FY25: Budget Work Session

Originally Published: March 11, 2024

Elected Official’s Requests

Requests from Elected Officials were reviewed at the March 5th Budget Work Session. This category includes both Circuit and Orphans’ Court requests, as well as those from the State’s Attorney, Sheriff, and County Treasurer. Starting the session, however, was follow up from the three public forums held by Ridge, Leonardtown, and Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD). Each department is requesting to raise the rate to $.056. Mechanicsville VFD only had members attend, with no one from the outside community providing input. One person attended Ridge VFD’s forum, but did not speak, and one person spoke in support of the increase at Leonardtown VFD’s forum. The County Commissioners voted to forward the increases to the Budget Public Forum on April 30th, at Great Mills High School.

A majority of the discussion centered first on the Sheriff’s requests, then the State’s Attorney’s. The Sheriff’s Office is requesting an additional $2.734M, with the County Administrator only recommending $894K. The Sheriff’s requests include: sworn officer and corrections promotions to Deputy/Corrections First Class and Corporal ($371K); 3% salary scale increase for sworn officers ($887K); increase sworn shift differential by $1 ($148K); Recruitment/Retention bonuses ($75K); Personnel cell phones ($35K); vehicle replacement/new ADA compliant transport vehicle ($193K); new HR Coordinator, four new Corrections positions, healthcare support, and conversion of one PT to FT ($878K); 3% Corrections salary increase ($302K); Establish Corrections Training Budget ($43K).

Sheriff Steve Hall was present for questions. Hall said his goals with this budget were being competitive to “attract and retain a finite group of people who can do this job,” completing the mission of protecting the County, and continuing that mission into the future. Commissioner Hewitt asked if the Sheriff’s Office has any currently vacant positions that could be eliminated. Hall stressed all the positions are necessary and the ability to recruit for and fill positions depends on being successful in a competitive talent market. Maryland State Police could see a 5% pay increase in the Governor’s budget this year, which would put Sheriff’s Office employees 3.6% behind for deputies and 10% behind on corrections salaries. Hewitt pressed, saying he thought cuts could be made based on the return of millions in salary savings last year. Hall said $1.6M salary savings was built into this year’s budget. Commissioners Hewitt and Colvin agreed with the County Administrator's recommended funding amount, but both said they “wanted to do better” if possible.

The State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) budget included an additional $1.29M in requests, but the County Administrator only recommends $56K. These requests include new full time positions for Director, and Deputy Director, of Victim/Witness Advocate Division, three Victim/Witness advocates, two investigators, an hourly Assistant State’s Attorney to train/mentor junior District Court attorneys, hourly intern funding, and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney ($1.05M); computer system upgrades, project grad funding, and vehicle replacements ($150K). State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling reminded the Commissioners her office secured $842K in grant funding last year for technology advancements, and funding positions like victim and legislative advocates, and community outreach. Further, realigning the child support division saved the County $330K per year. Sterling said her office has pursued more jury trials, but they are facing burnout and recruitment/retention issues similar to the Sheriff’s Office.

Commissioner Hewitt remarked that it looked as though Sterling was “growing her department,” and suspected her budget was more than her counterparts in neighboring counties. Sterling said it’s about “what kind of services you want to provide to the community.” Not wanting to lose resources funded by the grants, Sterling said she’s tried to be fair by asking for what is needed to support the department’s Constitutional duty. Hewitt, however, said people in grant funded positions know when they take the job that the funding may run out. Grants “allow you to see if a position is worthwhile for the County,” he said, and if the position should stay, funding already within the budget should be used to cover. Commissioner Ostrow asked if employees in grant funded positions would move over to these new, County funded, positions. Sterling was unable to provide a firm answer, because doing so may “violate the spirit of some of the grants.”

Commissioner Hewitt what she thought of the County Administrator’s recommended funding amount. “Respectfully, I think the people elected me to run the State’s Attorney’s Office, and not the County Administrator,” Sterling replied. “People elected me to bring the type of improvements I promised them. I can’t make those improvements myself, I need your help…This is what the people want,” Sterling advocated.

No final decisions were made on the budgets for the Sheriff’s Office or the State’s Attorney’s Office.