Public Hearing on Funding Requests Slated for March 20
FREDERICK, Md. – Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater provided an overview of her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year today, highlighting major construction projects for schools, libraries, and fire stations. She outlined slow but steady growth in revenues. With fewer housing permits, recordation tax income is lower. More than $84 million in new requests were received for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024. Of that, Frederick County Public Schools is seeking an additional $62 million above the required Maintenance of Effort, and all other agencies requested a combined $22 million. A full list of budget appeals can be viewed at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Budget.
“I personally met with every division director to make sure existing programs were re-evaluated and any new requests aligned with the goals set in Livable Frederick,” County Executive Fitzwater said. “The budget will be tighter than in past years. Frederick County’s diverse economy has helped position us better than many of our neighboring counties, but we must continue to be fiscally responsible.”
To gather community feedback on budget priorities, Executive Fitzwater held a public hearing in December and listening sessions in all five Council districts in January and February. The public has two more opportunities to weigh in on their funding priorities before Executive Fitzwater submits her proposed FY25 budget.
People are invited to use Balancing Act, an interactive online tool to select which budget requests they would include in Frederick County’s budget for the next fiscal year. In Balancing Act, people decide how they would allocate limited funds among actual funding requests. To take the survey, go to FrederickCountyMD.gov/BudgetSurvey. The survey will remain open through 4 p.m. on Monday, March 25.
Additionally, a public hearing will be held Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. People can attend in person at Winchester Hall, at 12 East Church Street in Frederick, or they can call in to provide comment. To join by phone, call toll-free 855-925-2801 and enter meeting code 10042. If you wish to speak at the hearing, press *3. You will continue to hear the meeting while you wait in the virtual queue for your turn to speak. The public hearing will be broadcast live on FCG TV on cable channels 19 and 1085, and web-streamed from FrederickCountyMD.gov/FCGTV. For live translation of closed captions in multiple languages, watch at FrederickCountyMD.gov/BudgetPublicHearing and select a language from the “translate” button on the web page.
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