4 days ago
Walkersville cuts stormwater projects, uses money from savings to fill budget gap
Walkersville will cut $400,000 in stormwater funds and shift more than $400,000 from the town's savings to help close a nearly million-dollar gap in the town's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The town's commissioners voted 4-1 Wednesday night to approve the fiscal year 2026 budget, which begins July 1.
The budget keeps the town's property tax rate of 14 cents per $100,000 of assessed value the same.
Commissioners Tom Gilbert, Betsey Whitmore Brannen, Russ Winch, and Chris Ragen voted in favor of the budget, with Commissioner Bob Yoder opposed.
Yoder said he opposed the proposal because the town should have looked at other expenses to eliminate rather than continuing to take money from savings.
The commissioners had faced a $921,548 deficit to balance the town's proposed $6.2 million budget.
The proposed budget had $2 million for the town's agreement with the Maryland State Police to provide police protection for the town.
But the latest estimate from Maryland State Police was $1.83 million, Town Manager Sean Williams said.
After including $70,000 to cover possible overtime costs for the troopers, the additional savings could provide $100,000 in savings, Williams said.
The commissioners also voted to eliminate $400,000 out of a proposed $500,000 in stormwater projects, and put the money toward the deficit.
Many of the stormwater projects are still in the administrative or developmental stages, and the $500,000 isn't likely to be spent in the upcoming fiscal year, Williams said.
The town will transfer $421,548 from about $5.8 million in available savings to cover the rest of the deficit.
Yoder, who was elected to the board in September, criticized the decision to draw from savings, pointing to the town's 'astronomical' payments for police and almost $1.2 million in capital projects.
The town cannot continue to spend more than it takes in, he said.
'We have to make decisions now, and stop kicking the can down the road,' he said.
Former Commissioner Mary Ann Brodie-Ennis was the only member of the public to speak at a public hearing before the budget vote, and expressed concern about taking money from reserves again.
Brodie-Ennis, who lost her re-election bid in the September election, said she was also concerned last year, when the commissioners voted to take $1.3 million from savings.
Commissioner Tom Gilbert said he shares some concerns about dipping into savings to fill out the budget, and thinks the town will soon have to look at increasing its tax rate.
Winch said that, of all of the municipalities in Maryland, Walkersville's tax rate is the 16th lowest in the state.
Looking at the town's needs and growth, its expenses will continue to increase, he said.
'I think we've hit that point where we're going to have to have a step increase in taxes,' he said.
Whitmore Brannen said she agreed with Yoder that the town will have to look at cutting some capital expenses.
Ragen noted that the town voted last year to raise water rates by 20% that year and 3% each of the next four years.
After the budget vote, the commissioners approved a motion by Yoder to form a subcommittee to talk about the future of public safety in the town.
The vote was 4-1, with Gilbert, Whitmore Brannen, Ragen, and Yoder in support and Winch opposed.
Winch said the town knows its options: stay with MSP, create its own police force, or sign a contract with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for police coverage.
Burgess Chad Weddle agreed that the town has examined the issue three or four times over the years.
'We've looked at various things at different times,' he said.
