St. Mary’s County Commissioners have approved an initial FY 2016 budget of $221 million, which includes pay raises for employees and funding for other initiatives. As reported by Southern Maryland News Online,

The proposed budget also includes funding for a new Leonardtown library and senior center, gives financial support to Patuxent River Naval Air Museum and a hike in fees for trash disposal. That fee is included in residential property tax bills.

“We did not increase your taxes,” said Jeanett Cudmore, deputy director of finance for St. Mary’s County government, as she discussed the budget with the county commissioners.

The property tax rate remains at 85.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the local income tax rate stays at 3 percent.

Although the local board of education requested funding of $101 million, commissioners recommended funding of $96.2 million, a $2.4 million increase over the current fiscal year.

The trash disposal fee is being increased to offset funding provided through the county general fund.

To do away with a $1 million subsidy from the general budget to the county’s solid waste fund, the $60 environmental fee — the trash fee — is to be hiked by about $25 more dollars a year to cover the cost of trash hauling and disposal from convenience centers.

A public hearing will be held on the budget on Tuesday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Great Mills High School and the budget will be finalized in May.