Worcester County has approved its Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget, maintaining both its property tax and local income tax rates while increasing investments in education, public safety, employee compensation, and county reserves.

The approved $300.2 million spending plan keeps the County’s property tax rate at 81.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and maintains its local income tax rate at 2.25%, which County officials note remains among the lowest in Maryland.

County leaders described the budget as a balance between new investments and fiscal discipline. From the press release:

“This budget provides meaningful salary increases for our valued employees and makes substantial investments across all departments, while still maintaining a fiscally conservative approach,” Worcester County Commissioner President Ted Elder said.

The budget includes several major investments that reflect priorities shared by many counties across the state, including workforce recruitment and retention, school funding, and public safety services.

Education received one of the largest increases in the budget. Worcester County approved an additional $10.9 million in overall support for the Board of Education, including direct funding, benefits, and pre-kindergarten investments. Combined county support for education will total approximately $142 million in FY27, representing an increase of roughly 8% over the current fiscal year.

The spending plan also includes salary enhancements for county employees, providing eligible staff with a step increase and a $4,000 cost-of-living adjustment.

Public safety funding remains another major focus of the FY27 budget. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office will receive an additional $2.8 million, supporting compensation increases, training, and equipment replacement. The budget also provides $3.3 million in grants to county fire companies and $10.8 million in ambulance grants to support EMS operations throughout the county.

County officials also approved transfers to reserve funds, including funding to maintain a 15% reserve level and additional contributions toward future school construction costs. Worcester County cited strong reserves as one factor supporting its high bond ratings, helping reduce borrowing costs for future capital projects.

The FY27 budget totals approximately $18.7 million more than the current fiscal year budget, representing a 7% increase overall.

The final budget reflects many of the same challenges discussed during Worcester County’s spring budget deliberations, including workforce costs, education funding demands, public safety investments, and broader fiscal uncertainty. Worcester Budget Deliberations Highlight Rising Costs, Federal Uncertainty

For counties across Maryland, Worcester’s budget reflects many of the same challenges facing local governments statewide: balancing employee recruitment and retention needs, rising education costs, public safety investments, and long-term fiscal stability while limiting tax increases on residents.

See the full budget presentation