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Commissioners approve airport rehab, emergency procurements and $13.29M budget amendment
Summary
The board approved a package of capital and operating items including Taxiway H rehab contingent on FAA grants, emergency repairs at the detention center, new rescue and EMS vehicles, IT/hardware renewals, and a FY26 budget amendment allocating $13.29 million (including $5M to pension and $6M saved toward a courthouse).
At its June 30 meeting the Washington County Board of County Commissioners approved multiple capital and operating actions, including airport, public‑safety and finance items.
Airport and capital work: Commissioners authorized awarding the taxiway H rehabilitation contract at Hagerstown Regional Airport to C. William Hetszer for $915,795, contingent on successful FAA/MAA grant awards, and empowered the board president to sign required grant applications and task orders. The board also authorized a state capital grant application for design of a replacement air‑traffic control tower (previously discussed) and approved associated consultant task order authority for construction administration.
Public safety vehicles and equipment: The board approved cooperative purchases for a Pierce Enforcer walk‑in rescue fire truck ($1,450,372), two Wheeled Coach ambulances ($85,741 total), and two LifePak 35 monitor/defibrillators ($124,990). The Sheriff’s Office was authorized to buy 30 Motorola APX 8500 mobile radios ($220,885.20) for new patrol vehicles.
Emergency procurement: Commissioners ratified an emergency procurement to replace a failed hot‑water storage tank at the detention center after a catastrophic tank failure in February; staff described temporary accommodations and the need for a permanent repair. The board approved the emergency work ($81,000) to restore reliable hot water and operations.
Finance and IT: The board approved a sole‑source renewal for enterprise software (Tyler/Munis) at $249,740.70 for FY27 for tax and utility billing continuity and authorized replacement IT hardware purchases ($157,658.47) via cooperative contract.
Budget amendment and pension: Chief Financial Officer Kelsey Mace proposed a FY26 year‑end amendment of $13,294,470 to reflect stronger than‑expected income and recordation tax receipts. The board approved allocations: $5,000,000 additional pension contribution, $1,000,000 for agricultural land preservation match, $1,000,000 for ambulance purchases, and $6,000,000 set aside toward a potential new courthouse. Mace explained that, given current investment returns and bond yield constraints, increasing pension contributions improves funded status and long‑term fiscal position.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with grant applications and contract paperwork as authorized, and budget staff will implement the approved allocations. The airport project remains contingent on FAA/MAA grants.
