(March 10, 2016) Three Worcester County municipalities, and Ocean Pines, presented fiscal year 2017 budget requests during a county commissioners meeting in Snow Hill last Tuesday, and proposals were, for the most part, in line with previous years.
Berlin presented a largely unchanged request, for $1.79 million in county funds. During the last two years it received $1.77 million and $1.76 million, respectively.
The town did ask for a noticeable increase in shared income tax – $300,000 as opposed to the $244,000 approved during the previous two years – as well as more shared revenue from liquor license distributors.
To offset that, Berlin asked for a smaller restricted fire grant, just $151,000. During fiscal year 2015, the town was given $252,000 in fire grant money. Last year, it received $175,000.
In fiscal year 2015, Snow Hill was given $1.51 million in grants from the county, followed by $1.45 million during FY ’16. This year, the town is asking for $1.62 million. That increase was almost exclusively driven by a $300,000 request for “other grants,” which Mayor Charlie Dorman, in a letter to the commissioners, said would be used for much-needed infrastructure improvements.
The county approved $100,000 grants in the “other category” for Snow Hill during the previous two fiscal years.
During the last two fiscal years, Pocomoke received totals of $1.44 million and $1.47 million, respectively. This year, the town is asking for $1.53 million.
Pushing that number slightly higher was a larger request for ambulance and fire company services. In FY ’15, the town got $378,205 from the county. That went up to $403,584 during the last fiscal year. This year, Pocomoke requested $449,980.
All three municipalities will likely to continue to receive $450,000 in unrestricted grant money, as well as $4,500 in tourism and marketing funds.
Ocean Pines, on the other hand, asked for a more than 80 percent increase in county funding, including 20 times more for recreation ($200,000), and a new $295,000 grant for repairs to roads and bridges. The homeowner’s association also asked for a 73 percent jump in police aid, up from $459,500 during the previous fiscal period, to $625,000 in FY’17.
OPA General Manager Bob Thompson sent in a three-page letter to the commissioners with the budget request, explaining that the funding involved “four distinct needs,” which were public safety, roads and bridges, tourism and recreation.
“Despite having the largest year-round population in Worcester County, we continue to receive the minimum level of funding compared to the amount of funding received by the other communities in the county,” Thompson wrote. “The minimum amount we receive is surprising when you compare the per capita dollars allocated.”
Thompson went on to say, if approved, the per-capita rate would still be the lowest of all the “major communities” in the county, and “less than half” of what the closest comparable community received.
“After years of discussion and effort, it is time to recognize the largest population center in the county and normalize the levels of county support,” Thompson wrote. “Our OPA Worcester County citizens deserve the same level of respect as those who live in other parts of the county.”
The commissioners are expected to get the first draft of the entire fiscal year 2017 county budget on Friday, and could begin discussions during the next public meeting, on Tuesday, March 15 in Snow Hill.
Berlin presented a largely unchanged request, for $1.79 million in county funds. During the last two years it received $1.77 million and $1.76 million, respectively.
The town did ask for a noticeable increase in shared income tax – $300,000 as opposed to the $244,000 approved during the previous two years – as well as more shared revenue from liquor license distributors.
To offset that, Berlin asked for a smaller restricted fire grant, just $151,000. During fiscal year 2015, the town was given $252,000 in fire grant money. Last year, it received $175,000.
In fiscal year 2015, Snow Hill was given $1.51 million in grants from the county, followed by $1.45 million during FY ’16. This year, the town is asking for $1.62 million. That increase was almost exclusively driven by a $300,000 request for “other grants,” which Mayor Charlie Dorman, in a letter to the commissioners, said would be used for much-needed infrastructure improvements.
The county approved $100,000 grants in the “other category” for Snow Hill during the previous two fiscal years.
During the last two fiscal years, Pocomoke received totals of $1.44 million and $1.47 million, respectively. This year, the town is asking for $1.53 million.
Pushing that number slightly higher was a larger request for ambulance and fire company services. In FY ’15, the town got $378,205 from the county. That went up to $403,584 during the last fiscal year. This year, Pocomoke requested $449,980.
All three municipalities will likely to continue to receive $450,000 in unrestricted grant money, as well as $4,500 in tourism and marketing funds.
Ocean Pines, on the other hand, asked for a more than 80 percent increase in county funding, including 20 times more for recreation ($200,000), and a new $295,000 grant for repairs to roads and bridges. The homeowner’s association also asked for a 73 percent jump in police aid, up from $459,500 during the previous fiscal period, to $625,000 in FY’17.
OPA General Manager Bob Thompson sent in a three-page letter to the commissioners with the budget request, explaining that the funding involved “four distinct needs,” which were public safety, roads and bridges, tourism and recreation.
“Despite having the largest year-round population in Worcester County, we continue to receive the minimum level of funding compared to the amount of funding received by the other communities in the county,” Thompson wrote. “The minimum amount we receive is surprising when you compare the per capita dollars allocated.”
Thompson went on to say, if approved, the per-capita rate would still be the lowest of all the “major communities” in the county, and “less than half” of what the closest comparable community received.
“After years of discussion and effort, it is time to recognize the largest population center in the county and normalize the levels of county support,” Thompson wrote. “Our OPA Worcester County citizens deserve the same level of respect as those who live in other parts of the county.”
The commissioners are expected to get the first draft of the entire fiscal year 2017 county budget on Friday, and could begin discussions during the next public meeting, on Tuesday, March 15 in Snow Hill.