Residents urge pause on Choptank Marina fuel plans and weigh detention-center costs at budget hearing

Caroline County President Travis Breeding convened the first public hearing on the county’s FY2027 operating and capital budget on March 10, and two residents spoke about specific capital projects and broader budget priorities.

Susie Staelin, a Caroline County resident, testified that taxpayers have already paid for two engineering designs for a proposed fuel station at Choptank Marina and urged commissioners not to fund another. "The taxpayers of Caroline County have already paid for engineering design specs twice at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars," Staelin said. She added that she learned there remained about $250,000 associated with the project and asked the commissioners, "Please don't please don't do a third engineering design."

Commission President Travis Breeding responded that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had asked the county to re-evaluate the plan for a safety issue and that the funding involved would be state waterway-improvement money (boat-registration/bristol-sticker funds), not county general funds. Breeding noted some river users want on-site fuel because the nearest commercial fueling stations are in Cambridge or Denton and said, "If it is a county operated fuel system, it will have to be operated by a county employee," which he said would reduce spill and environmental risks.

A second resident, who identified herself only as Sabrina of Federalsburg, urged commissioners to remember the county’s high share of ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) households when deciding priorities. She said she was concerned about a referenced $40,000,000 figure tied to a detention center and that such funds could address urgent needs like food, heat and rent. Breeding told her the county had not made a final decision on a detention center and was "in the early phases of design and planning," adding that the county might renovate the existing facility or build anew and that state funding availability could be several years away.

Commissioners acknowledged limitations in the current detention facility, citing lack of program and medical space and saying rehabilitation and peer-recovery programming are currently constrained. Commissioners said they would take the testimony into consideration as they continue planning the capital budget.

The commissioners opened the hearing by motion and closed it by motion and voice vote; staff reported there were no written comments submitted for this hearing.

No formal decisions were made at the hearing; the input from Staelin and Sabrina will be part of the record as the county develops FY2027 budget options.