County braces for budget squeeze

Commissioners warn of future cuts in state aid

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009

While discussing an adjustment to the construction budget of the Solomons Town Center Park, several Calvert County Commissioners acknowledged that past and future cuts in state aid to the county may affect other capital projects as well.

In order to balance its own budget, the state cut more than $210 million in aid to county governments on Aug. 26. Calvert's hit was $3.4 million.

A public hearing on the budget adjustment was scheduled during the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners' Tuesday meeting, but when no citizens showed up to speak, the commissioners took the opportunity to warn of future impacts on capital projects.

"There's probably no one on this board that would like to see this thing started to be built immediately [more] than me, but I also know the budget restraints that we're under," Commissioner Jerry Clark (R) said. "Even projects like this that had been on the books to move forward may need to be pushed out even farther because it looks like we're going to take probably some more hits from the state level."

Commissioners' President Wilson Parran (D) noted that in addition to the recent $3.4 million cut, the county has also experienced a drastic reduction in its share of state highway user funds, which are allocated for state and local projects based on gas taxes and vehicle registration fees. Last year, the county had more than $6 million in state highway funds, Parran said. This year, following cuts on July 1 and Aug. 26, Calvert has $259,000 coming from the fund.

"They're running out of places to cut quite frankly, and the biggest piece [left] now is education … " Parran said. "If you look at, other than education, around the entire state there's less than a billion dollars of local aid that's coming to the counties at this point."

Parran added that the commissioners had already removed $152 million in planned capital projects to balance their 2010 budget in anticipation of cuts from the state. It may turn out to not have been enough, the commissioners said. Commissioner Susan Shaw said that the Solomons town center park is needed and commended Capitol Projects Director Sharon Strand and Parks and Recreation Division Chief Doug Meadows for a "terrific design that's flexible."

"On the other hand we have a state [that] has been spending somewhere between a $1.10 and $1.15 for every dollar that they take in for years, and with the economic situation, that's now caught up to the state and the state can no longer do that," Shaw (R) said. "The scary part is that they may have to start looking into education."

The Calvert County Board of Education is funded by county and state dollars, so any additional cuts in state aid could force the county to defer more funds towards education.

The adjustment was needed because the lowest bid received by the county for the park's construction — $1.08 million by Bay Country Contractors — was $33,729 higher than was originally budgeted.

After no one spoke at the public hearing, the commissioners decided unanimously to approve the $148,523 budget adjustment, which included the $33,729, plus $101,794 for a 10-percent contingency and $13,000 for SMECO.

However, the commissioners decided to award the contract at a later date once the fiscal situation cleared up.

"We can't move forward until we've looked at the big picture, and there have been some projections that I think unfortunately are going to come true about future cuts that we need to take a look at," Shaw said.

As designed, the park would include five junior soccer fields that could be converted and used as a full soccer or football field, along with 299 parking spaces, a playground and athletic court that could be used for basketball or tennis. Baseball fields were not included because the county's needs for them are being met, Meadows said.

Commissioner Linda Kelley (R) was out of town and not present at the meeting.

In other business, the commissioners:

-Proclaimed Sept. 9 the United Way of Calvert County's 15th Annual Day of Caring. More than 200 volunteers and 21 agencies are expected to participate in 34 community service projects, with many of the volunteers receiving the day off from their employers so they can participate.

-Received a presentation from Calvert Library Director Patricia Hoffman on the One Maryland, One Book program, which aims to have every state resident read the same book. This year's book is "Song Yet Sung" by James McBride.

-Voted unanimously to reappoint Bruce Berkley to the Social Services Advisory Board.

-Voted unanimously to take proposed amendments to the personnel chapter of the county code to a public hearing. The amendments were initially made to create a new "hourly" employee designation for future staff members of the new aquatic center in Prince Frederick.

County staff also made minor clarifications to the code as needed, and at the commissioners' request forwarded their proposed changes to the Calvert Employee's Representative Committee (CERC) for its review. CERC submitted its own recommendations, some of which were incorporated by staff into their own before they were re-submitted to the commissioners.

-Voted unanimously to certify transferable development rights (TDRs) for lots owned by W. Michael Royer, Greenspace and the Chesapeake Ranch Estates Associate Trust.

-Held a work session with the State Highway Administration (SHA) on its planned safety improvements to the "modified-T" intersection at Route 4 and Brickhouse Road in Dunkirk.

jnewman@somdnews.com