Carroll adopts lean budget

Carroll County, Md. (Map, News) - Carroll commissioners unanimously adopted a $545 million budget for next year, a spending plan trimmed back about 7.5 percent from this year’s $589 million.

The county delayed its budget meetings a few weeks this year until the General Assembly ended its session. Commissioners went into the public meetings in April with the mindset that they would be working with a lean budget without the luxury of adding many new programs.

A spiraling economy coupled with the state’s decision to make record tax hikes while cutting county funds made this year one of the most difficult for Budget Director Ted Zaleski.

“Every year has its problems to work through,” Zaleski said. “This was a difficult one because of uncertainties both with what was happening with the state and what was happening with the economy.”

The property tax rate will remain at $1.048 per every $100 of assessed value, a rate that has not increased in 13 years, officials said.

The state’s assessments, however, are expected to rise for many, increasing the amount of taxes residents must pay. Several outraged residents implored commissioners at a public hearing recently to lower the rate to offset a rise in assessments.

Dozens of teachers at the hearing demanded larger raises, but the only change commissioners made in the plan proposed by the budget department was to take $400,000 from a fund reserved for unforeseen costs – such as increased winter snow removal – and use it to upgrade computer software for the school system.

After the change, the county has $10.2 million in its reserve fund, Zaleski said. The money, he said, would have to be used for one-time needs, and the majority is not expected to be used.

msilvestri@baltimoreexaminer.com

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