Howard Community College can purchase and renovate Belmont as the County Council kept that funding in place when it approved the fiscal year 2008 budget Wednesday.
“I feel very strongly that local tax dollars should not be spent on this,” said Councilwoman Courtney Watson, D-District 1, who failed to muster council support for removing funding from the college and using it for improvements on Mount Hebron High School.
The budget includes $2.2 million to buy the Belmont property in Elkridge, and $2.8 million to renovate existing structures on the property.
The funding approval did come with two conditions:
» The college must agree to a historic easement, which is an agreement that protects the use of the property, before the funds are spent.
» The college must give the county first dibs on buying the land in case the college decides to sell.
Other spending strings failed, such as requiring an appraisal and raising $2.2 million in outside funds before spending the money.
To keep improvements to Mount Hebron High School on track, the council approved an amendment, submitted by County Executive Ken Ulman, that moved $1.2 million from another school fund to pay for planning the school?s renovation.
Fire tax relief
The council also agreed to trim the fire tax increase by 2 cents for residents in the rural West, which is not served by public water and sewer, an effort championed by Councilman Greg Fox, R-District 5.
A 1-cent increase countywide remained intact.
The move did mean cutting more than $1.6 million from the fire rural contingency fund, leaving about $87,000 for emergency spending needs.
Councilwoman Jen Terrasa, D-District 3, took issue with slashing the fund, saying disasters or even smaller-scale needs would rely on that money.
“I don?t think it?s prudent at this time to reduce the contingency fund in this post-9/11 era,” she said.
Ulman said he was “a bit disappointed” in the reduction, saying the fund is necessary for managing emergencies.
Staff additions maintained
Attempts at another form of tax relief in the property tax rate weren?t as successful.
Watson pushed for a property tax cut of one-fourth of 1 cent, paid for by trimming 14 new positions from the total proposed 517 positions, including education and county administration, to cover the cost.
“I am concerned with the number of positions,” Watson said, because retirement costs and declining revenue could strain the budget.
“I think we will have to monitor it very closely.”
Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, D-District 4, said if the county stays on track with current revenues, it will be able to sustain the staff additions.
Many departments were reduced 16 years ago and haven?t been restored, despite the county?s growth, she said.
“You have to take a measured chance,” she said.
The property tax rate is $1.014 per $100 assessed value. The average homeowner with a $450,000 property will continue to pay $4,791.
