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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
June 7, 2013
County Officials Approve Budget But With Tension
By TRAVIS BROWN
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – A fiscal year 20132014 operating budget, totaling $168,643,654, was passed by a vote of 6-1 Tuesday by the Worcester County Commissioners. The budget includes an increase to Board of Education funding and a 2-percent across-the-board raise for employees, among other expenditures, but will not require a property tax increase. Instead, existing stabilization funds will be used to balance the budget, a move one commissioner protested. Other highlights of the budget include a $1.6 million increase to the schools’ budget, a $367,572 increase to the sheriff’s office and a $785,456 increase in grants to towns and municipalities, among other changes. School bus contractors will not be included in the 2-percent raise but will get a 1.5-percent increase in hourly rate, mileage rate and per vehicle allotment. On the revenue side, the current property tax rate of 77 cents per $100 will not be changed, despite revenue from that tax dropping by $5.7 million due to falling property value assessments. Income tax revenue and other tax revenues will be increasing by $1,000,000 and $250,000, respectively. The county will also be applying $2,000,000 from Casino Local Impact funding towards debt service on Worcester Technical High School. When the expenditures and revenues had been accounted for, the budget was still short, and the commission agreed to take roughly $1.6 million in “budget stabilization funds” from reserves and apply them to the FY2014 operating budget. Commissioner Jim Bunting opposed the move, citing fears that the stabilization funds would dry up quickly and leave the county in trouble. “What are we going to do when all of that money is gone?” he asked. Bunting was not given a chance to make his case, however, when in an unusual move Commission President Bud Church called for a vote on the budget without asking for discussion on the item. Immediately after the 6-1 vote, Church asked for a motion to adjourn, at which point Bunting interrupted and requested that he be allowed to offer discussion on the budget. Church said it was too late and that the meeting was over. “Besides the president, you’re God, I guess,” said Bunting. “I was opposed, by the way.” After the meeting, Bunting shared the points that he wanted to make. “I was going to say that if we hadSEE NEXT PAGE
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