Caroline County runs detailed FY27 budget workshop; commissioners debate fire-company increases, OPEB, capital priorities and a 2-cent tax-change proposal

Commissioners spent the bulk of a March 24 workshop reviewing and adjusting draft FY27 operating and capital budgets, with staff warning of hard deadlines to prepare advertising for an April 13 proposed budget and a May 5 public hearing.

Budget staff walked through line-by-line items and recommended modest reductions in a few areas; one staffer suggested removing $12,000 from the commissioners' PAB expenses and flagged roughly $1.3 million in in-and-out grant revenue that inflates year-over-year totals. Commissioners discussed specific department lines, judicial parking-lot needs and shifting some capital items into design reserves.

A major recurring theme was support for and limits to funding volunteer fire companies. Commissioners offered competing placeholders for increases ranging from 5% to 10%. Volunteers and chiefs urged higher increases and warned of rising costs for engines, insurance and difficulty sustaining fundraising: "Insurance is going up. Fuel is going up... it's becoming increasingly difficult to fundraise," a volunteer representative said. One commissioner said the county could not sustain repeated 10% jumps but would work to secure federal assistance for equipment and building grants.

The board also addressed long-term liabilities. Commissioners asked staff to obtain an updated LOSAP and OPEB actuarial from Bolton before finalizing assumptions; staff said the actuarial could change funding percentages and that regular annual COLA additions could increase the county's funded liability.

On capital items, commissioners placed placeholders and agreed to pursue grant avenues for a mobile command unit using federal funds while earmarking higher estimates for courthouse parking reconstruction and radio replacements for volunteer fire companies. Staff warned that the Maryland 9-1-1 board had tightened reimbursement rules requiring preapproval before contracts are executed, which could reduce retroactive reimbursements to the county and require additional preapproval paperwork.

Commissioner remarks again referenced tax policy. One commissioner said the draft budget reflected a two-cent property tax decrease and urged towns to pass on any differential to residents. The board will reconvene next week to finalize capital allocations and incorporate updated actuarial numbers and grant-status details prior to the April 13 deadline for advertisement.

No final budget vote occurred at the March 24 workshop; commissioners used the meeting to refine placeholders and identify follow-up tasks, including obtaining the LOSAP/OPEB actuarial, firming capital-cost estimates and pursuing grants for equipment and firehouse projects.