County Council Schedules Budget Hearings

In accordance to Frederick County’s Charter, after the County Executive submits the proposed budget to the
council, the council must hold a public hearing on the budget. After the hearing, the council may reduce
or delete items in the proposed budget, but may not add items to it or increase any proposed expenditure,
except for increases above the Board of Education’s Maintenance of Effort requirement. The council
must adopt the budget by May 25 or the executive’s proposed budget becomes law.

County Executive Jan Gardner presented her first budget proposal earlier this week. Her budget proposal includes building the new Walkersville Library, increased tax rebates for Walkersville and Woodsboro, and repairs to Fountain Rock Lime Kilns.

The County Council has scheduled public hearings and worksessions on the proposed budget as follows
(meetings in Winchester Hall, 12 East Church Street, Frederick, Md., will be held in the first floor hearing
room unless otherwise noted):

• April 20 – 6:00 p.m., Oakdale High School, 5850 Eaglehead Drive, Ijamsville, Md. (public
  hearing of Board of Education operating and capital budgets)
• April 21 – 7:00 p.m., Winchester Hall (public hearing of non-Board of Education operating and
  capital budgets)

• April 22, 23, 24 – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., third floor meeting room, Winchester Hall
  (worksessions with the Budget Office, Division of Fire & Rescue Services, Health Department,
  Citizens Services Division, Public Works Division and Frederick County Public Schools)
• April 29 – 4:30 p.m., Winchester Hall (discussion/decision on proposed budget amendments)
• April 29 – 7:00 p.m., Winchester Hall (public hearing and adoption of electric lighting tax
  districts)
• May 5 – 7:00 p.m., Winchester Hall (public hearing on constant yield tax rate)
• May 19 – 7:00 p.m., Winchester Hall (tentative – public hearing on council version of budget if
  needed)
• May 21 – 4:30 p.m., Winchester Hall (adoption of the FY16 budgets and property tax rate)

Hearings at Oakdale High School and in the first floor hearing room will be broadcast on FCG-TV, cable
channel 19, and webcast at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/video. Worksessions will not be broadcast.
For additional information, contact Council President Bud Otis at 301-600-1101 or via e-mail at
botis@FrederickCountyMD.gov, or visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Council.