The Board of Carroll County Commissioners will listen to requests for funding from county agencies Tuesday, but a $12.4 million deficit projected in the recommended fiscal 2025 operating budget will likely hang like a dark cloud over the proceedings.
Commissioners are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Board of Education, sheriff’s office, state’s attorney’s office, circuit court, animal control and Carroll Community College starting at 9 a.m., Tuesday. The meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@CarrollCountyGov.
With budget revenues at $524 million and expenditures at $536.4 million for fiscal 2025, the agencies have been directed not to ask for more than what is already allocated in the recommended budget, said Ted Zaleski, director of the county’s Department of Budget and Finance.
The Carroll County Board of Education approved a $460.2 million proposed operating budget for fiscal 2025 last month and sent that request to commissioners.
The fiscal 2025 proposed budget has the sheriff’s office getting $35.2 million, compared to $33.2 million in the current budget; animal control receiving $1.1 million, compared to $1 million in the current budget; $12.3 million is set aside in 2025 for the community college, compared to $11.9 million this year; $5.6 million is recommended for the state’s attorney’s office, up from $5.3 million this year; and $3.1 million for the circuit court, up from $2.8 million in fiscal 2025, which begins July 1.
Commissioners are scheduled to hear funding requests from additional county agencies at 1 p.m. Thursday. The board will discuss the proposed budget at a work session April 2, and the county will release the fiscal 2025 proposed budget document to the public on April 23.
Zaleski will hold a series of community meetings to explain the budget to the public:
- April 24, 7 p.m., Eldersburg Library, 6400 W. Hemlock Drive, Sykesville
- April 25, 7 p.m., Mount Airy Library, 705 Ridge Ave.
- April 29, 7 p.m., Exploration Commons, 50 E. Main St., Westminster
- April 30, 7 p.m., Taneytown Library, 10 Grand Drive
- May 1, 7 p.m., North Carroll Library, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead