SNOW HILL– Worcester County tax rates remain unchanged with approval of a $235 million operating budget this week.
On Tuesday, the Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-1, with Commissioner Joe Mitrecic opposed, to approve a $235,890,227 budget for fiscal year 2024.
“I do believe this budget is in the best interest of the county taxpayers who after all are the ones that provide the money so we can run this government,” Commissioner Chip Bertino said.
Following several budget work sessions this spring, Budget Officer Kim Reynolds presented the commissioners this week with the proposed budget, which included revenues of $235,890,227 and expenditures of the same amount. The budget maintains the property tax rate of $0.845, the third lowest in the state, and the local income tax rate of 2.25%, the lowest in the state.
Revenues for the coming year are highlighted by an estimated increase of $6.9 million in property taxes. Income tax revenue is also expected to increase by about $2 million.
Expenses, however, are also projected to increase. The budget includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for county staff as well as a step increase for eligible employees.
The budget also includes higher expenditures than in the current year in most county departments, including the jail and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. At the jail, expenditures are up to allow for an increase in salaries as well as the purchase of camera upgrades for the security system. At the sheriff’s office, the budget is increasing by $1.2 million to allow for an increase in salaries as well as the purchase of several new vehicles, including an armored rescue vehicle.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner Caryn Abbott made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Eric Fiori, to approve the budget. Mitrecic, however, said he was extremely disappointed in the budget. He said it didn’t do enough for county employees, who he believes with a 2% raise and an increase in insurance costs are going backwards. He said there were 590 general government employees and 1,130 school system employees. The average salary of a general government worker is $63,000 while the average salary of a school system worker is $74,000, according to Mitrecic.
He pointed out that the commissioners had received an 8.5% raise during the 2022-2026 term. That raise, which was equal to the cost-of-living increases given to employees during the prior four years, brought the commissioners’ salary from $26,000 to $28,277.
“Post pandemic hiring and retention is completely different,” he said. “In 2022 we lost 104 employees. In 2023 we’ve lost 82 so far. Like everyone else we’re paying new hires with less knowledge and experience to do the same job as the ones we lost more money.”
He stressed that the budget should have done more for employees. He also said it fell short on grants to towns and didn’t meet the needs of the Worcester County Board of Education.
“There’s a fund balance out there,” he said. “There’s money left over from last year’s budget. And of course we have the budget stabilization slush fund.”
Bertino thanked staff for their efforts in developing the budget and said he felt it was responsible and in the best interests of the taxpayers.
“We don’t all have what we want in this budget,” he said.
He said this was the second time in 10 years the budget was being balanced without using surplus from the current fiscal year.
“The expectation is the surplus that may be realized at the end of this year will be applied to and allocated for other post-employment benefits (OPEB) for the board of education to ensure their retirement for current and past employees is secure,” he said, adding that there was a $150 million board of education OPEB liability. “This body is doing whatever it can to close that gap.”
Bertino added that he felt the county was taking care of its employees.
“Certainly there are individuals or groups of individuals who may be disappointed but when all is said and done, the money that we get that comes into this county, comes from the taxpayers,” he said.