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Use of Rainy Day Fund to Balance Budget Means No Tax Increase
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously directed staff to take the proposed FY 2016 budget to public hearing using existing fund balance (rainy day fund) in order to close the current budget gap of approximately $5.6 million. The hearing will be held Tuesday, May 19, at the Calvert Pines Senior Center at 7 p.m.
The BOCC's decision ensures there will be no new tax increases and prevents county staff reductions, furloughs or layoffs. This decision also means that public education be funded at the state-mandated level.
Calvert County has long held a commitment to cultivating a top-quality public school system, and that promise is in the FY 2016 budget. The state funding mandate, called "maintenance of effort," requires counties to maintain an education funding effort from year to year on a per-pupil basis. Calvert County has consistently done this and more. Education funding represents more than half of the county budget, and for more than 20 years public education funding has exceeded maintenance of effort requirements.
The BOCC believes that keeping education funding at maintenance of effort levels - under which the school system will receive $110.1 million in FY16 or more than 51 percent of the overall budget - is a responsible way to preserve the most important services that a government provides.
Learn more by attending the May 19 budget hearing. Public participation and opinions are encouraged. Review the budget online.
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