Town Hall Reports

by James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg

For more information on the Town of Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.gov or call 301-600-6300.

Budget to be Approved in June

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts July 1, this month. The $1,907,086 budget shows a 2 percent increase. The property tax rate of 36 cents/$100 assessed value is the primary funding source for the budget, and it remains the same.

Town staff had budgeted $275,000 for two community deputies, but contract from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly before the budget presentation for $298,000 (an 8.5 percent increase). Because this was unforeseen, staff will need to adjust other areas of the budget, particularly capital projects, to make up the difference without increasing the overall budget.

In some of the other highlighted areas of the budget, streets will increase 7 percent, trash collection will increase 5 percent, and parks and recreation will increase 1 percent.

Commissioners Approve New Trash Collection Contract

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners has approved a three-year contract with Republic Services in Frederick for trash removal. The bid amount was for $5.74/unit/month, $145 per dumpster collected, and $.55 unit/occurrence.

Town Election Laws Updated

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve changes to election laws updating such things as times of election, various deadlines for absentee voting, and filing deadlines. Commissioner Joe Ritz, III, voted against the changes because one change would have candidates listed alphabetically, rather than by who filed first, which has traditionally been the case.

Commissioners Approve Sewer Agreement with Rutter’s

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a public works agreement with M&G Realty and SPT Land, who are developing a site for a new Rutter’s store. The agreement outlines what is expected before the town will accept a new sewage pump station and associated sewer infrastructure. The agreement was accepted on the condition that a minor modification might need to be made if the developers request it.

Thurmont

For more information on the Town of Thurmont, visit www.thurmont.com or call 301-271-7313.

Town Preparing to Approve Budget

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners are expected to approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts July 1, this month. The $4,480,309 budget has $4,301,747 in expenditures and $178,562 in the capital budget. This is about $18,000 less than the FY2021 budget. The property tax rate of 29.92 cents/$100 assessed value is the primary funding source for the budget, and it remains the same as it has for the previous two years.

New Ball Field Plans Presented

ARRO Consulting presented the preliminary plans for a new baseball field in East End Park to the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently. The field is needed because as Thurmont Little League grows it is becoming harder to accommodate games and practices in town.

Thurmont Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick told the commissioners, “Last year, if they would have had a complete season, Thurmont Little League were prepared to play in Emmitsburg because all the fields were full down here.” He used Program Open Space funds to have the engineering work done.

Besides two ball fields, the plan includes a 24-foot-wide access drive, walkways, and 37-spot parking lot. The projected cost for construction is almost $262,000 with the plan for Program Open Space funds to pay for it. There is also a planned future expansion for a multi-use field.

Colorfest Returns

After being canceled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, Colorfest will return on October 9-10 this year. The festival attracts over 100,000 to Thurmont during the weekend, so it was impossible to maintain social distancing last year. The festival is a major fundraiser for many local organizations, and the Colorfest organization donates to many groups and funds a local scholarship.

Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick said he was happy to be planning for it, even if conditions change that might cause the need for cancellation.

The town pays for security, transportation, trash, and sanitation. They pay for these services with vendors and parking permits. Because things are still unknown, attendance might be down, which could lead to the town not bringing in enough money to cover its costs.

“Colorfest is so critical to a lot of our local organizations, our churches, our scouts, our service organizations like the Lions Club; we need to get back into it and take the chance that we may come up short this year,” Mayor John Kinnaird said.

He worries that if the event was canceled two years in a row, visitors and vendors might not return.