Latest news with #JasonBennett
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
County approves $147.7 million budget
CUMBERLAND — Allegany County commissioners Thursday adopted the county's fiscal 2026 $147,717,558 operating and capital budget. The property tax rate will not change; however 'the income tax will increase from 3.03 to 3.20 beginning Jan. 1,' county Administrator Jason Bennett said. The budget reflects an increase of $3,649,434 in property tax revenue, and will use $3.1 million of fund balance and $2.6 million of reserved lottery proceeds to fund some capital projects, he said. The document includes a 2% cost-of-living salary increase for employees. It designates 25% of paper gaming revenues, after all administrative costs, to fire and rescue companies, and the remaining 75% for capital education project funding. The county designates the Allegany County Fire & Rescue Board to determine distribution of all revenues. According to the budget, a Maryland mandate increased the county's cost share of operating the local assessment and taxation office in the fiscal 2026 budget to 90% at a cost of $728,000. A fiscal 2026 state disparity grant was calculated at $7,298,611, and an additional supplemental disparity grant of $815,947 'will be appropriated as an offset to the teacher pension shift,' the budget states. 'Maryland decreased the county's disparity grant by $815,947 for FY 26,' it states. 'The cost of the teacher's pension shift became part of the Board of Education's maintenance of effort calculation in FY 2017.' The budget partially funds requests from Allegany College of Maryland, the Allegany County Health Department and the Allegany County Library System. It funds the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Allegheny Highlands Trail, Tourism, Arts Council, Cumberland Theatre, Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization and the Toll House, from collections of the hotel and motel tax. As part of the budget, commissioners adopted water and sewer rates, recommended by the Allegany County Sanitary Commission, which mean customer utility bills will increase by an average of 5.1%. Board President Dave Caporale said via prepared statement the commissioners are 'proud to share that the FY 2026 budget includes no increase in property taxes.' However, the county raised the income tax rate to 3.2% to qualify for more than $5.7 million in additional state disparity grant funding next year. 'This adjustment helps us secure financial stability without raising other taxes and fees in the general fund,' he said. 'To further manage costs, we've cut additional spending and eliminated 10 full-time positions,' Caporale said. 'We also extend our sincere thanks to our partner agencies — Allegany College of Maryland, Allegany County Public Schools, the health department, library system and many others — for maintaining services with no funding increases,' he said. 'These choices have not been easy, but they will protect residents from added tax burdens during this time of inflation,' Caporale said. In other county business, commissioners: • Awarded First Fruits Excavating of Ridgeley, West Virginia, the site-work for the Village Crossing at Campobello project for a low-base bid of $4,029,329. • Changed the county's Purple Line to a demand-response, door-to-door, reservation-type service that will transport anyone within a half-mile of state Route 36 from Westernport to Interstate 68 at exit 34. Trips will originate in the Georges Creek region and take customers to the Cumberland area. The service will run Tuesdays and Fridays, beginning at the first reservation time in Georges Creek after 8:30 a.m.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
County residents with high water rates to get new company
CUMBERLAND — Although Allegany County officials recently talked to Maryland Water Service about significantly high rates, they just learned the company has been sold. Thursday, Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said his office a few weeks ago met with Maryland Water Service representatives to discuss monthly water and sewer bills that average about $350 and have reached $650 to $900 for some customers in Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates. 'We ... asked some pretty pointed questions,' Bennett said. County officials received some answers but were 'left with more questions,' he said. Wednesday, the company 'reached out to us and shared ... that system has now been sold,' Bennett said, adding that the county has few details but was told the new owner is American Water Service. 'From what we know it's going through the regulatory process,' Bennett said. 'Which means, back through the (Maryland Public Service Commission) and back through federal agencies as well.' The county does not know 'what it will do to rates,' he said. 'As we learn more, we'll continue to share.' TransactionMaryland Water Service is a Texas-based Nexus Water Group company. A press release on the American Water website Thursday stated the business 'has agreed with Nexus Regulated Utilities LLC, a subsidiary of Nexus Water Group Inc., to purchase multiple water and wastewater systems located in eight states for a total of approximately $315 million, subject to adjustment as provided for in the purchase and sale agreement.' The acquisition 'would add nearly 47,000 customer connections within American Water's existing footprint in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia,' the release stated. 'The completion of the transaction is also subject to the satisfaction or waiver of various conditions, including the receipt of all required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions,' it stated. 'The estimated closing will take place by or before August 2026.' The Cumberland Times-News was unable to confirm Thursday before press time whether the sale includes the Allegany County Maryland Water Service customers. BackgroundIn March, Bel Air resident Larry Smith led a meeting of roughly 100 folks to discuss their inability to access affordable and clean water. Participants came from Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates, and gathered in a large room above the Cresaptown Volunteer Fire Department. Many discussed extreme conservation measures to reduce costs of their water and sewer bills. The group's water and sewer bills, which come from Maryland Water Service, are among 'the highest in the nation,' Smith said at that time. In April, Allegany County Director of Public Works Adam Patterson said Maryland Water Service buys its water from the county, which purchases the water from Cumberland. 'The cost that we purchase from Cumberland ... we mark up and then that (pays the county's) transmission cost,' he said. 'What I'm seeing is (the water company officials) then mark it up again.' The commissioners at that time agreed to arrange a meeting, requested by the local Maryland Water Service customers, with county, state and federal delegates. ReactionThursday, Smith said he hopes the meeting he and other Maryland Water customers requested earlier this year will still happen. 'There must be a solution beyond private water for these communities,' he said, adding that the current model is economically unsustainable. He talked of hardships the customers face due to their high water bills. Some folks have to share bath water, and others must choose between paying for prescription medications or water, Smith said. Many have poor quality of water that requires significant filtration methods, he said. The water problem will 'continue to mean devaluation of property values,' Smith said. 'Whether it is Maryland Water Service or a new company that bought MSW, we look forward to the commissioners honoring their commitment to the nearly 1,400 people who requested a meeting,' he said. 'We're grateful to the commissioners in advance,' Smith said of the elected officials' pursuit of the meeting.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Maryland flash flooding prompts rescue of hundreds of students trapped in school by rising waters
WESTERNPORT, Md. – Family members waded through waist-deep floodwater to reach their children in Western Maryland on Tuesday after torrential rain quickly inundated three schools in Allegany County, prompting emergency rescues. A Flash Flood Emergency was declared near Westernport, Maryland when storms dropped up to 5 inches of rain within hours. Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said the area is known as the "Mountainside of Maryland" because it's surrounded by mountains. All that water flows downhill, and by Tuesday afternoon, "we began to have real problems," Bennett told FOX Weather. Photos show cars floating in the parking lot of an Allegany County school. "This one absolutely came up on us very quickly," Bennett said. According to a statement from Allegany County Public Schools, water at Westernport Elementary School covered Church Street and flooded the first floor of the three-story building. Students and staff moved to the second floor until Emergency Services set up swift-water rescue boats to take them to safety. Flooding along Maryland Route 36 restricted access to George's Creek Elementary School, and students were evacuated to Mountain Ridge High School. Students and staff sheltered in place at Westmar Middle School and Mountain Ridge High School. First responders from Western Maryland, including multiple volunteer fire departments and swift-water rescue teams, headed to the scene, rescuing 150 students and 50 staff from Westernport Elementary. What Flood Watches, Flood Warnings And Flash Flood Emergencies Mean Some families took things into their own hands, wading through the rising water to reach their children and help rescue others. A photo shared by the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office shows a man carrying a girl on his shoulders with water up to his chest. Officials said he was a good Samaritan, not with a fire department. Allegany County Public School officials said 12 students of different ages stayed overnight at Mountain Ridge High School until their families could pick them up on Wednesday morning. "We went from having parking lots that were bare to being filled with water within a 30-to-40-minute timeframe. That's why we had a couple of the schools that kind of got stuck the way they were," Bennett said. "So it was a very difficult time, a lot of water to deal with and a lot of damage and a lotta cleanup for us to deal with today." Photos shared by the Kitzmiller and Bloomdale volunteer fire departments show boats carrying students away from the school and the playground submerged in water. "ACPS wishes to also thank the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services and all first responders, for coordinating the rescue of our students and employees and putting their lives on the line to make them safe," the school district said in a statement. Potomac Fire Co. No. 2 Public Information Officer Jonathan Dayton estimated that about 200 homes and buildings were flooded in Allegany County. County officials said no one was reported injured or missing during the event in Western Maryland. Tragically, the same storms caused flooding in West Virginia and Virginia, where a 12-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters. His body was found on article source: Maryland flash flooding prompts rescue of hundreds of students trapped in school by rising waters
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Art in the Park at Wild Heron: Local artists, food, and fun for kids
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)—Humble House Ministries is excited to participate in the 'Art in the Park at Wild Heron' on Sunday, April 13. The event will begin at 1 p.m and continue until 4 p.m. at 1110 Prospect Promenade on Panama City Beach. Local area artists, crafters, makers, and bakers will line the paths of the Wild Heron's Park. Tyndall AFB to conduct prescribed burn to reduce wildfire risk It will feature food trucks, live music, and children's activities. According to the organizers, 24 vendors will be present, and three food trucks, Techspresso, Gelato Love, and Crepe & Creme, are scheduled to arrive. Next to the playground, there will be a kids' tent for painting, music from Jason Bennett, and fun giveaways. There will also be a table, as the Humble House ladies will be onsite, displaying exclusive handcrafted bracelets, clay earrings, candles, and more. All proceeds made from merchandise will go directly back to the women in their addiction recovery and transitional housing program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County commissioners pursue help for high water, sewer bills
CUMBERLAND — Allegany County officials said they want to help some area residents who are charged remarkably high water and sewer rates. In a public work session Thursday, Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett held a thick stack of papers that contained a letter and petition with more than 1,200 signatures from folks who live in Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates. The residents, customers of the private company Maryland Water Service, want to meet with the commissioners and other government leaders to discuss monthly water and sewer bills that average about $350 and have reached $650 to $900 for some customers. Maryland Water Service, a Texas-based Nexus Water Group company, earlier this week refused to discuss the matter with the Cumberland Times-News. 'We're trying to figure out what all options we have,' Bennett said. 'On the surface, you commissioners can't necessarily affect this, but in cooperation with the feds and the state, we're gonna try to figure out what we can do.' Bennett said the county's state delegates agreed to discuss the matter with county officials after the current legislative session ends. 'People are getting hammered out there ... no doubt about it,' Commissioner Creade Brodie said of the water customers who have gone to extreme conservation measures. He recalled meeting with the water company's representatives several times in the past to ask about the high bills. 'You could never talk to the same people,' Brodie said. 'It was like trying to nail Jell-O down.' County officials said one of many unknowns is whether aging infrastructure contributes to the high water bills. 'There's a lot of questions,' board President Dave Caporale said, adding that he wants to know how and why the Maryland Public Service Commission 'weighed in on this,' and whether the state's attorney general is investigating the situation. Allegany County Director of Public Works Adam Patterson said Maryland Water Service buys its water from the county, which purchases the water from Cumberland. 'The cost that we purchase from Cumberland ... we mark up and then that' (pays the county's) transmission cost,' he said. 'What I'm seeing is (the water company officials) then mark it up again.' The commissioners agreed to arrange the meeting the residents requested. 'Getting everybody together to start that dialogue ... would help those folks out there at least know that everybody's trying to look into it, trying to see what we can do,' Commissioner Bill Atkinson said.
