SALISBURY – County leaders voted this week to approve Wicomico County’s Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted unanimously to adopt the fiscal year 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) with amendments. The five-year capital planning document now features a $300,000 reduction for software updates and the removal of a landfill construction project in fiscal year 2023.
“This is for cells seven, eight and 10 projects,” Council Administrator Laura Hurley told council members this week. “This project was funded in the fiscal year 2022, so the funding is not needed in fiscal year 2023.”
In November, Acting County Executive John Psota and Finance Director Pam Oland introduced Wicomico’s proposed CIP. The capital planning document, totaling more than $145 million, included $11.3 million for recreation and parks projects and $9.46 million for improvements at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, though most of those requests will be funded with state and federal grants.
The CIP also included $7.5 million for a new applied technology building at Wor-Wic Community College, funds to develop a planning document for a new Pittsville library, and $21.2 million in requests from the Wicomico County Board of Education. The school system said the county’s contribution would be used to fund an $18.8 million renovation at Mardela Middle and High School, a $1.48 million roof replacement at Wicomico High School and $978,000 in roof renovations at Parkside High School.
“We’re looking to fund Mardela out of bond and the other two we are hoping to pay with pay-go funds,” Oland said at the time.
Following its introduction to the county council, officials met with department heads throughout the month of February to discuss projects within the CIP. It was at that time that Oland told council members the CIP would need amendments
Throughout the month of February, the county council met with several department heads to discuss the CIP. And late last month, Oland presented amendments that included a $300,000 reduction within the information technology department and a $6.5 million reduction for the cell construction project at the landfill.
“The contract came in at $7,011,000 to do two cells versus one,” she explained at the time. “So the $6.5 million that’s listed in this plan, we do not need in the next fiscal year.”
Back on the agenda for approval this week, the county council voted 7-0 to approve the CIP with the proposed amendments.
