[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6619544,"mediaKeyId","2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519","parentId",2834950,"title","Votes at a glance: Caroline County commissioners, April 1, 2025","audioSeconds",199,"startMs",6734000,"endMs",6933000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519&start=6734&end=6933","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519/thumbnail_6734000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6619544/Caroline-County/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-Caroline-County-commissioners-April-1-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619544-0392386563ada68bacdf89384beb9102/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049591&Signature=SjtSI9hBdTI38Aj~YyetlQXWxx2kLDIzg1vF7cu62O6UYoYvSFXMTSDLpVEUyiVoEVLX-~9IZcW9WrLCk14f0hn2FOO201LFQhWVt0dK~iVgWz-3nomJ11tC-z-PpZkGvAu~ld3O0Zp-sPA~z21Yf478qCDsqgBMX-9XJ~uTWDXpvWeEck~hMO5z~pekYUG9E7XplyCHDTwF-EWJN6xhH-dAaSWG~eRwI0Ng0kscDGCYUWPsJKdPgcieAO62iEuxuMvH~TJRad6dnkh1gbAZ2BE5ChG5r7qarf1AAFs2hhQ0d~noiHRu7KVjCeK0LW48qq5cfQSMMEwhRc2g4PPp-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Caroline","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The following is a summary of formal actions recorded during the Caroline County commissioners meeting on April 1, 2025.

- Motion: Approve consent agenda for April 1, 2025 meeting.
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

- Motion: Direct staff to apply for the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention grant in partnership with the University of Maryland for the Problem Solving Court program.
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

- Motion: Approve Purchase Order 2025-0499 — stadium restrooms at North Caroline High School.
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

- Motion: Approve Purchase Order 2025-0501 — stadium restrooms at Colonel Richardson High School.
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

- Motion: Approve FY2025 annual housing bond allocation form (reassign county allocation to the state for use in state housing programs).
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

- Motion: Adjourn.
Outcome: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

Notes: Several substantive items discussed at the workshop (fire company property tax credit, Delmarva Community Transit funding levels, Upper Shore Aging funding and Chesapeake College capital timing) were addressed by consensus or deferred for additional staff analysis rather than decided by recorded roll‑call votes during this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Caroline - Caroline County Commissioners Meeting - Apr 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal motions and recorded votes taken during the April 1 Caroline County commissioner meeting.","taxTitle","Caroline County, Maryland","taxId",61674,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6619548,"Caroline County commissioners narrow FY2026 budget choices; defer fire tax‑credit decision and set capital priorities",5628,1067000,6695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519&start=1067&end=6695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519/thumbnail_1067000.jpg","/articles/6619548/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-commissioners-narrow-FY2026-budget-choices-defer-fire-taxcredit-decision-and-set-capital-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619548-a446fe302eff565f3a3aeef04a6308e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049591&Signature=lTnnQIgJ9GJZkCugkaJUjZlODOT46PifwJNCc2uLbp~NI1ftIOTfpJL~eCSmiPZT5iybbKX0tNb-BFNPACiUnCR7fvrOOwPPydVxy0h-AQuw1Qra29f0rdEjmzbxaqULQ7qciDBhzM0JMCsgkcn516yTz1uZzkTossfIEiJ7l3e5ZXG4c~P8Q0550JypBtlVAN~vO1Xh69kYrl5oEaUH53aY-zaIwN-u2eSeQ2T6l-DvhYtdFGIdBaicUFHPTsVhPZ2YrAxeY87aFb~jt4rEJCx9FZi5Z1-ROoD8~GjxvgDqPa1xh5rErXzQQMbJcgUSqzOasmSD8jKlaKtTfK4WeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caroline County commissioners spent their April 1 budget workshop reviewing FY2026 operating and capital requests and identifying items for further staff follow‑up.

The board discussed multiple revenue and expenditure items, including state shifts in teacher pension and assessment funding, the county’s response to a state solar siting bill, fire company allocations, senior services funding, Delmarva Community Transit (DCT) route funding, and capital requests such as a Chesapeake College project and the county’s hot‑mix paving program. Commissioners reached several procedural decisions and set follow‑up tasks for staff, but deferred other choices until additional information is provided.

Key outcomes and next steps

- Fire company allocation and tax‑credit: Commissioners reached consensus to allocate the full 10% increase to fire companies that had been under consideration and to delay action on a proposed property tax credit for volunteer firefighters until next year’s budget cycle. The board directed staff to work with fire companies and county staff (including the DES office manager who tracks volunteer activity) to develop a legislative proposal, verify fiscal impact and administrative workload, and return with recommended language and a cost estimate for consideration in FY2026.

- Senior services (Upper Shore Aging / Meals on Wheels): Commissioners discussed a funding request tied to increased food contract costs and a proposed cost‑of‑living adjustment for staff at Upper Shore Aging. Several commissioners voiced support for covering the contract-driven increase in meal costs; the board directed staff to refine the requested amounts and to present detailed options at a later workshop so the board can finalize a funding decision.

- Delmarva Community Transit (DCT): The board left DCT’s allocation as a placeholder (approximately $95,000) and asked county staff to invite DCT staff (Andy Hollis) to a future meeting to explain ridership and route‑level impacts before finalizing the county contribution.

- Capital priorities and Chesapeake College: Commissioners discussed a request tied to a proposed Chesapeake College building. To reduce risk to paving and other capital programs, they agreed to a middle path: preserve most of the county’s hot‑mix paving allocation while establishing a schedule to phase funding for the college project across budget years. Staff will return with a refined capital schedule showing proposed transfers and the expected timing of payments.

- Road paving and landfill/pilot revenues: County staff and commissioners discussed how anticipated landfill payments and possible pilot revenues from solar projects factor into future budgets and cautioned against treating those streams as permanent for operating expenses. Commissioners asked staff to provide an analysis of revenue timing and the budgetary impact of relying on those streams.

Other business and next steps

The board left several decisions open for additional information: DCT route impacts, the exact amount and administrative costs for any volunteer firefighter property tax credit, and the finalized request for senior meal funding. Staff will recirculate cleaned and updated operating and capital sheets and schedule follow‑up briefings. The board also approved two purchase orders to install prefabricated stadium restrooms at North Caroline High School and Colonel Richardson High School using previously allocated Board of Education bond funds that had been closed out; staff confirmed the legal and administrative work to reassign those bond funds had been completed prior to the restroom purchases.

Commissioners acknowledged ongoing statewide policy changes — including a recently advanced state solar siting bill — and asked staff to analyze potential revenue and permitting impacts on county review workloads and planning fees.","During an April 1 budget workshop the commissioners discussed teacher pension shifts, fire company allocations, senior meal funding, Delmarva transit routes, and capital priorities including Chesapeake College and road paving; they deferred a property tax‑credit for volunteer firefighters to next year and agreed on capital balancing steps.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6619551,"Caroline County commissioners approve application for Problem Solving Court grant",663,381000,1044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519&start=381&end=1044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2834950-e5011d3d2f94399274e4f85d94a9a519/thumbnail_381000.jpg","/articles/6619551/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-commissioners-approve-application-for-Problem-Solving-Court-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619551-49ebe60b6f54dccbd5aae457495beb90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049591&Signature=i2FIVXUSQkoUCqZKClKsWGLf9Cni-MhO-zKywukZhdQOem8gHmI8Lc8HYllXKJFpMsWJG0GhP8xuakurkKmCLkilv2Q8tpqobd-HFUoVVNA2hSoQTK6O0MLu3gc6u3lugXOXokIEdVivXvNRkT0nDiq~Xs-6fHohnIrREYsfz4kP8W507GlXiHl0cEMUYpMTNVqkBaDpPFQsQRm-3cEZNEJfHxkdzoKrf1M59QlQAXsrjtfCT~waSDG8xsiKVrg3~xQl3jY7nPYIfRmUqwL5V4syDOoflwn451BXZKFD2-sfS4pd~TS7WcC1wy2m5YyjM03IsWl~tSkVtvwrYuH9QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caroline County commissioners voted April 1 to direct staff to apply for a grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to expand services for the county Problem Solving Court.

The grant application, proposed by Deputy Administrator Daniel Fox and Michelle Bethke of the Problem Solving Court program, would fund evidence-based contingency management incentives and support peer-support services for participants who have substance use disorders. Bethke told the board the county already performs drug testing and the proposed program would use that testing to trigger small, immediate incentives delivered as electronic gift cards dispersed through the University of Maryland as part of the study partnership.

Bethke said the grant would aim to reduce recidivism and decrease first‑responder time spent on overdose calls by rewarding negative drug tests and adding peer support specialists. “This grant would further support our problem solving court program by continuing to treat participants with a substance use disorder, reduce first responders’ time handling calls for overdoses, and reducing recidivism,” she said.

Bethke said the University of Maryland is partnering with the county and at least two neighboring counties on the project. The university would manage the incentive distribution portal and would disperse electronic gift cards directly to participants after negative tests are verified. Peer support services would be contracted to local providers Bethke named during the meeting.

Bethke reported the Problem Solving Court currently has nine participants and said staff recently filled a case manager vacancy. Commissioners questioned how incentives would work and how follow‑up with graduates would be handled; Bethke said follow‑up and alumni programming were goals but that current staffing levels limit post‑graduation outreach.

A motion to direct staff to apply for the grant was made and seconded; the commissioners voted in favor. The board gave staff permission to submit the application and pursue the funding opportunity.

The county will apply for the grant through the county administration office in partnership with the Problem Solving Court and the University of Maryland. The application and any grant award will be subject to the county’s grant policy and any subsequent board approvals for program startup or budget adjustments.","Commissioners unanimously approved staff pursuing a grant in partnership with the University of Maryland to expand contingency-management treatment and peer support for participants in the county’s Problem Solving Court.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Caroline County commissioners, April 1, 2025

Caroline County commissioners narrow FY2026 budget choices; defer fire tax‑credit decision and set capital priorities

Caroline County commissioners approve application for Problem Solving Court grant