Debt refinancing saving Garrett County $1.8M

Commissioners approve Energy Conservation Plan

For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners have taken action to save the county $1.8 million in interest costs for water and sewer projects over 20 years, according to a news release.

The commissioners unanimously approved the issuance of a debt refinancing package of $35 million at 3.5 percent interest through Susquehanna Bank.

The refinancing consolidates 12 bonds totaling $25.85 million as well as other debts the Garrett County Sanitary District had incurred to finance three water and sewer projects.

The projects include $8.22 million for the Thayerville water system, $55,000 for the Jennings sewer pump station and $875,000 for Mountain Lake Park/Loch Lynn Heights water system, according to Linda Lindsey, director of the department of public utilities.

Lindsey credited Public Utilities Assistant Director Jeff Broadwater for spearheading the debt restructuring and said, “We haven’t consolidated all our debt like this before, but this is more advantageous to the county.”

The board also unanimously ap-proved an Energy Conservation Plan, which replaces a 1993 plan, designed to curb county facilities’ energy consumption by 5 percent this fiscal year and up to 15 percent by 2015.

The plan targets electricity, fuel oil, natural gas, propane and water/sewerage.

An Energy Conservation Team, with representatives from nine county departments, includes Commissioner Robert Gatto. The team and the county’s Facilities and Maintenance Department will work with the commissioners and county administrator in establishing energy guidelines and communicating them throughout county government facilities.

“This is a great initiative and very timely,” said board chairman James Raley. “By approving this plan, it becomes our plan, which ties in nicely with our LEAN management.” Spearheaded by Commissioner Gregan Crawford, LEAN management was established to create more value while using fewer resources and also has a county committee,

The new Energy Conservation Plan outlines immediate, short- and long-term measures for energy conservation and recognizes that third-party energy audits and/or energy accounting software programs may be needed to effectively measure consumption.

County Purchasing Agent Brian Bowers said the county has “modeled its goals after the state’s,” referring to the Empower Maryland initiative of reducing energy consumption by 15 percent statewide by 2015.

Some of the plan’s energy-saving ideas include:

• Turning off lights to save up to 20 percent of lighting expenses.

• Removing one or more lamps from multiple lamp fixtures.

• Turning off computers when not in use.

• Raising or lowering thermostats one degree.

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GC Commissioners Approve Budget, Keep Real Property Tax Rate At $.99

Jun. 7, 2012

The Garrett County commissioners unanimously approved the county's Fiscal Year 2013 budget and related tax rates on Tuesday afternoon. About 25 local residents and county employees gathered in the commissioners' public meeting room at the courthouse to hear the budget announcement.

At $73,441,985, the new budget is $13.2 million less than FY 2012's, but the real property tax rate will remain at $.99 per $100 of assessed value in FY '13. The new fiscal year begins on July 1.

"We talked about tax increases," commission chair Jim Raley said about the months-long budget development process. "We talked about how to meet the needs, and the nice part is that we were able to do that [by] keeping the tax rate at the same rate and not going with the constant yield."

The commissioners note in the new budget document message, however, that county officials faced many challenges during the development process, including a reduction in state allocations and a decline of $2 million in assessable property values and revenue. Raley indicated that more revenue losses are expected for FY '14.

"The 2013 budget really does meet our needs, but I think we all know there are still some unmet needs in there, obviously the CARC (Community Aquatic and Recreation Complex), the library, and . . . other requests that come in after the year starts," Raley said.

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He indicated that county officials and residents need to immediately plan for "tomorrow" by developing ways to grow the county's population and job opportunities.

"It's a must; we can't wait," Raley said. "I want us to think about the kinds of things that have somewhat separated us . . . because some of those are the very issues that are debatable as to whether they will grow our economy."

That includes Marcellus shale natural gas drilling and wind turbines, Raley said.

Commissioner Bob Gatto expressed his appreciation to county staff and residents for their help in developing the new budget.

"I appreciate the trust and respect that all of you have given us during this process and also appreciate your continuing input and support that you provide as we move forward," he said. "We remain creative in our thinking and our investment of your dollars. That process will continue in time as the dollars become less and the demands more. But with your help we're up to the challenge."

Commissioner Gregan Crawford noted some budgetary accomplishments.

"I have no doubt that we're viewed by many jurisdictions throughout the state with awe and envy for what we do here," Crawford said. "We've held the line on taxes for this year. We fully funded the Board of Education. We've incurred no debt service. We have attritioned five more employees this year. And we continue to fulfill our mission."

At $32 million, the largest allocation in the FY '13 budget is for education. This is nearly $1.4 million more than the FY '12 allocation.

In the new fiscal year, $26 million will go to the Board of Education, including $664,714 to fund the teacher pension obligations, which was offset by a like amount from the state. About $4.5 million will go to Garrett College, $982,700 to the Ruth Enlow Library, and $450,00 to the Garrett County Scholarship Program. Garrett College will also receive an additional $250,000 for CARC operations.

Public works makes up 22.64 percent of allocations in the budget. The Roads Department will receive about $16.2 million, which is $434,000 less than the FY '12 allocation. The department will use $2.3 million of its FY '13 allocation for paving projects. Management will prioritize all road improvement and maintenance projects. Capital funds have been allocated to purchase a variety of equipment.

Public safety divisions, offices, and agencies will receive nearly $9 million, which is about $134,000 less than they received in 2012. The sheriff's office and detention center will receive about $4.4 million, with the remainder of the allocation going to the Permits and Inspections Division, volunteer fire and require units, animal control, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, 911 communications, and emergency medical services.

General government will receive more than $6.6 million, which is $121,133 less than was allocated for FY '12. The funds will go to county administrative offices, the commissioners' office, the maintenance of governmental owned facilities, and information technology efforts. The new budget contains no employee pay increases, excluding unionized county road workers.

To help fund its debt service, the Adventure Sports Center will receive $100,000 of the county's hotel/motel tax revenue. The commissioners recently increased the hotel/motel tax from 5 to 6 percent to generate an additional $300,000 in the new fiscal year. The total expected revenue from this tax is expected to be $1.9 million in 2013.

In addition to ASCI, the tax revenue will be distributed to the Department of Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce, Deep Creek 2014, county trails, the development of countywide broadband infrastructure, municipal governments, parks, recreation, and culture.

The FY '13 budget is available online at garrettcounty.org. Approved supplemental levies for 13 Garrett County sanitary districts as well as real property and public utilities taxes for Mtn. Lake Park and other areas area also listed in the document.

The commissioners' next public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, at 9 a.m.

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BOE Plans FY '13 Budget Presentation

Jun. 7, 2012

The Garrett County Board of Education has scheduled a public presentation of the interim superintendent of school's proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget for Monday, June 11, at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Southern Middle School.

Then on the following Tuesday, June 12, the board will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting beginning at 4 p.m. at the same location. The public is invited to attend both events.

On Tuesday, following public comment at 4 p.m., the BOE will meet in closed session until 5:30 p.m., at which time public agenda topics will be action on the FY '13 comprehensive maintenance plan for educational facilities of Garrett County, the educational facilities master plan, the student handbook, and discipline and the FY '13 operating budget.

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Information items will include the special education staffing plan. Recognition will be given for student artwork. A second forum for public comment will be set aside at 7 p.m.

The superintendent's proposed budget will be available on the Garrett County Board of Education web site, www.ga.k12.md.us, on Friday, June 8.

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Commissioners approve operating and capital budget for Garrett County

Largest portion, 43 percent, allocated for Board of Education

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners approved the $73.4 million fiscal 2013 operating and capital budget in their Tuesday public meeting. Commissioners also approved a real property tax rate of $0.9330 for Mountain Lake Park and $0.99900 for all other areas.

“The total tax of $0.9900 remains but we gain additional revenue in the general fund,” said County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt in an email to the Times-News.

Revenues from income tax generated by county residents is estimated to increase by $800,000 in fiscal 2013, according to Pagenhardt. The largest portion of the budget is allocated for education ($31.9 million), which accounts for 43.54 percent of the budget. Of the funds for education, $26,023,714 was allocated for the Board of Education, which was deemed the county’s No. 1 fiscal priority, according to a news release. The amount alloted to the BOE includes $664,714 to fund the teacher pension obligations, which was offset by a like amount from the state. Education dollars also go toward Garrett College, Ruth Enlow Library and the Garrett County Scholarship program.

The county will face even more challenges with the fiscal 2014 budget and will likely result in further estimated de-clines in revenues, ac-cording to Pagenhardt. Legislative action by the Maryland General Assembly will transfer a substantial amount of teachers’ pension costs to all local governments, which will result in $1.2 million cost to the county in fiscal 2016. In addition, it is projected that the triennial property assessments will once again result in less revenue for fiscal 2014, according to Pagenhardt.

Commissioners also ap-proved a $0.0200 landfill bond and multiple Garrett County Sanitary District ad valorem taxes compared to the fiscal 2012 tax of $0.0400. There was little change in the sanitary district taxes, according to Pagenhardt. In 2012, Deep Creek Sewer Sanitary District was added. For fiscal 2013, the Deep Creek Sewer Sanitary tax is $0.0600.

On the revenue side of the budget, the largest amount of new funding comes from shifting the landfill bond to the general fund, according to a news release. About $794,000 will be generated from personal property from nonutility electric-generating companies, which includes wind projects.

Also approved were the public utilities tax of $2.3325 for Mountain Lake Park and $2.4750 for all other areas.

The recent approval of the hotel rental tax from 5 to 6 percent will generate $300,000, some of which will go toward the Adventure Sports Center International, which the county took ownership of in March.

The commissioners discussed the potential use of Kitzmiller Elementary School, which recently closed and contains a branch of the library and Head Start. The elementary school building has reverted back to the county. The parties involved will continue to work toward a cooperative effort to find the best viable and affordable use for the facility, according to Pagenhardt.

The commissioners also discussed the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fee structure, which will raise from $30 a year to $60 and will exclude properties not in the bay watershed from paying the additional fee. The fee structure passed in the 2012 Maryland General Assembly and it will be up to the county to determine where a qualifying boundary is located, according to Pagenhardt. Final de-termination and location will be finalized and made publically available.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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Garrett balances budget, develops plan for board

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

— OAKLAND — The fiscal year 2013 budget was balanced without having to borrow money or change the tax rate, Garrett County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt said during a review of the budget on Tuesday at Garrett College.

“We have been able to keep the tax rate the same and are able to appropriate monies toward the board of education. It’s a really difficult job they (commissioners) have to balance everything. They spent a lot of time on the budget and know it from top to bottom.”

Even though the budget was presented, it is likely numbers will change due to pending state legistlation in the Maryland General Assembly, said Charmian Jim Raley.

The biggest block of funds the county appropriates is for education, said Pagenhardt.

The proposed budget includes an appropriation of $31.3 million to education for fiscal year 2013, with $25.3 million appropriated to the BOE.

“It is important to repeat that ($25.3 million appropriation) because that is the number the board of education has been told to count on for 2014,” said Pagenhardt. “The board of education knows their operating budget for 2013 and also 2014.”

The total appropriated to the BOE includes $500,000 the county put up to reduce the number of cuts to teachers from 40 to 28.

“The commissioners didn’t really usurp power of the board of education. They didn’t say, ‘Here is how you have to spend the money,’” said Pagenhardt. “But they are very cognizant of the closing of the schools and the loss of jobs.”

The board of education voted to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools during a special meeting in April.

Because of the school closings, the proposed budget also includes an additional expenditure of about $95,745 for operating expenses, utility expenses and contracted services.

“You will see an increase in operating expenses, utilities and contracted services. Those are almost solely a result of the county having to absorb maintenance and operation of Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools,” said Pagenhardt. “They do become the county’s responsibility.”

During the presentation, both Raley and Pagenhardt stressed that the real property tax rate would remain at $0.9900.

“Next year is the first year that probably anyone can remember that the constant yield is greater than the tax rate,” said Pagenhardt.

In the proposed budget, there is an estimated $975,000 decrease in expenditures overall for the Roads Division for fiscal year 2013, compared to a $17.6 million expenditure in fiscal year 2012.

“We took a long look at that what we were spending in the past,” said Pagenhardt. “That was attributed to having aging equipment breaking down. We feel that we can get by with $250,000 less for next year as opposed to this year.”

Most of the cuts to the budget were from the roads department, because it is the largest department in the county, according to Pagenhardt.

The total projected revenue for the county in fiscal year 2013 is $72,819,058 — about a $13.5 million reduction from fiscal year 2012.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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Garrett County budget to be posted

OAKLAND — The Garrett County Board of County Commissioners has announced that the fiscal year 2013 operating budget will be online at www.garrettcounty.org by the end of business hours on Friday.

Projected revenue and requested expenditures will be available for review. The board, county administrator and Department of Financial Services will present an informational budget overview to the public on May 15 at 7 p.m. at Garrett College auditorium.

Questions on the draft budget may be addressed to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, or Wendy Yoder, director of Department of Financial Services.

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Uncertainty about budget has local educators on edge

Allegany, Garrett schools facing drastic cuts if state lawmakers don’t act

Kristin Harty Barkley Cumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND — Area educators say they’re optimistic that state lawmakers will reconvene in the weeks ahead to work out a budget that doesn’t include such devastating cuts for public schools.

But they’re worried it might be too late.

“Time is really of the essence right now,” said Evan West, Univserv director at Allegany County Teachers Association, who wore red on Thursday as part of a local effort to implore state leaders to act — and quickly.

The so-called “Doomsday Budget” — which includes around $3.4 million in cuts for Allegany County Public Schools and around $1 million for Garrett schools — went into effect earlier this month after lawmakers failed to agree upon a budget before the end of the 90-day session.

The Maryland State Education Association posted a “Doomsday Clock” on its website last week, which outlines in red the effects of the cuts.

“It’s a little theatrical, but it’s real,” West said. “You get to a certain point where counties can’t adopt budgets based on anything other than what they know, and right now what they know is that the doomsday budget is the law of the land. ... We’re concerned about whether the effects of a special session will be timely enough to prevent the cuts we’re looking at right now.”

The Garrett County Board of Education voted on Tuesday to close two elementary schools and cut 28 teacher positions to deal with its anticipated shortfall. The Allegany County Board of Education hasn’t proposed any major program cuts yet, but is dipping deeply into its fund balance to make ends meet.

Allegany County commissioners have put their budget process on hold for now, but local governments must approve budgets well ahead of the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1.

The uncertainty has everyone on edge, including teachers.

“Tension is just incredibly high,” said Lynne Elmlinger, a kindergarten teacher at Broad Ford Elementary School in Garrett County. “I’ve never seen morale this low in all my years of teaching. ... It’s hard to deal with. We’ve had tears. We’ve had a lot of that, actually.”

Some teachers fear that increased class sizes and a higher student/teacher ratio will decrease the quality of education that students receive. In Allegany County, 90 positions have been eliminated through attrition over the past five years, though not all were teachers.

“As we’re losing teachers it’s going back to we’re losing the special ed inclusion teachers, so there goes the one-on-one help that we try to provide in the high schools,” said Christa Williams, who teaches science at the Center for Career & Technical Education. “We’re providing that now, but as we keep losing teachers ...”

Mount Savage consumer science teacher Carol McBride said that smaller class sizes help teachers spot troubled students early and get them on track.

“If you get the student ready to learn and eager to learn and having success, then he’s going to be good all through school,” McBride said. “But if he gets defeated at the beginning, he’s going to have problems through school and he’s not going to be successful in life.”

Some teachers are concerned, too, about losing funds for supplies and technology.

“If I lose lab money, there goes some hands-on, real life connections for my kids because I just can’t afford to do it out of pocket,” the Career Center’s Williams said. “We’re losing opportunties for our kids.”

Misty Dodson, who teaches at Cresaptown Elementary, which won a national Blue Ribbon award recently, said educators want to be able to maintain the quality of education they’re providing. Maryland was named No. 1 in the nation for the fourth consecutive year for high-quality public schools.

“All we’re asking is for the legislators to provide us a budget so that we can maintain that excellence,” Dodson said. “We want to continue to provide that quality of education instead of relinquishing to mediocrity.”

Across Garrett and Allegany counties, educators wore red on Thursday as part of the “Wear Red for Public Ed” campaign to urge lawmakers to act.

Northeast Elementary School teacher John Reuschlein said local public school employees are still in “a state of shock” over the the legislature’s failure to pass a budget.

“The great concern is to have the governor reconvene the legislators and make a realistic budget so that we aren’t damaged by this doomsday budget,” Reuschlein said. “... It’s important that the special session be called as early as possible because the counties have to make their budgets and we have to make our budgets. Class sizes are being determined now, as we’re speaking.”

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com

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Officials Moving Forward With County Budget, Despite State Budget Dilemma

Apr. 19, 2012

The Garrett County commissioners announced Tuesday afternoon that the Bloomington Volunteer Fire Department will purchase the former Bloomington Elementary School from the county. As a cost-saving measure, the GC Board of Education closed the facility at the end of the last school year.

Commission chair Jim Raley noted the county had advertised that the building was for sale, but no one expressed an interest in purchasing the 21,123-square-foot school building, situated on 1.25 acres.

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"So we approached the Bloomington Fire Department to see if there would be interest on its part," Raley said. "And at this point the department has expressed an interest in purchasing the facility, with the condition that the county raze the facility in some agreeable manner."

Based on recent discussions between the commissioners and fire department, the BVFD would pay the county $50,000 over a 10-year period for the property and the expense of razing it.

"The county would pick up any additional amounts to that," Raley said about the razing cost. "That would give the property's full rights and ownership to the fire department."

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State budget debacle likely means special session

Without tax and pensions plan, spending cuts begin July 1
by Jeff Newman and Jason Babcock, Staff writers

Still reeling from the implications of an approved budget that includes $512 million in budget cuts, state Democratic lawmakers expect Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) to call for a special session in the coming weeks to finish work on proposals to raise income taxes on higher earners and shift teachers’ pension costs to local jurisdictions.

Each winter, the Maryland General Assembly convenes in Annapolis with one constitutional mandate — to pass a balanced budget — and yet every year without fail, debate over fiscal issues goes down to the wire, dependent on a ticking clock as much as negotiation between the two legislative chambers.

Lawmakers approved a budget Monday night in the waning hours of the 2012 session — just not the one they wanted.

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House approves $35.8 billion budget and pension shift

March 23, 2012

By Justin Snow
Justin@MarylandReporter.com

The House of Delegates approved their version of the state’s $35.8 billion budget Friday, moving the process into its final stage to resolve differences with the Senate.

The budget bill was approved 95-43, but not before Republican lawmakers attempted one last time to derail its passage. They described the budget, which would increase state spending by $1 billion for the 5th year in a row, as fiscally irresponsible and destructive. The Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Norman Conway, had repeatedly called it “fiscally prudent and socially responsible.”

Republicans argued that casting a red vote would be an opportunity to send the budget bill back to committee in order to address their concerns. During the previous day’s 11-hour session, every Republican amendment had been rejected.

Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/2012/03/23/house-approves-35-8-billion-budget-and-pension-shift/#ixzz1qKNiYrUR
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House passes budget, pension shift, education mandate, tax increase and flush tax

By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun

2:20 p.m. EDT, March 23, 2012

The House of Delegates gave its approval to Gov.Martin O'Malley's proposed state budget last year, along with its version of his decision to shift part of the responsibility for teacher pension costs to county governments, an increase in income taxes and a mandate that counties keep up a minimum level of spending on education.

The vote on the budget was 95-43. The tally was mostly along party lines, with Baltimore County Democrats Michael H. Weir Jr. and Joseph J. "Sonny" Minnick voting against and Garrett County Republican Wendell Beitzel voting for it.

The budget reconcililiation act, which included the pension shift, passed 88-50 as a handful of liberal Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the measure.

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County's Liability Insurance Premium Decreases By 18%

Feb. 2, 2012

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners' annual liability insurance premium decreased by 18% between fiscal year 2010-2011 and fiscal year 2011-2012, county administrator Monty Pagenhardt announced on Tuesday.

The Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT), the county's liability insurer, offers membership, longevity, and loss control credits toward the annual premium. The credits for FY 2011-12 accounted for $98,639 in savings to the county, according to Pagenhardt.

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"The premium is allocated yearly to the county departments, and the credits were deducted from the department's portion of the annual insurance premium," he said in a press release.

LGIT also offered for the first time a $1 million limit for excess liability at no additional charge to entities with primary liability coverage, providing additional security for liability coverage.

"This saved the county an average of $8,000 on the annual insurance premium," Pagenhardt said. "Additionally, claims and losses for liability have been down for all county departments, which contributes to the decrease of the insurance premiums. County management and employees keep safety in mind, and this shows with the decline of claims and lowered premiums."

He noted that the county has not been advised by LGIT or other insurance agents of any major increased to the insurance premiums for FY 2012-13.

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Mild winter weather likely to save Garrett County money

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County will likely see savings as far as snow removal goes thanks to the mild winter.

The county is saving money on the cost of fuel and wear and tear on vehicles used to remove the snow, according to Jay Moyer, general roads superintendent.

The county allocates an estimated $400,000 in winter overtime and this is where they are now showing some savings, said Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator.

“Also, the weather is so hard to predict and we can be creative on our call-out times during the week, but if we go into snow removal operations on weekends or holidays there will be an additional cost,” said Pagenhardt in an email to the Times-News.

“There is still a savings but it’s not as great as it could be if the snow events occurred during the weekday during normal working hours,” said Moyer.

Even though there has been some overtime, there still has been significant savings for this fiscal year as opposed to fiscal 2011, due to scheduling, according to Pagenhardt.

The total overtime so far is $110,005; fiscal 2011 was $169,974.

The appropriate salaries and fringe benefits for all county employees is based on 40 hours per week for 52 weeks.

“We have experienced savings when compared to budgeted expenditures by being creative with our scheduling of employees,” said Pagenhardt. “The public and our employees need to realize that we have been very diligent to operate the county roads department and all other departments with less human and financial resources in an effort to provide quality public service in all areas of governmental obligations. We also have been successful in preserving and retaining jobs for our employees during very difficult financial times.”

The roads department watches the weather and plans ahead for snow storms; scheduling is adjusted accordingly, said Moyer.

“We make sure the roads are in passable condition as early as we can,” said Moyer.

The roads department is funded from the Garrett County general fund, according to Pagenhardt.

This fiscal year, $1.4 million was budgeted for snow removal, including materials, overtime and abrasives, which make up most of the budget. So far, the county has spent $641,390 on snow removal compared to $1.09 million at the same time last year.

The roads department is called out to treat the roads when there is an inch of accumulation, according to Moyer.

“We have to treat an inch of accumulation as if it were 6 to 8 inches because of freezing and icing effects,” said Moyer, who noted that if snow is left untreated, cars traveling on it can pack it down and turn it to ice.

Both Moyer and Pagenhardt agreed that this winter so far has been unseasonably mild.

“I do not recall as mild a winter for sure in my tenure with the county (16 years) or maybe since I have lived here,” said Pagenhardt.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com

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Governor's Proposed FY '13 Budget

Jan. 26, 2012

Gov. Martin O'Malley presented his proposed fiscal year 2013 budget for the state of Maryland last Wednesday. As predicted by local officials and lawmakers, the document includes reductions in state aid to Garrett County, particularly in the area of education.

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Total aid to local government is a proposed $31.95 million (including retirement payments for the Board of Education, Ruth Enlow Library, and Garrett College personnel). This is $2.625 million, or 7.6 percent, less than for FY 2012.

The governor's budget calls for a 9.9 percent, or $2.264 million, decrease for local primary and secondary education funding, which includes allocations for special education and student transportation. This cut is mainly the result of an increase in the county's wealth (based on a state formula) and a decrease in student population.

O'Malley also plans to cut state aid for local teacher retirement by 1.9 percent, or $914,000. The total loss in state aid for local primary and secondary education, therefore, is a proposed 11.8 percent, or $3.178 million, compared to FY '12.

Garrett County will not be alone in its loss. Entities across the state will be asked to begin paying for their educators' retirements.

"Among the tough choices in the FY 2013 budget is sharing teachers' retirement costs with local governments," the O'Malley administration states in the budget document. "Currently, the state pays the en­tire cost of teacher pensions, totaling $946 million in FY 2013. Teacher salaries, the key cost driver of pen­sion costs, are determined by local jurisdictions."

O'Malley's proposal requires locals to pay 50 percent of the combined costs of Social Security and teachers' retirement con­tributions. Local entities currently pay for Social Security only, which accounts for one-third of the combined costs.

"The administration is proposing several measures to mitigate the impact of this cost shift, including increasing local revenue, enhancing aid to less wealthy jurisdictions, and providing targeted budget relief," the budget plan states.

The proposed budget lists $3.756 million for Garrett College. This includes direct aid, unrestricted grants, and optional/state retirement. The FY 2013 allocation would be $20,000 more than the previous year's.

Local libraries are slated to receive $119,000 in state aid, plus $72,000 for personnel retirement payments.

O'Malley's capital budget includes $122,000 for the Loch Lynn Community Park Trail Project, $95,000 for Oakland's Glades Park Path Extension/Fence Repair Project, $260,000 for the Grantsville Waterline Extension Project, and $300,000 for Oakland Water System improvements.

Funding for Department of Natural Resources' development projects includes $150,000 for the planning phase of trail construction in local state parks; $150,000 for the planning phase of the Western Maryland Recreational Access and Trail Restoration Project in Garrett County; $20,000 for new roofs for Bear Creek Fish Hatchery Wildlife Management buildings; $15,000 for cabin chimney renovations at Herrington Manor State Park; $500,000 for cabin renovations, $15,000 for new fuel dispensers, and $30,000 to stabilize the nature center foundation at New Germany State Park; $37,000 to renovate the exterior of the Savage River State Forest office; and $15,000 to renovate the office/store at Swallow Falls State Park.

Under "Miscellaneous," the proposed budget shows $437,000 in local health grants, $2.538 million in disparity grants, and $76,000 for local Program Open Space projects.

More here.

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School officials make case for new Allegany

Kristin Harty Barkley Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — The Allegany County Board of Education won’t find out until this spring whether it will receive funding to begin designing a new Allegany High School.

But officials, who pitched the project to Gov. Martin O’Malley and other members of the state’s Board of Public Works on Wednesday, believe they’re making a good case.

“I feel like it went pretty well. They were very interested,” said Superintendent David Cox, who showed state officials poster-size photos of conditions at the 87-year-old building, including its antiquated boiler room and dilapidated auditorium.

“We just wanted to show the age of the building and to support what the architects have told us about it being beyond its useful life.”

Cox, who traveled to Annapolis on Wednesday with all five members of the local Board of Education, as well as several county officials, had about 10 minutes to tell state officials about the Allegany High School project.

The Board of Public Works — made up of O’Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp — heard requests Wednesday for building projects from school systems across the state.

The typically long day of presentations has become known as the “beg-a-thon” because so many school officials plead for funds.

O’Malley announced earlier this month that he plans to ask the Maryland General Assembly to approve more than $370 million in school construction funding in the fiscal year 2013 budget — the second-highest single-year funding level in state history.

Last year, lawmakers approved $250 million for school construction. The General Assembly’s annual 90-day session started Jan. 11.

In December, local school officials pitched the AHS project to the state’s Interagency Committee on School Funding, describing how the BOE, Cumberland City Council and Western Maryland Health System signed off on a land swap deal to allow a new Allegany High School to be built on the site of the former Braddock campus of the hospital.

The cooperative effort has impressed state officials, Cox said.

“I feel positive about it,” said Cox, who planned to stay overnight in Annapolis to attend today’s PACE reception with local legislators. “I don’t take anything for granted though. I think we’ve done about everything we can.”

Members of the Western Maryland Delegation, who are supporting the Allegany High School project, announced Wednesday that they are also taking steps to assure that school systems in rural counties aren’t crippled by state funding cuts this year.

Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel said they’re pursuing statewide legislation that would cap funding losses for Allegany and Garrett county school systems, which suffered the biggest state cuts last year.

O’Malley’s FY 2013 budget includes a 5.5 percent cut in funding for Allegany County and an 11.8 percent cut for Garrett County, which is considering closing up to three elementary schools to make ends meet.

“The citizens from these areas have made it clear that these schools are at the heart of the community and closing them would cause irreparable harm for the students and their families,” Beitzel said of Friendsville, Kitzmiller and Dennett Road elementary schools.

Last year, Edwards and Beitzel led legislative efforts to cap a jurisdiction’s funding losses due to the so-called “wealth formula.” But that funding was only good for one year.

“The state really needs to look at how the wealth formula is computed,” Edwards said. “This bill would be a benefit to Garrett and Allegany counties and potentially others if we can get it passed.”

Cox said that school officials appreciate the legislators’ efforts to minimize state funding cuts, which was on the Board of Education’s list of “legislative priorities” for 2012.

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com

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Getting ‘lean’: Garrett commissioners look to trim county’s budget

Angie Brant
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Wed Aug 31, 2011, 11:04 PM EDT

OAKLAND — Garrett County commissioners have approved a plan they believe will help offset a projected revenue shortfall and increase the efficiency and productivity of county government.

In the next month, the commissioners will appoint nine individuals to serve on an Efficiency Task Force. The task force will implement “lean” practices in the county government.

The lean concept is a systemic approach that identifies problems and establishes corrective actions to increase efficiency in an organization.

Lean practices have been implemented in five counties throughout Maryland.

According to Gregan Crawford, chairman, this concept has been successful in the private sector for many years. He believes the implementation of the concept in Garrett County governmental operations will offer a better return on taxpayers’ dollars.

“This was the next logical step. We have looked at and completed many cost-saving initiatives and we believe this can only help our efforts,” Crawford added.

Crawford and his colleagues, Commissioners Bob Gatto and James Raley, unanimously approved the proposal at their August meeting. The next step will be to appoint members of the county work force and community to the panel.

The current proposal calls for the panel to be comprised of nine members, with five individuals from county government and four appointments from the commissioners.

However, based on the initial response to this proposal, the board of commissioners is considering the creation of subcommittees to allow greater involvement from both employees and residents.

The county has already enjoyed the results of lean practices following the elimination of 25 positions through attrition.

Through attrition, the county has seen a savings of $1.5 million and has been able to restructure and reorganize many departments, eliminating many cases of duplication of services.

Garrett County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt said the county’s employees have risen to the challenge and “continue to provide quality public service with less personnel and financial resources.”

The commissioners agree that the dedication of the employees will be key to the implementation and success of this endeavor.

“We are looking for solutions from the bottom up, solutions from the employees who perform the jobs. They know what works and what doesn’t,” Crawford said.

Raley said the county has seen success in shared services with the Garrett County Board of Education and sees the potential for even greater savings as different options are considered.

“We need to operate government like people operate their household budgets in this tough economy, by cutting back and makings changes,” Raley said. “It can be as simple as turning off lights when you leave a room or turning off computers. We are looking at every option that can help save the county money.”

Several Garrett County businesses meet each month to discuss improving efficiency in the private sectors. As guests of these meetings, Gatto said the board of commissioners have begun to look at the process in a different light, gaining insight from what is working in the private sector and how to adapt those practices to serve county government.

“Lean is not just about working harder, it is about working smarter,” Gatto said. “We are seeing how those companies are working to be more productive and it is giving us a fresh perspective on how we can do things.”

Gatto has said it is easy to raise taxes, but he feels a more efficient government should be the first priority as the county looks to the future.

“We’re trying to plan for the worst, but are hoping for the best,” Crawford added. “Raising taxes is the last resort.”

The commissioners’ next scheduled public meeting is Sept. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. The commissioners’ plan is to have Efficiency Task Force members in place by Oct. 1. Commissioners would like to see the task force hold an organizational meeting before Oct. 21 and compile a list of recommendations by Jan. 31, 2012.

Contact Angie Brant at abrant @times-news.com

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Commissioners Hold Hearings To Prepare For Fiscal Year 2013

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Aug. 25, 2011

The Garrett County commissioners are already preparing for the Fiscal Year 2013 budget and beyond, though FY 2012 is less than 2 months old. They held five brief public hearings Tuesday afternoon on proposed increases for recordation, admissions and amusement, hotel rental, title/leasehold interest transfers, and overdue property taxes.

"I don't want you to believe that it's a done deal," Commissioner Jim Raley said about raising taxes. "I want you to know that we're here to listen."

About 30 people attended the hearings, primarily members of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.

Commission chair Gregan Crawford stressed the hearings were mainly to garner information and to prepare for the future, especially the General Assembly session in January 2012. Three of the five taxes would require legislation in order for the commissioners to be able to increase them, if needed, in the future.

"2013 will probably be a far greater challenge to the county, budgetwise, than 2012 was," Crawford said.

He indicated that the county may see a drop in property assessments, there may be a shift in teacher pension obligation from the state to the county, and there will be less state funding for education. He noted that the county's capital projects and employee roster have already been greatly reduced.

"We're trying to plan for the worst, but are hoping for the best," Crawford said. "I don't know whether we're going to change any of the rates or not, but adjusting tax rates is never popular, especially in recessionary times. I'm still not convinced it's the correct pathway at this point. Raising taxes should only be as the last resort."

He added that it is hard to ask people to pay more taxes when the county needs to continue to look internally to see what it can do to raise revenue and trim expenses.

With that in mind, the commissioners will form an Efficiency Task Force to find ways to save money, yet maintain services.

More here.

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GC Commissioners Review Proposed FY 2012 Budget

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Apr. 21, 2011


The Garrett County commissioners held two meetings, one in Oakland and one in Grantsville, on Tuesday to present their proposed fiscal year 2012 budget and receive public comment about the working document. About 50 people attended the Oakland event.
"We're closing the gaps," Commissioner Bob Gatto told the Oakland participants about the preliminary budget. "It's important that you be here and take part because it is your money, your budget, and we want your input on our decisions."

Commission chair Gregan Crawford said the budget was still in a very fluid process.

"Nothing is locked down as of yet," he said.

County administrator Monty Pagenhardt went over some of the highlights of the proposed document. Garrett County Department of Financial Services estimates county revenue from various sources for FY '12 will be about $71 million, compared to $85 million in FY '11.

Expected revenue from real property tax in the new year is expected to be $43,687,494. Pagenhardt said this is a revenue increase of only $244,149, compared to FY '11.

"This is the lowest increase in many years," he said.

He noted that raising the current tax rate from $.99 to $1 per $100 of assessed value would garner the county only $507,000 more in the next fiscal year.

New sources of revenue include $1.7 million in personal property/ordinary business taxes collected from the Constellation Energy wind turbine project and $425,000 from a possible property sale – a parcel at land at the old GC Roads Department site in Oakland. Tax revenue from the Synergics wind turbine project will not be realized until FY '13, Pagenhardt said.

"One of the things that the budget doesn't reflect is the fact that the county, by policy, maintains a rainy day fund of about $3 million," noted Commissioner Jim Raley. "Basically, by policy, it says 5 percent of your operating budget should be set aside in reserve."

Expenditure increases in FY '12 include an hourly salary increase of 4 percent for nonexempted Roads Department personnel. The union workers were to receive the raise in FY '11, but they voting to delay that for one year because of the downturn in the county's economic situation.

Nonunion county employees did not receive a pay raise in FY '11 either. County officials are considering several options/cost scenarios to provide them with one in the coming year.

"It is my opinion and desire to have all employees receive an equal adjustment – Board of Education, Garrett College, and county," Pagenhardt said.

Another unavoidable expenditure will be a 7 percent increase in the health care plan for county employees.

Because of the new revenue from wind turbines, the commissioners are also considering allocating $1 million more to the Board of Education in FY '12. In FY '11, the board received $23,174,000 from the county. The BOE requested $28.7 million for FY '12. The commissioners, however, are proposing an allocation of $24,174,000.

Because of declining enrollment, how the state calculates a county's wealth, economic conditions, and other factors, the local Board of Education is facing about a $4 million shortfall in its FY '12 budget. As a cost-saving measure, therefore, Dr. Wendell Teets, superintendent of schools, has proposed closing Kitzmiller and Bloomington elementary schools.

Several local residents at the Oakland meeting asked the commissioners to allocate more funding to the BOE so the two small community schools could remain open. Other residents asked the commissioners not to cut extracurricular activities at county schools.

The commissioners noted they have no authority over these issues. They can allocate funding to the BOE but cannot tell the board where or how the money has to be spent. It is entirely the BOE's decision to close a school and discontinue athletic, musical, artistic, or other activities.

As the result of less revenue, allocations to most county departments and agencies have been reduced or are flat. Pagenhardt noted that funding requests earlier this year totaled more than $85 million.

In addition, capital project and outlay requests totaled nearly $5.8 million. The proposed allocation is $2 million. Small equipment requests are expected to be reduced from $762,729 to $440,849.

"We've gone through it and really scrubbed it," Crawford said of the budget. "We've had excellent communication and cooperation with department heads."

Additional cost-saving measures include the consolidation of the county's 911 and sheriff's dispatch offices; consolidation of the county, BOE, and Garrett College employee health plans; elimination of a paid student intern program; and discontinuation of funding for a Marcellus shale program educator.

Crawford said the commissioners anticipate another tight budget next year. Fiscal year 2012 begins on July 1.

"We do budget very conservatively, as always" he noted.

The commissioners' next public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, at 9 a.m.

Read the full article here.
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Meetings Slated For Public To Review Budget

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Apr. 7, 2011

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will conduct two public informational meetings to review and receive public commentary on the draft Fiscal Year 2012 Operating and Capital Budget.
"All interested persons are encouraged to attend and provide comments and input," county administrator Monty Pagenhardt said.

These meetings will take place on Tuesday, April 19, with the first session taking place at the Frederick A. Thayer Courthouse in Oakland at 4 p.m. The second session will be conducted at the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department at 7 p.m..

The proposed budget is currently online at www.garrettcounty.org, and copies of the up-to-date projected/draft budget will be available at the meetings.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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Garrett County's FY 2012 Draft Budget Is Online

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Support the Republican Newspaper! It's only $9.95/year for the online edition! Mar. 24, 2011 County administrator Monty Pagenhardt announced yesterday that the Fiscal Year 2012 Garrett County government draft budget is now online. Interested persons can find this link at http://www.garrettcounty.org/Commissioners/budget12/2012Requested.pdf

The document outlines various revenue sources for the county totaling $69.2 million in the coming fiscal year. The county's income this year is $84.9 million. Proposed expenditures in FY '12 include $28.7 million for the Board of Education, compared to $24.3 million in FY 2011; $500,000 for the Garrett County Scholarship Program, which is the same as last year's allocation; $19.9 million for the Roads Department, which would be $3.3 million more than last year; a $200,000 decrease for public safety; and a $1.8 million decrease for economic development.

The county commissioners will approve the new budget and set county tax rates shortly before the new fiscal year starts on July 1. Read the full article here.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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