," which the presenter noted as approximately 105.7% of budgeted receipts). Intergovernmental (state) receipts are below annual budget because the last quarter is booked later in the summer, she said.
Christmas reported the county has expended 78.4 million of a $98.6 million general-fund budget (about 79.5% expended), and summarized fund-level positions: library fund revenues and expenditures, capital fund receipts and expenditures, fire fund spending tied to a recent engine purchase, and water/sewer fund billing timing that is expected to even out by year end. She said charges for services have returned materially above budget "mainly due to the data centers and other expansion in the county," citing $31.4 million received against a $12.2 million budget for that revenue line.
On federal relief funds, she said the county's ARPA fund is 99.97% expended with $10,698 remaining; staff will likely come back next month to reappropriate that remaining amount to another ARPA project (the coroner's project was cited as a likely recipient).
Council asked clarifying questions; no supplemental appropriations were approved at the meeting. Christmas's presentation provided a snapshot of fiscal performance and flagged an expected ARPA reappropriation and the timing of state revenue receipts.
