Washington County Commissioners to Consider Capital Improvement, Personnel Requests at Upcoming Meeting

The Washington County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to convene for an open session meeting on March 3, 2026, with a packed agenda addressing a variety of community matters, from public safety and infrastructure to cultural initiatives and organizational funding. Key discussions will include the proposed budget for public safety departments, potential grant funding for crucial treatment programs, and the renaming of a county department, among other items. Once again there will be no opportunity for public comment at the meeting.

The meeting will commence with the invocation and pledge of allegiance, followed by commissioners’ reports and staff comments. A significant portion of the morning will be dedicated to budgetary and operational matters. The commissioners will consider a budget adjustment of $148,000 and a commitment of $127,000 in fiscal year 2027 Capital Improvement Plan funds for the General George Washington 250th Anniversary Memorial Statue. The proposed memorial will feature a seven-foot bronze statue of George Washington, created by sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez, with the site incorporating educational inscriptions. The county is also being asked to donate in-kind services and cover site preparation costs for the statue’s installation, with a total estimated fiscal impact of $275,000 plus site preparation costs. The board will also consider a proclamation for Purchasing Month, recognizing the contributions of procurement professionals to the efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

Several purchasing and procurement-related items are on the agenda, including the potential acquisition of one Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit for the Hagerstown Regional Airport, estimated to cost up to $800,000 for repairs and the purchase of a 2014 Oshkosh Striker. This vehicle is deemed critical for maintaining FAA and DCMA regulatory compliance and for responding to large-scale flammable liquid fires. The board will also discuss an intergovernmental cooperative purchase of a 2026 Ford F-350 Extended Cab Truck for the Department of Water Quality, utilizing a contract awarded by Baltimore County to secure cost savings and administrative efficiencies. Additionally, the Purchasing Department is proposing a name change to the Washington County Office of Procurement to better reflect the strategic nature of its work and align with other Maryland procurement agencies. A bid award for laboratory services for water and wastewater testing for the Department of Water Quality will also be considered, with ALS Group USA, dba ALS Environmental of Middletown, PA, being the recommended bidder for the lowest annual total bid sum of $168,057.00.

Fiscal year 2027 personnel requests will be presented for informational purposes, with total personnel adjustment requests amounting to $7,988,770. This includes recommendations for personnel requests totaling $2,044,550, salary scale decompression of $3,512,100, and a retiree 1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of $1,716,000. The proposed fiscal impact for these personnel requests is $7,272,650.

Public safety is a significant focus of the meeting, with presentations on the FY27 General Fund Budget for Law Enforcement and Emergency Services. The Sheriff’s Office requests $52,415,690, an increase of $1,806,570 over the previous fiscal year, while Emergency Services requests $35,403,850, an increase of $4,577,580. These budget requests are presented for informational purposes, with any necessary adjustments for budget balancing to be discussed later.

The board will also consider several grant applications related to public safety and community health. This includes approval to submit an application and accept funding for a Jail-Based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program, requesting $270,000 to supplement the operations of the Day Reporting Center. Funding will support various programs aimed at recidivism reduction. Additionally, the board will consider approving an application for and accepting funding totaling $347,072 for the Washington County Detention Center’s Jail-Based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program. This funding will support medication, clinical staffing, and supplies to reduce overdose risk and improve reentry outcomes. A separate item addresses the MOOR grant, seeking up to $369,939 for the Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Program at the Detention Center, covering medications, testing devices, and contractual medical staff. Furthermore, approval is sought to accept awarded funding of up to $72,000 under the FY27 Police Recruitment and Retention Grant Program, intended to provide financial incentives to existing sworn personnel to address retention challenges within the Sheriff’s Office.

The meeting agenda also includes recommendations for FY27 Community Organization Funding, where $1.3 million is available for distribution among 58 organizations that submitted 63 applications requesting a total of $3,058,897.43. The Community Organization Funding Committee reviewed and scored these applications based on criteria such as completeness, community need, past performance, and organizational capacity. Finally, the commissioners will consider reappointing three members to the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council for second, three-year terms.

Individuals requiring special accommodations are requested to contact the Office of the County Commissioners at 240.313.2200 (Voice/TDD) at least ten working days prior to the meeting. Citizens may submit comments regarding agenda items or other county business to contactcommissioners@washco-md.net, but no public comments will be accepted at the meeting.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Washington County Board of County Commissioners.

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