Allegany County Commissioners approved the county’s fiscal 2015 budget during their regularly scheduled meeting on June 5.  The $120.4 million budget is slightly less than the prior year and reduces the property tax rate by one-tenth of a penny.

As reported by the Cumberland Times-News:

A budget message signed by all three commissioners was read by Commission President Mike McKay. McKay said that despite difficulties, the budget achieved several objectives.

“This budget is $525,000 less than last year’s budget, however it accomplishes the following: 1. A rate decrease in property taxes that equals one-tenth of a penny. 2. A budget which does not rely upon the county’s fund balance to fund internal or outside agency commitments. 3. A budget which does provide for a small increase to the Allegany County Health Department, the Library System, and the Emergency Services Board and 4. A budget that reflects the county’s success in obtaining grant funding for water and sewer projects,” McKay said.

The budget has also suffered from the continuing recession.

“As publicly reported, the lingering effects of the global recession continue to define the county’s financial capabilities. For FY 2015, the county anticipates a 3.5 percent reduction in revenue from its share of the state-collected income tax. This projection will result in 858,000 fewer dollars to the county’s general fund. As a result of this decrease in revenue, the county is unable to provide many of the outside agencies with the small increases in funding they had requested for the coming fiscal year,” McKay said.

The budget funds the Board of Education at the level required to meet Maintenance of Effort.

Additional fiscal 2015 budget information can be found on the county’s website.