MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS MEETING

May 11, 2005

            The Board of County Commissioners for Cecil County met in regular session at the County Administrative Building, 107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland on Tuesday, May 11, 2005.  The following members of the Board were present:

            Nelson K. Bolender, President

            Harry A. Hepbron, Commissioner

            Phyllis Kilby, Commissioner

            William C. Manlove, Commissioner

            Mark H. Guns, Commissioner

Constituting a full Board.

            The meeting was called to order by President Bolender at 1:00 p.m. and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

-          PUBLIC HEARING – CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE –

A public hearing was held relating to the constant yield tax rate for Cecil County for fiscal year July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006.

Mr. Craig Whiteford, Budget Manager, read the following notice which appeared in the Cecil Whig.

The Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County proposes to increase real property taxes:

1.     For the tax year beginning July 1, 2005, the estimated real property                                                                                                                      assessable base will increase by 7.0%, from $5,826,230,768 to $6,233,522,755.

2.         If Cecil County maintains the current tax rate of $0.98 per $100 of assessment, real property tax revenues will increase by 7.0% resulting in $3,991,461 of new real property tax revenues.

3.         In order to fully offset the effect of increasing assessments, the real property tax rate should be reduced to $0.916, the constant yield tax rate.

4.         The Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County is considering not reducing its real property tax rate enough to fully offset increasing assessments.  The Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County proposes to adopt a real property tax rate of $0.98 per $100 of assessment.  This tax rate is 7.0% higher than the constant yield tax rate and will generate $3,991,461 in additional property tax revenues.

COMMENTS –

Richard Boyle - commented in opposition to the proposed constant yield tax       rate.

Ronald Demmler – commented relating to assessments and the increase.

Tom McWilliams – commented in opposition to the proposed constant yield

            tax rate.

Alvin J. Janks – commented in opposition to the proposed constant yield tax rate.

Kathleen Sandow – commented in opposition to the proposed constant yield tax rate.

Adrienne Boyd – commented in opposition to the proposed constant yield tax rate.

Motion was made by Commissioner Guns, seconded by Commissioner Manlove and unanimously carried to set the tax rate for FY 06 at $.98/100 of assessed valuation.

-          PUBLIC HEARING –  RECORDATION TAX INCREASE –  1:15 PM

            A Public Hearing was held on a resolution to propose an increase to the Recordation Tax.  Mr. Whiteford presented the Board with a Resolution for the increase of the Recordation Tax from Three Dollars and Thirty Cents to Four Dollars and Ten Cents per Five Hundred Dollars to be imposed upon an instrument of writing recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for a document filed with the County or filed with the Department of Assessments and Taxation.

COMMENTS - 

Pat Ulrich – commented in opposition to the proposed Recordation Tax Increase.

Robert Hodge – commented in opposition to the proposed Recordation Tax Increase.

Jim Mullin – commented relative to the purchase of development rights program and funding sources.

Richard Boyle – commented in opposition to the proposed Recordation Tax Increase.

Ronald Rae – commented relative to the Recordation Tax Increase.

Ronald Demmler – commented relative to the Recordation Tax Increase.

Clayton Fried – commented in opposition to the Recordation Tax Increase and suggested a change to the assessment cap.

John Dooley – commented in opposition to the Recordation Tax Increase.

Tom McWilliams – commented in opposition to the Recordation Tax Increase.

            Motion was made by Commissioner Kilby, seconded by Commissioner Manlove and unanimously carried to approve the Resolution increase the Recordation Tax from Three Dollars and Thirty Cents to Four Dollars and Ten Cents.

-          PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED FY-06 BUDGET – 1:30 P.M.

A Public Hearing was held on the proposed budget for Cecil County for fiscal year July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

President Bolender presented the Board with the proposed Cecil County, Maryland Fiscal Year 2006 Board of County Commissioner’s Budget in the amount of $134,639,051.

The following persons addressed the Board: with their comments pertaining to the proposed budget: 

Pat Folk – commented and supported funding for the Cecil County Public Library and Upper Bay Counseling.

Susan Twigg – commented in support of funding for the Department of Aging.

Linda Tull – commented in support of funding for the Department of Aging.

Richard Boyle – commented relative to reduction strategies of the current budget.

Ronald Rae – commented relative to the Cecil County Sheriff’s Department automobile request.

Tom McWilliams – commented in support of the Cecil County Public Library and funding for the expansion of business/industry within the Rt. 40 corridor.

Clayton Fried – commented relative to the state funding levels associated with his office.

Ronald Demmler – commented relative to the proposed budget.

Jim Kyte – commented in support of the Cecil County Volunteer Fire Companies and their equipment request.

            - NIGHT BUDGET HEARING – 7:00 P.M.

President Bolender presented the Board with the proposed Cecil County, Maryland Fiscal Year 2006 Board of County Commissioner’s Budget in the amount of $134,639,051.

The following persons addressed the Board by expressing their feelings, desires and/or comments pertaining to the proposed budget: 

Dr. Richard Bayer and members of the Upper Bay Counseling & Support Services spoke on behalf of funding for their organization.

Carl Walbeck – commented on the need for additional personnel within the Department of Planning & Zoning.

Wayne L. Tome, Sr. – on behalf of the Cecil County Volunteer Fire Companies, commented relative to funding for new equipment.

Adoption of the FY 06 Budget will be held on May 31, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. 

There being no further business of the Board, the meeting was adjourned.

                                                            ________________________________

                                                            Alfred C. Wein, Jr.

                                                            County Administrator

_________________________                     

Nelson K. Bolender

President