Jarboe, others call for lower property tax

Public comments on budget plan

Friday, April 25, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by REID SILVERMAN Mike Hewitt of Hollywood, who ran for St. Mary’s County commissioner in 2006, lobbies for property tax relief Tuesday evening at Leonardtown High School, saying that county government has plenty of funds stashed away. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN Marguerite Morris, founder of Leah’s House, a shelter for women and children, pleads for funds from the St. Mary’s County government at the budget hearing held at Leonardtown High School.

Other groups thanked the commissioners at Tuesday night’s budget hearing for what funding they are slated to receive.

The $194 million recommended budget keeps the property tax rate at 85.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, instead of lowering it to the constant yield rate of 78.2 cents. The constant yield rate would bring in the same amount of revenue the county received this budget year because of rising assessments – but would reduce the budget by $6.8 million.

Property taxes are expected to bring in $85.4 million in fiscal 2009.

Mike Hewitt, a California business owner who ran for county commissioner in 2006, suggested using the lower tax rate. ‘‘Business is slow. People are not spending. Everything is slowing up,” he said. He cited the higher prices for fuel, milk and the troubled mortgage market. He said the county finance staff for years has ‘‘consistently underestimated revenues,” and this budget has an $11 million fund balance, which is intended to be saved until the next budget cycle. He said that in the last budget year, the county had an extra $27 million in miscellaneous funds. ‘‘Did you have a bake sale?” he asked.

For the $6.8 million in cuts that would be needed to go to the constant yield rate, Hewitt suggested freezing pay raises for county employees, looking at the agencies with double-digit budget increases and suggested holding off on building projects such as a $130,000 mobile entertainment stage and $1.5 million for land preservation.

Ray Norris of Hollywood said the ‘‘runaway tax situation is chasing people from St. Mary’s.” He thanked Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R) for suggesting the county lower the property tax and said ‘‘shame on the other four.”

He continued, ‘‘The state of Maryland is raping the citizens. The county’s going to fall in line with that.”

Charles Schilling of Piney Point also cited the increased costs of daily living and told the commissioners, ‘‘You need to feel our pain.”

Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D) said Wednesday he doesn’t see the board going to the constant yield rate. ‘‘I don’t feel that we can do that and keep services for the county,” he said. The overall message that he took away from the hearing was, ‘‘I kind of got the feeling we’re doing as good as we can do under the circumstances.”

Jarboe said Wednesday, ‘‘It was the first hearing in a long, long, long time that people came out in support of holding the constant yield. I’ve been sensing this and recognizing this ... I see what’s happening on a national level.”

He suggested, ‘‘We need to start consolidating county government. The challenge is still providing the services.” He said Hewitt’s suggestions were a good place to start. ‘‘Being in the minority,” (Jarboe voted against the recommended budget), ‘‘I can make suggestions. I’ll make the suggestions, but they’ll be such a hot potato the board won’t want to touch them.”

He suggested putting the department of public safety under the auspices of the sheriff and combining land use and growth management with the department of economic and community development.

Other groups asked for more funds if they become available between now and the end of May when the budget is finalized. The library board of trustees is slated to receive $2.2 million, and asked the commissioners for an additional $62,000 to replace state budget cuts.

Library board chairman Alan Dillingham said if the cuts remain in place, ‘‘These reductions would include closing on Sundays [at Lexington Park library], causing staff layoffs and reduced hours for part-time employees, reduced purchases of new books and digital media for circulation and reduced Internet access for our patrons.”

Marguerite Morris, founder of Leah’s House, a shelter for women and children, pleaded for any funds from the county government. The group requested $45,000, but is not included in the proposed budget. County government has not increased its financial aid to non-county agencies in this budget. ‘‘You sent us nothing,” she said. ‘‘We don’t care if you give us $500. You have to give us something.”

The commissioners will be holding more budget work sessions in May.