Washington County proposes $536 million FY2027 budget with no tax-rate increase
May 06, 2026 | Washington County, Maryland
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Michelle Gordon, Washington County administrator, and the county’s chief financial officer presented the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budgets to the Board of County Commissioners, saying the plan is balanced without raising local tax rates. The total proposed budget is $536,000,000, with an operating budget of $433,000,000 and a capital budget of about $103,500,000.
The proposal keeps the real property tax rate at 92.8¢ per $100 of assessed value and the county income tax at 2.95. “The proposed fiscal year 27 tax rates for both income tax and real property tax will remain the same,” Michelle Gordon told attendees during the public presentation.
The county said taxes are the largest revenue source, representing about 82% of operating revenue. The general fund proposed for FY27 is $355,751,800. Education receives the single largest share of operating spending, about 36% of the operating budget; combined education and public safety represent roughly 69% of general fund expenditures for FY27.
Kelsey Mace, the county’s chief financial officer, gave the numeric overview: “The total proposed budget, including operating capital funds, is 536,000,000,” and explained that the county plans a mix of tax‑supported and self‑supported bonds to fund the capital program. The FY27 capital plan concentrates on elementary-school construction, public safety facilities and technology, pavement maintenance, and a major water-infrastructure development project.
The presentation noted several drivers of higher costs for FY27, including rising insurance and inmate‑medical contract costs, pension-cost shifts from the state to the county, and planned investments in EMS to transition some volunteer positions to county-paid paramedics. The county emphasized its strong fiscal position and long-standing double-A-plus bond rating as factors enabling planned borrowing for capital projects.
County staff said the commissioners will consider public comment and finalize the budget at a procedural vote scheduled around Labor Day.
The proposal keeps the real property tax rate at 92.8¢ per $100 of assessed value and the county income tax at 2.95. “The proposed fiscal year 27 tax rates for both income tax and real property tax will remain the same,” Michelle Gordon told attendees during the public presentation.
The county said taxes are the largest revenue source, representing about 82% of operating revenue. The general fund proposed for FY27 is $355,751,800. Education receives the single largest share of operating spending, about 36% of the operating budget; combined education and public safety represent roughly 69% of general fund expenditures for FY27.
Kelsey Mace, the county’s chief financial officer, gave the numeric overview: “The total proposed budget, including operating capital funds, is 536,000,000,” and explained that the county plans a mix of tax‑supported and self‑supported bonds to fund the capital program. The FY27 capital plan concentrates on elementary-school construction, public safety facilities and technology, pavement maintenance, and a major water-infrastructure development project.
The presentation noted several drivers of higher costs for FY27, including rising insurance and inmate‑medical contract costs, pension-cost shifts from the state to the county, and planned investments in EMS to transition some volunteer positions to county-paid paramedics. The county emphasized its strong fiscal position and long-standing double-A-plus bond rating as factors enabling planned borrowing for capital projects.
County staff said the commissioners will consider public comment and finalize the budget at a procedural vote scheduled around Labor Day.
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