Architects of Carroll County?s proposed fiscal 2007 budgets have made buildings a priority at the expense of operating costs such as health care and salaries.
This practice of shifting funds has been done in previous years, said Budget Director Ted Zaleski. But this year it resulted in the largest-ever capital budget for construction and renovation projects.
He presented the capital and operating budgets at a community meeting Tuesday at the North Carroll Library in Hampstead to a group of three people.
“We can?t do it all,” he said. “We have to make choices.”
Among the losers if the proposed budgets are approved in late May is Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County Inc., which was informed last year that it would lose $75,000, all its county funding and a fourth of its budget. This was the first year the county stopped giving the nonprofit funding since it began doing so in 2002.
“It was a little frightening” at first, said Laura Rhodes, who is in charge of fundraising for the nonprofit, but the organization has raised $56,000 by soliciting donations and applying for grants. Since 1997, the nonprofit has been collecting public opinion and data on a variety of health topics, such as substance abuse, mental health, health care access and water supply.
Among the winners is the Board of Education, which could secure $40 million for a new headquarters. The old board offices would house the Sheriff?s Department.
“I really believe the budget is the best place to see what a community?s priorities are,” Zaleski said.
Two more informational budget meetings
» 7 p.m. May 1, Eldersburg
Library
» 7 p.m. May 10, County Office Building, Room 003, 225 N. Center St., Westminster
Public hearing on budget with commissioners
Rebroadcast of commissioners? budget review process on cable Channel 24 for May
» Monday: 10 a.m.
» Tuesday: 4:30 p.m.
» Wednesday: 6 p.m.
» Thursday: 6:30 a.m.
» Friday: 9:30 p.m.
» Saturday: 10:30 a.m., 10 p.m.
