Carroll County Commissioners adopted their fiscal 2014 budget this week, which will provide for tax decreases for the third year in a row.  The $367  million budget lowers the income tax rate from 3.05% to 3.04% and reduces the personal property tax rate by 3 cents from $2.545 per 100 to $2.515 per 100.  Other budget highlights were reported in the Westminster Patch.

Other highlights from the fiscal year budget include:

• $1.5 million (3 percent) increase in compensation for county employees
• Funds the cost of the teacher pension shift, which is $5.1 million dollars in FY 14 growing to an estimated $7.8 million in FY 19.
• Funding for Sunday hours at the Eldersburg Library ($55,000)
• Sheriff’s Office staffing increases ($232,000)
• Create a hardship fund to help the towns when hard-hit by stringent regulations ($200,000)
• Education Opportunity Fund for supplies for non-public school children ($400,000)
• Technology money for Community College and Libraries ($1 million)
• Performance audit funding ($100,000)
• Flat funding for county-funded nonprofits including Human Service Programs.