Published: June 15, 2009 11:43 pm      

Garrett officials to OK new tax rates

Commissioners to review Open Space projects

OAKLAND — Entering the next fiscal year with a considerably smaller budget, the Garrett County commissioners are expected to approve and adopt new property tax rates and a new budget at today’s public meeting.

“I think we’ve tried to work it,” Denny Glotfelty, commission chairman, said, “and we’ve cut the rate from $1 to 99 cents. We cut everything to a flat budget. Last year’s budget was $99 million. This year it’s a little less than $71 million. We’re trying to be responsible with the budget to make it work.”

The commissioners’ meeting begins at 9 a.m. in their meeting room in the courthouse, with the approval and adoption announcement to be held at 10 a.m.

Early last year, the commissioners had asked all departments to develop budgets in line with fiscal 2009 for the upcoming fiscal year, Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, had said previously. They ran into some issues when the county was not able to fund the increase in insurance costs for the Board of Education, Ruth Enlow Library System and Garrett College.

He said they had to inform those groups that they would not be covering that cost.

There was also concern from the public about whether the property tax rate would remain at $1 when the constant yield rate from the state — the amount that would guarantee the same amount of revenue from the taxpayers as in the previous year — was $.946 per $100.

“I think, under the circumstances, it’s as good as we can do,” Glotfelty said. “We’ll worry about next year next year. I don’t know where else we could cut right now without cutting services.”

Other monetary items are slated for the agenda as well, with a review of the Program Open Space projects for the upcoming fiscal year with the Department of Planning and Land Development and bid awards for various items and services.

The commissioners will also hold a public hearing with the Department of Public Utilities on an amendment to the Garrett County Water and Sewer Master Plan. This amendment would include the North Tract and East Tract Annexation that was done by the town of Grantsville in 2007.

The public hearing is scheduled for 9:05 a.m.