I just received notice in the mail about the proposed budget for Queen Anne’s County and the corresponding hearings coming up soon so people can speak on them (May 21, 22, and 23).
In light of those hearings, I want to revisit the 6 principles for budget reform I laid out during the budget hearings last year.
- Don’t Raise Taxes
Based off of my reading of the letter sent out by the county, the Commissioners are sticking with this point for the coming year, so they certainly deserve commendation for that. However, depending on the final outcome of the special session, it is certainly possible that they may face a strong temptation to waver on their position. It’s vital that they do not, the county appears to be seeing the beginnings of a recovery and tax hikes will only set that back.
- Cut Spending by Cutting Programs
- There are no Sacred Cows
- Seek Alternate Sources of Revenue
- Cap Future Spending Growth
- Mandate Sunsets on all Tax Increases
As noted above, it doesn’t look like the Commissioners will raise tax rates this year. That’s good, but it’s not good enough. Given the strong outcry against last year’s tax increases by the people of the county, the commissioners ought to amend the bill passing them to ensure that the rates will revert to the prior levels, adjusted for constant yield (assumed from what the revenue would have been had rates never been increased).
Looking beyond that, they ought to amend the county code to make it a requirement that any future tax increase must come with language such that after two years rates will revert to the current levels, adjusted as just described for constant yield.
If implemented, these 6 simple principles could transform Queen Anne’s County government, allowing us to finally get a handle on runaway spending while ensuring we never face the financial ruin our county found itself on the edge of last year and haven’t moved far enough away from yet.
Joan Berwick says
Although widely reported that no one lost their job with QACPS last year, that is not exactly the case. Many people retired or left the system. The vast majority were not replaced. Our system has done without numerous positions this year. The loss of those positions definitely has impacted our system, but hopefully not had a detrimental impact on the students. At Queen Anne’s High School alone I can tell you that our media assistant was transferred to a school whose media specialist retired. A job coach for special needs students was transferred to yet a different school whose media specialist had also retired. A para-educator felt strongly that she could not manage to take the reduction from salaried employee with medical benefits to a part-time position with no benefits and left the system to seek full time employment elsewhere. Another para went from full-time to working only 5 hours a day. The person who oversaw our community service programs such as Students Against Destructive Decisions, Empty Bowls, Prom Promise, National Smoke Out Day; just to name a few, also gone and not replaced. QueennAnne’s County Board of Education took millions of dollars in cuts last year. We have lost a significant number of positions. Just ask the parents of the 4 year olds who could not attend pre-school this year. Fortunately those of us who still have our jobs are working harder in spite of having our salaries reduced, to fill the shoes of those not replaced or whose hours have been reduced.
I am proud to be an employee and resident taxpayer of Queen Anne’s County!
Lainey Harrison says
Well, the parents of that 4 year old who could not attend pre-k last year, may not have had the money to pay for it either. These cost shifting scenarios rarely work out like one might expect, just look how well our State did when they raided the transportation trust funds! The cost shifting of the Pre-K program went from “taxpayers” to “parents.” It didnt work. The BOE wanted more than full time daycare costs for a half day pre-k program.
Our County EMS division is now hiring paramedics for 15.00 an hour with no benefits. That is a cost saving measure because a County Commissioner deemed it so. Advanced trainings, certifications, college education…willing to work for 15.00 an hour with no benefits. Yep, definitely a “cost” saving measure there. Not sure who will pay that tab, but it wont be the taxpayers collectively. That cost saving measure may have to pick them off one by one, slowly. Lets all hope this program has better results than the Pre-K plan.
Michael Kern says
I totally disagree that the Board of Education got off extremely lightly. Time will tell the impact it has on the students. It is articles like this that put a negative stigma against public education. Queen Anne’s County Public Schools have been known for being very effective, and the reason is because we have outstanding teachers under great leadership. We were also properly funded with one of the lowest cost per a pupil in the state. We had an excellent blueprint set that is being dismantled through cuts. Nobody likes to pay more taxes, but Queen Anne’s County has one of the lowest tax rates in the state. It is not worth ruining a school system by cutting when there is nothing left to cut. Teachers are already at/near the bottom of the state when it comes to salaries. Quality teachers will be forced to leave. Does Queen Anne’s County want to be known for poor performing schools?
Lainey Harrison says
Mr. Kern,
QAC does not have the lowest taxes in the state. Far from it.
Queen Annes county has a state piggy back income tax rate at the highest allowed by law at 3.2%. This current crop of commissioners raised it from 2.85% to 3.2%. The only counties in the entire state with the maximum income tax rate are as follows: Baltimore City, Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince Georges county. And we are the highest income tax rate on the Eastern Shore. We have no universities, we have no hospitals, we have no mass transit. We pay 0.847 per 100.00 of assessed value on property taxes. Talbot pays a mere 0.448 cents. Kent county pays the highest rates on the shore at 1.022 per 100.00 of assessed value. But as you can see we are no where near the lowest tax rates in the State. Here are links to the income tax rates and the property tax rates imposed by the counties. https://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxrate.html for the real property rates. and this link https://individuals.marylandtaxes.com/incometax/localtax.asp is for the income tax rates. These facts undermine your entire argument.