16-05-2025
Myersville introduces proposed fiscal 2026 budget
Myersville's town council will vote in June on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes an expected operating budget of just over $1.9 million. The municipal property tax rate would stay the same.
The town's proposed fiscal 2026 budget includes operating revenues of $1,938,008 and expenditures of $1,914,961, leaving a surplus of a little more than $23,000.
Under the proposed budget ordinance introduced at a meeting Tuesday night, the town's real property tax rate would remain the same, at 34.6 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The real personal property tax rate applied to businesses would also stay the same, at 78.2 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The public utility tax rate would be set at $1.173 per $100 of assessed value.
No residents spoke at a public hearing on the proposed budget Tuesday.
The council is expected to vote on the budget at its June meeting, scheduled for June 10. The budget goes into effect July 1.
The town's fiscal 2025 budget is estimated to end with operating expenditures of $1,930,809.
The fiscal 2026 budget is expected to include $1,817,708 in revenues from taxes and shared funds, including $818,850 in real estate taxes and $525,000 in public utilities taxes.
It also projects $16,950 in revenue from municipal fees, and $3,350 in miscellaneous income.
Among other increases in the proposed budget are increased costs for utilities, including for electricity to the town's municipal center and higher costs for heating oil, Town Manager Kristin Aleshire said Tuesday.
The budget for heating oil is increased from $12,000 to $15,000 in the fiscal 2026 budget, while electricity costs are projected to rise from $24,000 to $24,500, according to the proposed budget.
The costs of the town's various contracted services are also expected to increase, by nearly $20,000.
The increases include $2,000 more for accounting services, an additional $5,000 for engineering fees, and a $9,212 increase in the town's contract with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office to provide a deputy for the town.
The proposed budget also includes an additional $10,000 for mowing services, although it's offset by $10,000 less budgeted for snow removal.
The town's enterprise fund, which covers its water and sewer operations, more than doubles in the proposed budget, from $1,020,901 to $2,071,404, bolstered by $1,040,000 in grants from the state.
The town received grants for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in its drinking water, Mayor Mark Hinkle said Wednesday, as well as one to connect several houses on Easterday Road to the town's water system.
The budget also includes $249,000 in capital projects for infrastructure in the town, including maintenance improvements to sections of Main Street and some stormwater projects, Aleshire said.
The budget includes a lot of maintenance projects and routine improvements, but 'nothing spectacular,' Hinkle said.
'I think it's a fair budget. I think we can accomplish a lot,' he said.
