HAGERSTOWN, Md. – The Washington County Board of County Commissioners reviewed a balanced $355.75 million general fund budget draft for fiscal year 2027 and received an update on the federal immigration processing facility during its April 14 meeting.
The overall 2027 operating budget stands at approximately $432.7 million, with the full budget including capital projects reaching $536.3 million – a roughly 6% increase over the prior year.
The general fund draft reflects minor adjustments from the previous version, including new lease income for central booking, golf course operating transfers, salary commission study changes and increased software costs for permits and inspections.
Kelcee Mace, chief financial officer, said all increases were offset by reductions in capital reserve and general operations.
The board gave consensus to prepare documents for the public hearing.
Transit budget requests
Directors also presented the 2027 transit budget of $4.08 million. The department is requesting two new full-time positions including a transportation safety and training coordinator and a CDL transit operator plus a pay grade upgrade for part-time operators to help reduce overtime, which exceeded $170,000 last year.
Andrew Eshleman, director of public works, and Shawn Harbaugh, transit director, noted ongoing concerns about declining state funding support for locally operated transit systems outside the Baltimore-Washington metro area.
Police personal protective equipment purchase
The board approved the purchase of personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as riot gear, for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hagerstown Police Department. The $118,639 purchase includes 29 sets for the sheriff’s office and 23 sets for city police through an intergovernmental cooperative contract.
Brandi Kentner, director of procurement, said the gear is fire-resistant and designed to protect officers from projectiles during civil disturbances. It will update equipment for the Sheriff’s Office Civil Disturbance Unit, originally formed in 1999 ahead of Y2K and last refreshed in 2016 amid national unrest.
Funding comes from the narcotics task force contraband fund using seized assets.
This item has drawn attention locally given ongoing community tensions surrounding protests and the federal immigration facility.
Proclamations recognize awareness efforts
The board approved proclamations for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Renee Caldera, director of community services for CASA Inc., accepted the proclamation. She noted that in Maryland nearly one in five women and one in six men experience sexual violence in their lifetime, with only about one in three assaults reported to police.
“For young people, the risk is especially high,” Caldera said. “Individuals aged 12 to 34 experience the highest rate of sexual violence.”
Karan Moore, client service navigator for CASA, and Jen McNew, manager of the forensic nurse program at Meritus Medical Center, provided local statistics. McNew reported 83 adult and 167 child sexual assault cases seen last year, with numbers rising annually. An awareness event is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at University Plaza from 4 to 8 p.m.
The proclamation theme is “25 Years Strong: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Alan Matheny, director of emergency management communications, accepted the proclamation honoring 911 dispatchers. In 2025, the center handled 121,294 emergency calls and more than 184,000 total calls. Dispatchers average a 5- to 6-second response time.
Matheny noted the high stress of the profession and highlighted recent recognitions: Amanda Wagner as Dispatcher of the Year, Alan Crawford as Supervisor of the Year, and Jason Klein with a legacy award. Commissioners praised dispatchers for handling 1,518 calls in 5.5 hours during severe storms in April 2025, with many coming in off-duty to assist.
ICE Processing Facility Update
A few new details emerged on the federal immigration processing facility at the former warehouse on Wright Road in Williamsport.
County Administrator Michelle Gordon highlighted a March 19, letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the county’s Historic District Commission. The letter outlines proposed site improvements that will not expand beyond current property boundaries or exceed the height of the existing structure.
Planned work includes upgrades to parking, fencing, lighting, landscaping, utilities, drainage, security cameras and a prefabricated guard shack. Interior modifications may add holding and processing spaces, offices, visitor areas, cafeterias, bathrooms and health care spaces. All ground disturbances will be restored to pre-construction conditions.
DHS determined the project results in “no historic properties affected,” a finding with which the county Historic District Commission concurred. Federal law does not allow the county to overrule that determination.
Gordon said KVG LLC, the contractor handling renovations and engineering, has not yet contacted the county regarding the water and wastewater assessment. If additional capacity is needed, the federal government has committed to paying all fees and required infrastructure improvements, including to the Wright Road sewage pump station, and will provide a temporary solution in the interim.
The facility is projected to create 1,125 jobs. It is described as a short-term processing and booking center with average stays of three to seven days before detainees are transferred to out-of-state detention centers.
Much of Gordon’s update reiterated information from previous meetings: the county had no role in site selection and has no zoning authority over the federally owned property; the federal government will make the county whole on tax revenue through PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) payments; medical care will be handled on-site to avoid burdening local resources; and security will be provided by the Federal Protective Service. No new meetings with DHS or KVG have been scheduled.
Gordon directed residents with questions to submit them to ICE at [email protected] or contact federal representatives.
Other business
- Humane Society of Washington County: Executive Director Colin Berry reported an intake of more than 4,800 animals in 2025, with a record 90% live release rate. He cited rising stray animals and challenges filling veterinary positions.
- Community notes: Commissioners highlighted the Hagerstown Regional Airport terminal expansion groundbreaking, the opening day of the Washington County Girls Softball League, the Meritus Symphony Orchestra concert, Hagerstown Community College’s nursing program fundraiser and the new veteran-owned C&O Coffee Collective in Clear Spring.
- The board approved routine items including budget transfers for solid waste equipment, grant applications for veterans’ treatment court and sex offender registry compliance, contract renewals for trash removal services, a bid award for grinder pumps and purchases of police vehicle equipment and personal protective equipment for the sheriff’s office and Hagerstown police.
- Sole source procurement awards for youth services, school-based health centers and mental health programs were deferred.
- The board authorized submission of the annual transportation priorities letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation, with Interstate 81 widening remaining the top priority.
The next meeting of the commissioners is scheduled for April 21.
