December 13, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 31 Berlin Not Concerned With General Fund Dip By TRAVIS BROWN STAFF WRITER Regional Digest FROM PAGE 30 of about $1.2 million, or around 22 percent, over the same month last year. It’s important to note the Cecil County casino added table games since November of last year. The Rocky Gap Casino Resort in western Maryland generated about $3.3 million in November of this year. BERLIN – A slight dip in the General Fund balance has still left Berlin in a “healthy” financial position, according to the town’s annual audit that was discussed at this week’s Mayor and Council meeting Monday. As of the end of the fiscal year, Berlin’s general fund balance is sitting at $7,088,135, with a little more than $500,000 of that restricted and already committed to various projects. “Which leaves $6.5 million as unassigned or available to carry forward to the next year,” said Leslie Michalik, one of the town’s auditors from finance group PKS and Company. The general fund saw a $350,718, or 5 percent, drop this year. “And this is after a transfer of $300,000 which was budgeted to go to the stormwater fund,” said Michalik. “Without this transfer, General Fund activity actually had a decrease of $50,000.” That put the general fund a little under, but still in line with, the average of the last five years. “There’s not a whole lot of change in the overall fund balance,” Mike Kleger, another town auditor, told Mayor Gee Williams. “You mentioned the $300,000 and that’s not a big drop.” Recent years have seen the town with a $7 million general fund balance average. The current $6.5 million unreserved is “a healthy fund balance based on your annual budget and revenues,” Kleger told the council. Michalik also touched on some of the largest expenditures for the town this year. “The largest area of expenditures is public safety, 25 percent, and general government, which makes up 26 percent of expenditures,” she said. “Public works department makes up 16 percent.” Among all governing costs, salaries and benefits accounted for the lion’s share, at 55 percent of the total. On the revenue side, property taxes were once again the biggest source of income for the town, accounting for 59 percent of the total dollars received. Even with the General Fund taking that slight hit, the council was enthusiastic about the audit results. “If I understand it, the basics of the basics are that revenues in all of the enterprise funds and basically utilities have a net gain during the fiscal year,” said Williams. That was correct, according to Kleger, who added that even with the fund balance dipping this year it is still unusually high for a town of Berlin’s size. The mayor told Kleger that maintaining a strong general fund was a strategy that Berlin had been using for years to generate fi- nancial leverage. “I think that goes back several administrations where the idea was that, by having a higher than usual fund balance that put us in a much better position to seek grants and loans from our partners at the county, state and federal level and I think that’s proven out,” Williams said. Williams also told Kleger that he was not overly disappointed with the $350,000 hit to the general fund balance given recent major undertakings, such as a new stormwater utility that Berlin has launched. Initial projections saw that decrease to the fund as more significant. “Quite frankly, that [$350,000] is a lot, lot less then what we were told three years ago,” said Williams. “I think at one time we were estimating $750,000-$800,000.” Though the fund is in good shape, especially compared to similar municipalities, Kleger did point out that Berlin is carrying more baggage than most as well. “However, you do have a significant amount of debt, too, which a lot of towns don’t have, so it’s not an unreasonable level fund balance but it’s still very comfortable,” he said. When asked by councilmember Paula Lynch if the town needed to be worried about reaching a debt cap, Kleger replied that they did not and had plenty of wiggle room. “You’re nowhere near the maximum,” he said. Storm Grants Available OCEAN CITY – Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials announced this week it’s offering CoastSmart Communities grants to help governments improve their ability to respond to coastal threats such as storm surge, flooding and sea level rise. To further assist communities in this effort, DNR has launched the CoastSmart Communities Scorecard, a new tool through which governments can evaluate their hazard preparedness based on current efforts. “As our climate continues to change and the seas continue to rise, Maryland’s coastal areas are highly susceptible to storms, flooding, hurricanes and other hazards,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley. “By providing funding and technical assistance, we are helping our most vulnerable communities combat this threat, and build a stronger, more resilient Maryland.” The scorecard is designed to be completed by local officials in a group setting to prompt discussion on risk, planning, response strategies and opportunities through a series of yes or no questions. While the results will not be used to rank or compare communities, they will help direct officials to recommendations, tools and resources, and may be used to inform future project proposals to the CoastSmart Communities grant and other funding programs. Freeman Stage Scores $10K For Joint Effort SELBYVILLE, Del. – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Senior Deputy Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced this week that The Freeman Stage at Bayside, a program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, is one of 150 not-forprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Challenge America Fast-Track grant. The Freeman Stage is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support and present a collaborative effort between the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and fifth-grade students from Sussex County in June 2014. The Challenge America FastTrack category offers $10,000 matching grants to support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Challenge America Fast-Track grants support two major outcomes: public engagement with diverse and excellent art and livability, or the strengthening of communities through the arts. In this FY 2014 funding round, the NEA received 294 eligible Challenge America Fast-Track applications requesting $2.94 million in funding. The NEA will award 150 Challenge America Fast-Track grants totaling $1.5 million to organizations in 46 states, including 33 first-time NEA grantees, or 22 percent of all CAFT grantees in this Habitat Seeks Applicants SELBYVILLE – The Sussex County Habitat for Humanity organization is now seeking applicants for two special upcoming home-building projects. The Sussex County Habitat for Humanity has partnered with the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust to establish a shared project to create a permanently affordable home ownership opportunity for a qualified lowincome household to purchase a new home on Norwood Street in West Rehoboth. Habitat for Humanity is strongly recruiting with the West Rehoboth community for a qualified applicant. At the same time, the Habitat for Humanity is happy to announce the beginning of a second Veterans Build project in Georgetown Point. In September, Habitat for Humanity dedicated its first Veterans Build home after a yearlong series of fundraising events and volunteer build days. The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is pictured performing earlier this year at the Freeman Stage at Bayside. Submitted Photo round. "We could not be more excited to receive this funding and recognition from the National Endowment of the Arts," said Joshua M. Freeman Foundation Executive Director Patti Grimes. "We recognize that access to the arts is sometimes limited by cost and geographic barriers, and with this grant we will be able to bring the talented musicians of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra directly to a young audience. The final result should be fun and inspirational for all." Shigekawa added, "The NEA was founded on the principle that the arts belong to all the people of the United States. We're proud that Challenge America Fast-Track grants bring more opportunities for arts engagement to underserved communities." The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was established in 2007 to honor Josh Freeman, the former chair of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, after his untimely death in December of 2006. The current focus of the foundation is The Freeman Stage at Bayside, an outdoor performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island, Del., that attracts an average of 40,000 visitors a year.