Worcester County Budget Maintains Tax Rates, Boosts School, and Public Safety Funding

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…

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May in Maryland: What’s News, What’s Noise?

We're back with another special edition of the Conduit Street Podcast, with the MACo team taking up several issues from this month's headlines, and trying to sort out which are the real stories (news) and which are more smoke than fire (noise). Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!  

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Talbot County Funds $1.3M Increase for Education in FY27

Talbot County Council approved a total FY27 schools appropriation of nearly $65M between operating and capital costs. In a vote on Tuesday the Talbot County Council finalized the FY27 budget with a $1.3M operating fund increase to the local school system and an additional $400K in discretionary funds for school security. These increases come despite continued declining enrollment across Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS), underscoring the county governments commitment to public school education. Additional allocations…

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Revenue Growth Continues Despite Growing Economic Questions

County budget officials reviewed another strong round of revenue data this week, but much of the conversation centered on a growing concern: the numbers no longer align cleanly with Maryland’s broader economic picture. The latest quarterly distribution showed withholding collections growing just under 4%, estimated payments rising roughly 12%, and overall county distributions increasing by 7.6%. Much of that local growth stems from a temporary increase in the percentage of personal income tax revenue allocated…

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Charles County Sends $15M More in Discretionary Funding to Local School Board

Charles County Government adopts FY27 budget for the local board of education including $256M in operating funds and $260M in capital outlay. The Charles County Government approved $255,783,400 in funding for the Charles County Board of Education as part of its FY27 budget, reflecting continued investment in the county’s public school system. This allocation comes from a total county budget of $644,157,500, meaning roughly 40% of all county spending is directed toward the Board of…

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New Report Confirms What Counties Already Know: The Next Infrastructure Problem Is Already Here

A new national report suggests local governments may face another long-term fiscal challenge that rarely appears in budget headlines: the growing cost of replacing aging public assets already in service. A recent analysis from Merritt Research Services estimates that US cities carry more than $1 trillion in infrastructure and capital asset obligations tied to aging roads, buildings, equipment, and other public assets. The report attempts to measure the replacement cost of assets that continue operating…

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County Executive Giordano’s Budget Expands School, Public Safety Funding

Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano has proposed a fiscal 2027 operating and capital budget that lowers local tax rates while increasing funding for schools, public safety, employee compensation, and county capital projects. The proposed operating budget totals approximately $237.3 million, an increase of roughly $21.3 million, or 9.8%, over the fiscal 2026 adopted budget. The County Executive's budget also uses approximately $33.4 million in prior-year revenue and fund balance for one-time costs, including more than…

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Cecil Proposed Budget Cuts Tax Rates, Expands School Funding, Public Safety Investments

Cecil County’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget combines tax relief, workforce investments, and significant capital projects while continuing support for education, public safety, and infrastructure priorities. County Executive Adam Streight described the plan as a balanced approach focused on financial stability and long-term growth. The proposed budget lowers several local tax rates while increasing funding in several core areas. The plan reduces the property tax rate from $0.9824 to $0.9724 per $100 of assessed value, lowers…

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Calvert Proposed Budget Prioritizes Schools, Public Safety, Roads

Calvert County’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget increases funding for schools, public safety, employee compensation, and capital projects while continuing the County’s emphasis on reserve levels and long-term fiscal stability. The proposed operating budget totals roughly $420.5 million, while the County’s total capital budget reaches nearly $90 million. The Board of County Commissioners also approved several additions to the staff-recommended budget, including additional education funding, employee compensation increases, and funding tied to Fraternal Order of Police…

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St. Mary’s Recommended Budget Boosts Schools, Public Safety Without Tax Increase

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County have proposed a fiscal 2027 budget that increases funding for public safety, schools, employee compensation, and capital projects while keeping both property and income tax rates unchanged. The recommended General Fund budget totals roughly $377 million, an increase of about $28.4 million, or 8.2%, over the fiscal 2026 approved budget. The County’s total operating budget across all funds reaches roughly $682.8 million, alongside a $76.5 million Capital Improvement Program.…

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