Garrett Park council introduces FY 2027 budget, allocates $219,000 more for Town Hall renovation

Acting Mayor Gerilee Bennett presided over a public hearing on April 13 in which Town Manager Barb Matthews presented Ordinance No. 2026-4, the Town of Garrett Park’s proposed FY 2027 operating and capital budgets. After questions from councilmembers, the council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance for further consideration.

Matthews told the council the FY 2027 budget projects $2.76 million in revenues, with personnel-related expenses comprising about 43.6% of operating expenses and a planned transfer to the capital budget of $1.06 million. A budget amendment introduced the same night (Ordinance No. 2026-3) would increase total revenues by $190,000, reduce expenses by $29,000 and raise the Town Hall Capital Account (Account 27.2) by $219,000 to align funds with the most recent construction estimate. Matthews noted the Town’s grant funding for the Town Hall is reimbursement‑based, meaning Garrett Park must advance project costs before seeking reimbursement.

The proposed household assessment for trash, recycling, yard waste and quarterly large-item pickup would be $459 per household, a $20 increase from the prior year. Matthews said the assessment is structured to cover contractual collection costs, anticipated monthly fuel surcharges and tipping fees; she warned the town may pay the maximum expected fuel surcharge of $1,500 per month in FY 2027 due to higher diesel prices.

Councilmembers also questioned logistics around election services and IT spending. Matthews explained Garrett Park typically signs its election services contract mid‑February and pays a 50% deposit; she said providers commonly use subcontracted election-day technicians, which can complicate staffing and ballot production when candidate lists finalize close to election day. Councilmember Phil Schulp reiterated his long-standing support for ballot scanning technology as a cost-effective method to speed counting and reduce perceptions of bias.

On IT, Matthews said requested funding covers routine equipment replacement, Microsoft licensing, help-desk services and website hosting and cited Maryland law requiring municipalities to meet minimum cybersecurity standards; she referenced a closed-session briefing the council received in September 2025 based on a third‑party cybersecurity assessment.

Matthews also updated the council on related items: the March financial report and two right-of-way restoration cash bonds; the town’s completed transition to a new payroll processor (Valley Processing of Towson); an upcoming mobilization by Keller Brothers, Inc. on the Yeandle Park construction project (contract completion expected by late July); and the Maryland Board of Public Works’ April 22 consideration of a $500,000 grant awarded in the 2025 legislative session. She noted Garrett Park’s early registration for the State’s FAMLI employer portal, while clarifying that contributions to the FAMLI trust begin with the first payroll of January 2027.

The motion to introduce Ordinance No. 2026-4 passed unanimously. The council also discussed several time-sensitive items tied to the budget process, including transmission of tax rates and the household trash assessment to Montgomery County by May 1 and an expected bid issuance for road paving and curb work by June 1.