Carroll commissioners get first look at recommended $525.3 million fiscal 2024 county budget
Carroll County’s director of management and budget on Thursday presented a recommended $525.3 million county operating budget for fiscal 2024, which starts July 1. Carroll County Board of Carroll County Commissioners unanimously adopted a recommended $525.3 million county operating budget for fiscal 2024, an increase of $24 million over the current fiscal 2023 operating budget approved last May. From now until the expected budget adoption day of May 23, commissioners will hold a series of budget meetings to work out details of how the operating budget funds will be spent. The final proposed fiscal 2024 budget will be released on April 25.
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Published : one year ago by Sherry Greenfield in
Ted Zaleski, Carroll County’s director of management and budget, on Thursday presented a recommended $525.3 million county operating budget for fiscal 2024, which starts July 1.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners unanimously adopted the recommended budget, which is an increase of $24 million over the current fiscal 2023 operating budget approved last May.
From now until the expected budget adoption day of May 23, commissioners will hold a series of budget meetings to work out details of how the operating budget funds will be spent.
Zaleski warned the new commissioners who are facing their first budget cycle that they will be approached by many county agencies and departments asking for money during the next few months.
“It’s very easy to take a position, please give this money, please do what they’re asking you to do,” Zaleski said. “But it’s almost done out of any context for what that means. There’s not a pot of money in the corner that commissioners just need to be convinced to go use. Every dollar that goes somewhere is a choice against a dollar that goes somewhere else. There are no decisions to just fund something. We have to make choices on all this.”
Zaleski offered what he called “good news” to the board.
“The revenue outlook for both us and the state has significantly improved over last year,” he said. “We’re in a much stronger position now.”
Revenues are projected to increase by $20.5 million in fiscal 2024 over this year, and $5.3 million remains in the county’s contingency fund. Zaleski attributed some of those remaining funds to the fact that little money was spent this winter on snow and ice removal.
Zaleski recommended that 5% of annual revenues next fiscal year ($24.4 million) should be put in reserves for unexpected expenses. “Things happen that you can’t plan for,” he said.
When compared to the current fiscal year projections, property tax revenues are projected to increase by $2.8 million in fiscal 2024, income tax revenue by $16.5 million, and investment income will jump by $3.6 million. Including other sources of money, total revenues are expected to increase by $41.9 million, Zaleski said.
One of the major sources of funding the commissioners provide from the county’s budget is an allocation to the Carroll County Board of Education to operate the county’s public schools.
The school system is working through its own fiscal 2024 preliminary operating budget, which is $37.7 million higher than its fiscal 2023 budget. The increase includes $15.9 million for employee salaries, $3 million for Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requirements, $2.8 million related to inflation, $2.1 million for transportation costs, $1.4 million for increased substitute teacher pay, $1.3 million for a staffing increase and $11.2 million in state funding earmarked for programs that support compensatory education students (those whose family incomes make them eligible for the Free and Reduced-price Meals Program).
Funding still to be discussed for inclusion in the county’s operating budget include:
• Costs for the county’s new Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Meetings with county agencies requesting funding that is not included in the recommended budget are set for March 28 and March 30. The final proposed fiscal 2024 budget will be released on April 25.
Zaleski will also hold a series of community meetings to explain the proposed budget to residents. Each meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on the following dates:
• May 1 at the Westminster Library.
• May 2 at the Taneytown Library.
• May 3 at the North Carroll Library.
A final public hearing on the budget is set for 7 p.m., May 9, at Carroll Community College’s Scott Center, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster.
Updated budget information can be viewed on the Bureau of Budget webpage at: https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/directory/management-budget/bureau-of-budget/. Meetings are available for viewing on the county meeting portal at http://carrollcountymd.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx and on the county YouTube channel (@CarrollCountyGov). In addition, all meetings will be replayed on Comcast Channel 24.