Carroll County Board of Commissioners Budget Agency Hearings - March 24, 2026
Carroll County Board of Commissioners Budget Agency Hearings - March 24, 2026
The Board of County Commissioners held an open session on March 24, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to approximately noon, to hear FY27 budget funding requests from county agencies and departments. Presentations included the Carroll County Public Library, Department of Recreation and Parks, Circuit Court, Youth Service Bureau, Fire & EMS, CCVESA, Community Media Center, and Cooperative Extension. Each agency outlined specific needs and requested additional funding beyond the proposed budget. No public comments were taken, and no votes were held during the hearings; decisions will be made during subsequent budget work sessions.
Discussion Items
Carroll County Public Library (CCPL) – Director Andrea Berstler presented three requests: a 9.5% operating increase (vs. the proposed 4%), addition of the Eldersburg branch to the capital budget, and three new staff positions ($180,000 salary plus benefits). She warned that a 4% increase would force reductions in materials (28% cut), programs, or staff wages (0.5% increase). CCPL holds the highest circulation per capita in Maryland and ranks third in birth-to-five children's programs, operating with seven branches. The Eldersburg branch is over 40 years old and inefficient. The three positions would address demand at Exploration Commons and operational support.
Department of Recreation and Parks – Staff requested a $36,000 one-time cost for a RTV vehicle at the Carroll County Sports Complex, a gym divider at Charles Carroll Community Center (cost not specified), and a $200,000 generator for Bear Branch Nature Center. Commissioner Krebs emphasized the need for a countywide inventory of athletic fields to assess safety, usability, and capacity, and requested short-, medium-, and long-term planning.
Carroll County Circuit Court – Judge Fred Hecker requested $219,580 for FY27 to fund one full-time and three part-time bailiffs to meet state security mandates under House Bill 492. He noted future funding needs for courtroom upgrades and space in the courthouse annex.
Carroll County Youth Service Bureau (CCYSB) – Executive Director Liza Guroff requested a one-time $225,000 to cover a 30% health insurance cost increase and mandatory IT hardware upgrades (Windows 11 migration). CCYSB has 70 employees and has absorbed a 100% health insurance premium increase over five years. Discussion included moving to a self-insured model and plans to apply for a SAMHSA CCBHC planning grant.
Department of Fire & EMS – Chief Michael Robinson requested $274,000 (design $43,000, construction $231,000) for a shower stall in the battalion chief shift commander's office due to contamination risks after incidents. Commissioners questioned the high cost and suggested alternative approaches.
Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association (CCVESA) – Chairman Joe Dennis requested a $700,000 increase to $5.7 million total for 14 volunteer fire companies. The increase addresses rising costs for apparatus maintenance (8-14% annual inflation), debt service, and facility wear from 24/7 staffing. CCVESA is implementing standardized budgeting, cost consolidation, and a new cost-sharing framework (60% company, 40% county for facility maintenance). The increase is described as a one-time true-up.
Community Media Center (CMC) – CEO Richard Turner requested $60,000 one-time funding for a 20-episode series "Real Talk in Carroll County" addressing substance use disorder, and $51,000 ongoing for maintenance of fiber infrastructure used for video streaming. CMC's franchise fee revenue is declining due to cable subscription losses. Discussion included potential funding from opioid restitution funds.
University of Maryland Extension – County Director Chuck Schuster requested $34,000 ongoing (50% cost share) to fund a new agriculture educator focused on small and beginning farmers producing table foods and small ruminants. Demand is high due to nutrient management plan needs, and the position would provide direct education and support.
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken on funding requests; all decisions will be made during budget work sessions.
- Commissioner Krebs directed Recreation and Parks to produce a countywide field inventory and needs assessment.
- The board acknowledged the transparency improvements from CCVESA and the need for sustainable funding models for volunteer fire companies.
- Several requests (CMC's series, Extension educator) may be considered for alternative sources such as opioid restitution funds or state cost-sharing.
- The meeting adjourned following the cooperative extension presentation.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good morning, everybody. Just a brief reminder, these agency hearings include presentations made by departments, partner agencies, and other groups and organizations for additional funding requests for the FY twenty seven budget. As a reminder of respect and courtesy, we want to remain conscious of time. So I have heard you all say more than once that Carroll County Public Library is the best library in Maryland and one of the best in the country. It's a point of pride for us at CCPL. The partnerships we have developed and the support we have historically had from the county added to our dedicated staff and community input means that it's not just something nice to say. We believe it happens to be true. It's true in our circulation, in our programming, in the quality of service our staff gives the community, and it's true in the way that we have built a library system that is efficient, innovative, and deeply responsive to the people of Carroll County. But I want to be very plain here this morning. If the library is funded at the 4% increase currently in the proposed budget, we will not be able to sustain the level of service that has earned us this reputation. If funding goes below 4%, the consequences will become even more serious. This is not a request. We are not making a request for more simply because more would be nice. We are not requesting expansion of a building for the sake of expansion. The request we are making this morning will protect a high performing public service to address a documented capital need and will give us the staffing capacity to meet the demand that already exists. So let's begin with the library's operating budget. The library is requesting a 9.5 funding increase. This request is driven by three things. The impact of lower funding growth over the last several years, including two years of flat funding, combined with an increase in operating expenses, and the need for us to provide a 5% across the board wage increase for our staff. At the county's proposed 4% increase, we will be forced to make choices that will be visible to the public. And I want to be very clear about what those choices are. We are talking about cuts to our collection, to our award-winning programs, or to our staff. Under a 4% increase, CCPL will be forced to pit investment in our staff against maintaining the collection and the public demands on or reducing programming. The community continues to demand. So what does this look like? For our collection, the materials, which is the materials we loan, both physical and digital, we currently have the highest circulation per capita in Maryland. This is a distinction we have held for over 20 years. If we cut materials, we are not discussing a small trimming around the edges for materials. We are looking at a reduction that weakens one of the most heavily used and most successful parts of our library service. For programming and staff, we provide the third highest number of birth to five children's programs in Maryland. We do that with seven branches compared to systems with 18, 20, or 22 locations. This is not accidental. This is the result of an efficient system and an extraordinary staff of educators, highly trained professionals with a vision for libraries that is responsive in addressing community needs, and a workplace culture that rewards creativity, innovative innovation, and excellence. We are able to do more than many larger systems because we run lean, we work smart, and we listen carefully to what our community wants. We are able to do more than many larger systems also because of our staff. Because we hire, train, and retain some of the best library staff in the state. So let's talk about real numbers. A 4% increase in funding, plus maintaining our commitment to providing a meaningful 5% increase for our staff would mean we need to reduce funding for our materials, the second biggest budget in our in our uh next to staff in our in our budget, the second biggest line item. A 5% increase taken from materials would result in a cut of our budget for materials by 28%. That's over one-fourth of the total funding we use to provide books, audio materials, electronic resources, movies, and music. Thank you. A 4% increase and a commitment to maintaining our spending on materials means that we will give our staff a 0.5% wage increase, one half of 1%. That is not retention strategy. And replacing talented staff is far more costly than investing in people who have already made this system great. So when we talk about operating requests, we are talking about whether or not the county wants to maintain a top performing library system. As I said, this is not a request for more simply because more would be nice. It's not a request for expansion for expansion's sake. This is a request to protect a high performing public service. If the county can invest with that can provide a 9.5 investment, we would be protecting one of the strongest systems in the state, the highest circulation per capita, the third most birth to five children programs in the state, a library staff that has a hallmark for creativity, passion, and innovation, a system that listens to the community and adapts to real local demand. The county is getting those services that other systems just don't have.
openpublica.com