(4/2023) This month the 2022-2026 Frederick County Council will receive our first budget. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater will be submitting her budget for fiscal year 2024 to the Council by April 15. After the budget is received, the County Council will hold a public hearing on the budget. At the time I am writing this month’s article, that hearing has not been scheduled. Members of the Council can offer amendments to the County Executive’s budget. We will hold budget workshops, which are open to the public, on May 3, 4, and 5. The Council has until May 31 to pass the budget with a majority vote. If the Council fails to pass the budget by May 31, then the budget submitted by the County Executive becomes law.
At this point in my first term, I’ve had the opportunity to attend several meetings of the boards and commissions where I serve as the County Council liaison. Serving on a county board or commission is a great way to get involved in the community and to learn how our county government works. You can find the list of Frederick County Boards and Commissions on the county website, and application information, if you’re interested in being considered to serve on one or more. Here are some recent highlights from a few of those commissions.
Tax Credits for Seniors & Military Veterans
On March 9, the Frederick County Commission for Women held their annual RAW-Raving About Women Awards. I was honored to be there with many others to recognize these amazing women for helping other women and families in Frederick County. This year’s awardees included Heartly House, Dr. Yewende Oladeinde, Ms. Rosario Campos, and SheLEADS Leader Ms. Olivia Yeatman. The Commission has also submitted letters of support for two issues that have come before the Council. In addition to supporting continuing recorded messages and public comment by phone during council meetings, the Commission supports recent bills to expand property tax credits for senior citizens and those who have served in the military.
These three bills were introduced by Council Member Steve McKay to amend certain sections of current county property tax code. At the County Council meeting on March 21, the Council discussed the bills and several proposed amendments. After voting on the amendments, two of the bills will be returning for an additional public hearing. One bill (Amended Bill 23-03 Senior Citizens Local Supplement to Homeowners Property Tax Credit) would expand the income eligibility for senior citizens, revise the property tax credit to 30% and 50% for the two tiers of eligible income, and increase the home value limitation to $500,000 for the senior citizens’ supplement to homeowners’ property tax credit.
A second bill, (Amended Bill 23-04 Elderly Individuals Uniformed Service Members Property Tax Credit) would expand the income eligibility for elderly individuals, increase the property tax credit to 30%, and remove the 5-year limitation for the elderly individuals and uniformed service members property tax credit. Both amended bills include a new automatic income qualification limit based upon the CPI (Consumer Price Index).
The third bill, (Bill 23-02 Amend the Tax Credit for the Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran) would remove a five-year time limit to receive this credit, so long as the applicant remains eligible. This bill was approved by the Council on March 21.
Sustainability Commission
At the most recent meeting, the Commission heard the preliminary results of the Frederick County Climate and Energy Internal Government Action Plan. This study identified 14 overarching strategies to increase climate resilience within county operations. Recommendations included assessing current county codes with respect to climate resilience and installing backup generators at critical county facilities.
We also had a presentation on current Critical Data Infrastructure regulations in Frederick County. Unlike some of our neighboring counties, Frederick County has taken the time to establish standards for cloud data centers before a significant number are built here. There are architectural and landscaping guidelines that must be followed to make data centers less obtrusive, so they won’t detract from the beautiful landscapes in the county. Additionally, noise and vibration standards will mean less impact to residents living near data centers.
Currently, there are a relatively small number of data centers operating in the county. As the numbers increase, it’s important to note that we already have these regulations in place and the ability to refine them, if necessary, to protect the local environment and to strive for the most energy efficiency possible.
Social Services Advisory Board
Currently in Frederick County, 68 children are living in foster care. Of those children, 41 are able to stay living in the county, and 27 are living out of the county. Those are a few numbers we heard during a presentation on foster care in the county. There are currently 45 licensed resource families, and more are needed to care for vulnerable children while their birth parent(s) work to stabilize the family living situation. Unfortunately, the number of children in the 0-5 years range who require foster care has increased.
If you have ever thought of becoming a resource (foster) parent, and would like more information, the Frederick County Department of Social Services holds monthly information sessions. You can call 301-600-2466 or send an email to foster.careinfo@maryland.gov to find out when the next information session will be held.
April will be a busy month for the Frederick County Council. If you would like to contact me with any questions or concerns, my email address is rknapp@frederickcountymd.gov.
