Caroline County reviews FY2026 third‑quarter results, debates FY2027 budget risks including LOSAP and snow‑removal funding
May 19, 2026 | Caroline County, Maryland
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Deputy Administrator Daniel Fox and Deputy Director of Finance Stacy Seward led a detailed FY2026 third‑quarter review and an initial FY2027 budget workshop on May 19. Fox said county revenue stood at $62,970,000 (about 79% of budget at the time of the report) with property tax collections at 98%; staff flagged a delayed tax sale (software issue) now expected in August and an uncertain federal EMPG grant that was excluded from FY2027 assumptions.
Seward reviewed expense lines and noted many departments were tracking close to expected quarterly levels. She identified inflated public‑works overtime and snow‑removal contractor costs after recent storms and recommended increasing the 'emergency operations' line in roads from $10,000 to $30,000 to cover retainers for contracted services. Commissioners debated solicitation methods and retainer requirements and asked staff to schedule a workshop to define contractor expectations and enforcement provisions.
A major pension/LENGTH‑OF‑SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM (LOSAP) discussion focused on actuarial rebasing this year. Staff said Bolton/Fulton actuarial work is pending and that repeated COLAs and a new per‑year step plan could materially increase long‑term liabilities; an updated liability figure might not be available until later in the year, complicating final FY2027 decisions.
On capital, staff recommended using about $1.4M of existing impact‑fee and prior capital‑reserve funds to meet the county’s FY2027 local share for Lockerham Middle School design and engineering obligations, avoiding bonding in future years. Commissioners discussed the legal limits on impact‑fee use (state law requires the school impact fee be used for school construction) and agreed to the allocation as recommended.
Fox and Seward said they will clean up the budget documents, incorporate discussion items, and circulate a final draft in advance of a planned first‑week‑of‑June meeting for final adoption. Pending items for the final budget include updated LOSAP actuarial numbers and MSDE final school funding figures.
Seward reviewed expense lines and noted many departments were tracking close to expected quarterly levels. She identified inflated public‑works overtime and snow‑removal contractor costs after recent storms and recommended increasing the 'emergency operations' line in roads from $10,000 to $30,000 to cover retainers for contracted services. Commissioners debated solicitation methods and retainer requirements and asked staff to schedule a workshop to define contractor expectations and enforcement provisions.
A major pension/LENGTH‑OF‑SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM (LOSAP) discussion focused on actuarial rebasing this year. Staff said Bolton/Fulton actuarial work is pending and that repeated COLAs and a new per‑year step plan could materially increase long‑term liabilities; an updated liability figure might not be available until later in the year, complicating final FY2027 decisions.
On capital, staff recommended using about $1.4M of existing impact‑fee and prior capital‑reserve funds to meet the county’s FY2027 local share for Lockerham Middle School design and engineering obligations, avoiding bonding in future years. Commissioners discussed the legal limits on impact‑fee use (state law requires the school impact fee be used for school construction) and agreed to the allocation as recommended.
Fox and Seward said they will clean up the budget documents, incorporate discussion items, and circulate a final draft in advance of a planned first‑week‑of‑June meeting for final adoption. Pending items for the final budget include updated LOSAP actuarial numbers and MSDE final school funding figures.
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