HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday, March 31, received proposed fiscal 2027 budgets for water quality and solid waste operations that include no new rate increases for residents, and approved a revised 10-year capital improvement plan that trims projected spending while preserving funds for critical water infrastructure.
The budgets and capital plan adjustments will shape county services, debt levels and potential future costs for taxpayers over the next decade.
Interim Director of Environmental Management David Mason presented the water quality budget, which covers utility administration, water and sewer operations and pretreatment programs. He said most increases stem from projected salary adjustments, new personnel needs and higher chemical and operating costs.
The sewer fund would rise 4.34%, the utility fund 6.68 % and the water fund 5.25 %. Rate hikes already approved in the fiscal 2025 budget, including 5 % for water and 3.5 % for sewer, remain in effect. Those changes add about $4.67 per quarter to the average residential water bill and $7.50 to the average sewer bill.
Mason also presented the solid waste budget, which calls for a 2.68% increase, or roughly $291,000, driven by the same salary factors. No increases are proposed for permits or tipping fees this year.
The board took no formal action on the operating budgets but will consider them as part of the overall county budget process in coming weeks.
Chief Financial Officer Kelcee Mace and Deputy Director of Budget and Finance Zane Garrett then presented Draft 2 of the 2027-2036 capital improvement plan. Mace said the 2027 portion was reduced by about $400,000 and the full 10-year plan by $21.3 million from the previous draft.
Changes include deferring some airport projects, adjusting public safety funding after a state grant fell through and moving forward $9.2 million previously approved for the Public Safety Training Center. That shift results in a net local funding increase of $1.7 million for the training center.
Road pavement maintenance was scaled back in later years based on affordability, while transit local funding rose slightly by $24,000. Bond funding across the plan dropped by $22 million.
The plan still includes a high-end estimate of $546 million over 10 years for water infrastructure development to address the county’s current 85% daily water capacity. That project explores new wells, treatment plants and possible partnerships, such as with Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
Mace and Garrett stressed that only the 2027 budget requires board approval now; the out-years are planning estimates. They said ongoing debt affordability studies will guide future borrowing decisions, and water and sewer bonds are supported by utility revenues rather than general tax dollars unless revenues fall short.
The board approved a related budget adjustment that reallocates funds for water quality security improvements between the water and sewer funds. The vote was 4-0.
Contracts for jail and landfill operations
The board awarded an $89,000 contract to Hagerstown Floors for complete floor replacement at the Day Reporting Center. Procurement Director Brandi Kentner said the existing carpet tiles over raised flooring, installed a decade ago, are delaminating and must be removed. The new flooring will improve safety and durability for the facility that serves the criminal justice system.
It also approved a 5% rate increase for leachate hauling from the county’s landfills under a contract with AC&T of Hagerstown. The adjustment, requested because of higher fuel, insurance and wage costs, applies to the second one-year renewal of the agreement. (Leachate is caused principally by water percolating through waste deposited in a landfill, which then becomes contaminated. It is typically collected within the landfill and hauled away for safe handling.)
Mason noted that landfill staff continue to manage rising diesel prices, which affect equipment operations, by adjusting budgets as needed throughout the year.
Intergovernmental agreements and other approvals
The board approved a memorandum of understanding with the towns of Boonsboro and Clear Spring to collect building and trade permit fees, including excise taxes, for those municipalities. Permits and Inspections Director Greg Cartrette said the change creates consistency with how the county already handles permits for all other municipalities outside Hagerstown.
It approved a 10-year lease extension for the District Court of Maryland commissioner’s office at the county’s central booking facility at 500 Western Maryland Parkway. Real Property Administrator Todd Moser said the 1,572-square-foot space will cost $17.50 per square foot annually, with one five-year renewal option.
The board approved submission of a proposal to the Governor’s Office for Children seeking 2027 funding for seven programs serving children, youth and families. The request totals more than $800,000 plus administrative costs.
Human Resources Director Chip Rose received approval to offer the Deputy Director of Environmental Programs position to Alex Reed at Grade 18, Step 16.
Appointments and bylaws change
County Clerk Dawn L. Marcus presented multiple reappointments and new appointments to county boards. All were approved 4-0, some with waivers of term limits because of difficulty finding qualified candidates with required certifications.
Reappointments included members to the Electrical Apparatus and Wiring Board, Plumbing and HVAC Board and Animal Control Authority Board. New members were named to the Washington County Public Golf Corporation Board for Black Rock Golf Course and the Animal Control Authority, plus one alternate.
The board also approved amendments to the Washington County Veterans Advisory Committee bylaws, reducing voting membership from 11 to seven. Assistant County Attorney Aaron Weiss said the change makes it easier to reach quorum while preserving at least four veteran members and limiting non-veterans to no more than three. All terms will now be staggered on three-year cycles.
Transit grant ratified
The board ratified an amendment to the 2027 annual transit grant application, increasing the request to $1.52 million in state and federal funds from the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. The application had already been submitted to meet deadlines, Transit Director Shawn Harbaugh said.
Administrator recaps federal ICE facility discussions
County Administrator Michelle Gordon reiterated the county’s position on the federal immigration processing facility at the former warehouse on Wright Road in Williamsport, again noting that Washington County was not involved in site selection and has no jurisdiction over the federally owned property.
Gordon said no additional meetings with the Department of Homeland Security or its contractor, KVG LLC, have been scheduled. She said the county continues to receive information through federal channels and referred ongoing questions to Maryland legislators in Congress.
Certification for CFO Mace
Gordon also announced that CFO Mace has earned the Certified Public Finance Officer credential from the Government Finance Officers Association, a rigorous national program that recognizes advanced competence in public financial management. The board presented Mace with a certificate of recognition. The commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, April 7,
