SALISBURY – A proposed operating budget of $173 million was submitted to county leaders this week.
On Tuesday, Acting County Executive John Psota presented the Wicomico County Council with his proposed operating budget beginning July 1. He said the spending plan, totaling $173,908,637, represents an 7.6% increase over the current year’s budget.
“The budget is balanced as required by the charter,” he said. “The focus of the budget is to address the county’s core service needs: public safety, health, education and infrastructure.”
Psota noted that the budget features a proposed tax rate of $0.9070 and an increase in income tax revenue.
“Real property net assessable base increased 4.43%, resulting in our tax rate decreasing from $0.9195 to $0.9070, just over a cent,” he said. “Projections for income tax revenue is $63 million, or an 11.7% increase.”
Council President John Cannon questioned why income tax revenues had significantly increased. Finance Director Pam Oland said much of it had to do with federal changes.
“This is something that’s being experienced across the state,” she said. “So we’re not the only ones who have been seeing these increases. As you saw in our audit, and as we are seeing in this year’s results, we are still experiencing increases and thus we are budgeting to recognize those.”
Psota told council members this week that the spending plan also included the implementation of a new pay plan – which will result in new salaries for most employees – as well as additional funding for fire and EMS. While the budget features an increase in payments to each volunteer company, Psota said he was also recommending the implementation of a Length of Service Award, a retention and recruitment initiative that financially rewards volunteers based on length of service.
“These two together represent a 24% increase to their funding,” he said.
Other items in the proposed budget include a $1.2 million increase in maintenance of effort funding to the Wicomico County Board of Education, contributiuons for a renovation and addition at Mardela Middle and High School, and $325,000 in ARPA funding for the creation of sewer service in certain areas of the county. Psota is also recommending the establishment of a $500,000 grant program to help homeowners who have failing septic systems.
“We in Wicomico County face the same economic challenges and uncertainty as the rest of the country at this time,” he said. “My proposed budget reflects our best effort to meet those challenges given our current circumstances.”
Officials say a public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on May 3.
