Public hearing Monday on proposed Carroll budget and tax hikes

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday night on the county’s proposed $541.6 million operating budget, which includes a 2-cent property tax increase starting July 1.

The public hearing starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., in Westminster. There will also be a livestream of the hearing on the county’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARK8mi7NAwU.

Commissioners will also take comment about proposals to increase to the county’s recordation tax rate and water and sewer rates.

In March, commissioners were told the county faced a $12.4 million deficit in the fiscal 2025 operating budget. The all-Republican board spent the last several weeks meeting regularly to debate how best to deal with the shortfall.

The $541.6 million proposed budget is $1.2 million less than the current fiscal 2024 operating plan.

The budget reduces funding to the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services by $2.8 million; reduces agricultural preservation funding by $2.5 million; eliminates 10 vacant county government positions; and reduces planned salary increases for commissioners, court employees and employees with the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, from 5.5% to 4%.

“I’ve met with the fire department people and we’ve talked about the budget, we’ve talked about their needs,” District 2 Commissioners’ President Ken Kiler said at Thursday’s commissioner meeting. “I think everybody recognizes it’s a fine line on what we can fund, and what we need to do to increase revenue.”

Commissioners have proposed a 2-cent property tax increase to help eliminate the deficit. The proposed property tax is $1.038 per $100 of assessed value in fiscal 2025. The current rate is $1.018.

If approved, it will mark the first time county officials have raised property taxes since fiscal 1997, according to a county news release.

The board is also proposing an increase to the county’s recordation tax rate from $5 per $500 of assessed value to $6.50. The recordation tax is imposed by the state as compensation for registering the purchase or sale of property. The money is collected by the county where the transaction takes place.

The last time the county raised the recordation tax was in fiscal 2003, the county news release states.

At Monday night’s hearing, water and sewer customers in the county will also have the opportunity to comment on a 4% proposed rate increase for fiscal 2025. The 4% increase comes about a year after commissioners passed a 10% hike in the rates for the current fiscal year.

There are about 26,000 water and sewer customers in Carroll County. They are using an average of 12,000 gallons of water and sewer per quarter and paying a combined $306.43 a quarter for both. With a 4% increase the average customer’s quarterly bill will jump to $318.32.

Commissioners are slated to adopt the budget, including rates and taxes, on Tuesday, May 21.

Anyone unable to attend the public hearing can send comments to Ted Zaleski, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget, by email at tzaleski@carrollcountymd.gov or the Board of Commissioners at commissioners@carrollcountymd.gov. Comments must be received by May 10.

“Keep talking to us,” Kiler said. “It’s not over.”