Carroll County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Carroll County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
State regulations driving up housing costs
Commissioners flagged state mandates — forest banking fees of roughly $30,000 per lot, stormwater rules, sprinkler requirements — as major drivers of housing costs, and backed a recommendation to advocate for state review of regulations that conflict with affordable housing goals.
Waste Disposal Coupons Considered for Reinstatement
Commissioner Gordon wants the Board to look at bringing back the old waste disposal coupons — two per year allowing 500 pounds at the Northern Landfill — that the previous Board eliminated in 2020. A future discussion was agreed to.
Expanding the supermajority requirement to additional taxes
The board was set to consider expanding the rule requiring four of five commissioners to raise certain taxes, but postponed the discussion one week. Currently the rule covers real property, personal property, admissions and amusements, hotels, 911, and income taxes.
Liquor board rule book overhaul
The board's rules say corporate shareholders need a minimum stake in a licensed business, but say nothing about LLC members. They agreed to close that gap.
Child support enforcement funding through the Circuit Court
A federal-state-county agreement keeps Circuit Court magistrate child support services running — about 25 cases handled monthly.
Family Self-Sufficiency Program continuation
The housing voucher program that helps families get jobs, education, and homeownership got its HUD funding renewed — five graduates last year, including a new homeowner.
County Software and Cybersecurity Licenses
Two purchases keep the county's Laserfiche records system running — support and cloud storage totaling about $135,650 from the FY27 budget.
2027 Employee Health Insurance Rates
The county sets its health insurance plan designs and what employees and retirees pay each year. The 2027 rates passed on a split vote, with open enrollment coming in October and November.
FY27-32 capital plan and $27 million bond authorization
A new commissioner pressed for better visibility into hundreds of millions of dollars in previously allocated capital projects — some years old with unspent balances. A motion for a formal presentation on the list failed for lack of a second, though staff agreed to keep improving the reporting.
Sale of Five County-Owned Properties
The county was set to consider selling five properties it owns, returning them to private use and potentially the tax rolls.
Public Works employees' Chapter 36 grievances
A Department of Public Works employee and union member told the board that changes under Chapter 36 have created unfairness for non-exempt public works staff, and that a year of requests to meet with the board have gone nowhere. He asked for consistency: if Annapolis should listen to Carroll County, the county should listen to its own workers.
Town-County Shared Funding
The county renewed its annual funding-sharing deals with Hampstead, Manchester, New Windsor, and Sykesville, sending about $1.18 million gross to the towns for services and planning.
Opposition to Out-of-Cycle Congressional Redistricting
The board formally opposed the General Assembly's August special session on congressional redistricting, calling it politically motivated and out of cycle with the census.
State Cost Shifts to Counties
MACo's director warned of a $2.5 billion-plus state shortfall, rising electric rates, and the state shifting pension and assessment costs onto counties — a reckoning that could reach thousands of dollars per household.
School budget adjustments and PBM rebate concerns
All four school budget actions passed, but commissioners pressed staff on whether pharmacy benefit manager rebates are actually raising net drug costs — a review is planned for fall.
ENOUGH anti-poverty initiative in Union Bridge and New Windsor
The Local Management Board reported strong progress on the state's ENOUGH anti-poverty effort in Union Bridge — a resource fair drew 200-250 residents, and surveys show top needs are food, childcare, housing and transportation. New state money will fund after-school enrichment and internship transportation for low-income students.
Waste transfer costs running over budget
The county expects about 40,000 more tons of waste than budgeted this fiscal year, adding roughly $2.5 million in transfer costs to Modern Landfill. Staff say higher tip fee revenue should cover it, so the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund — not general taxpayers — absorbs the swing.
2025 Planning Annual Report
The county's annual planning report showed 23 new residential lots approved, six annexations, and 81,649 acres preserved for agriculture. Commissioners discussed tracking solar projects separately and breaking out industrial development, noting industrial contributes only about 3% of the tax base versus a master plan goal of 12–17% commercial/industrial.
Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund grants
Four local nonprofits won contracts for behavioral health, youth programs, and housing services — funded entirely by state Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund money. A public commenter objected, calling the funding source tied to drug proceeds, but the board approved the awards.
First-time homebuyer bond funding
The county renewed its participation in the Maryland Mortgage Program, which offers first-time buyers low fixed rates and down-payment help. Actual lending has exceeded the county's allocation every year since 2021, with 223 households served.
Board Procedures and Reconsideration Rules
A recurring dust-up: Commissioner Krebs argued the board has no adopted rules of order and that revisiting the deferral three weeks after a 4-1 vote violated reconsideration rules, fueling frustration on all sides.
FY27 Adopted Budget Work Session
The county locked in its FY27 budget. Tax rates stay flat, but water and sewer rates passed 4-1 over Krebs's objection that county-served areas pay very high rates without enough state grant support.
Senior property tax relief
Commissioners discussed whether seniors and veterans need more tax relief, noting assessments rise about 5% a year even though the tax rate hasn't increased since 1997. The Board approved getting an update on the existing state and county senior property tax credit.
FY27 Recommended Budget and $79 Million One-Time Surplus
The county and school board sat down together to go over the FY27 operating budget, the five-year plan, and how state money flows to Carroll County Public Schools. These conversations shape what services and school funding residents will see next year.