St. Mary’s Budget Approved On 3-2 Vote

All that was left was the vote. When the final vote came on the Fiscal year 2013 St. Mary’s County budget, the vote was 3-2 with Commissioners Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3^rd) and Daniel Morris (R: 2^nd) voting against. Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell (D) thanked the other supporters of the budget motion, Commissioners Cynthia Jones (R: 1^st) and Todd Morgan (R: 4^th) for “not abdicating their responsibility to the citizens of St. Mary’s County.”

Jarboe explained his No vote:”My concern for the budget is in the future years’ capital debt there is an increase in the debt service.” He said debt service would increase from $12.8 million in 2011 to $14.5 million in 2015. County Chief Financial Officer Elaine Kramer said the debt service as a percent of budget would increase from .9 percent in FY 2013 to 1.05 percent in Fiscal Year 2016,

Jarboe blamed the increase in debt service on construction of FDR Boulevard, the parallel road to Route 235 in California and Lexington Park. Jarboe, who represents the northern part of St. Mary’s County, has been a consistent opponent of the road.

Morris in supporting Jarboe said paying debt service was “a waste of money.”

The final vote on the budget was preceded by two other unanimous votes setting the property and income tax rates at their current levels and also setting the appropriations for the operating budget. During that discussion Jarboe called it a tale of two counties, in which Charles may be facing an income and property tax increase and St. Mary’s was holding the line. Kramer said keeping the property tax rate below the constant yield was saving county taxpayers a million dollars.

During the discussion Morgan said the budget reflected the county’s commitment to remain fiscally conservative. “We are fortunate we have a surplus that pushes us well into the future,” he said. He also noted the county had supported the hard work of their employees by providing a two percent cost-of-living increase and a $500 stipend.

Several of the commissioners praised Kramer and Deputy Financial Officer Jeanette Cudmore for their hard work and dedication during the process. Jones noted the at-times “strain of the pace of the deliberations,” but said in the end “It was a much better process.”

The commissioners still have to review the Metropolitan Commission operating and capital budgets and approve the Board of Education budget submittal that was ratified last week by that board. Both of those reviews will occur in June.