Kimberly Reynolds, Worcester County’s budget officer, presented the county’s requested FY2026 general fund operating budget to the commissioners on March 18.

Reynolds said requested general fund revenues, based on current tax rates, are estimated at $284,574,909, an increase of $22,600,000 (9 percent) from the current year. Requested operating expenditures total $286,835,734, an increase of $24,900,000 (10 percent). That leaves a projected shortfall of $2,260,825 the county must reconcile through expenditure reductions, additional revenues or a combination.

The presentation included sensitivity options that show the revenue effects of reducing property or income tax rates in penny or fractional-penny increments, and an example of how a change would affect a median valued home in Worcester County. Reynolds also outlined potential state-driven cost shifts included in the requested budget, including an SDAT 90% cost share change, a potential increase in the county’s share of teacher pension costs (about $672,312 if enacted), an estimated $5,600,000 placeholder for health department core funding uncertainties, and a roughly $27,560 possible community college retirement cost shift.

The board voted unanimously to approve a notice of public hearing on the operating budget, scheduling the hearing for Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. Staff also noted budget review sessions are scheduled April 1 (departments and enterprise funds) and April 8 (board of education, county departments), with additional work sessions on May 13 and May 20. The FY2026 general fund operating budget must be adopted by June 3, 2025.

Reynolds said the published budget document reflects state budget assumptions current as of the document’s production on March 12 and may be updated as the General Assembly completes action.

Ending: Commissioners directed staff to proceed with the public-notice schedule and to present more detailed department-level analyses during the scheduled budget work sessions.