九色视频

At the Commissioners of St. Michaels working session on Wednesday, town officials announced that the $156,000 surplus would be added to the reserve fund for future use and offsets.

鈥淲e actually had a surplus last year and then we continue to have a surplus this year, and it鈥檚 just being fiscally responsible, and the best thing about this 鈥� we didn鈥檛 have to raise our taxes,鈥� Commission Vice President Katrina Whittington said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 just governing well and staying within our means. We really run a close knit as far as expenditures, and anything where we can save, we do that.鈥�

According to fiscal year 2026 documents, the town鈥檚 revenue went up almost $1.5 million compared to fiscal year 2025.

According to St. Michaels Town Manager Don Richardson, the general fund expenditures are estimated at $5,477,915 with the revenues at $5,644,493, resulting in a surplus of revenues of $166,580.

The surplus will drop to $156,580 after the town makes changes to the St. Michaels fireworks funds.

Within the water enterprise fund, the town is projected to have another surplus. In the fund, the expenditures are $855,838, with revenues at $946,900 鈥� a surplus of revenues of $91,062.

The real property tax rate will stay the same at 47 cents per $100 of assessed value. This would mean the owner of a $300,000 home will pay $1,410 to the town.

While the the town plans to put surplus funds into reserve, St. Michaels officials will meet next week to go over their five-year strategic plan, which could alter the 2026 budget allocations, Whittington said.

Within that strategic plan, the town will likely decide to bring in a third water well, which would cause the town water rate to rise. A portion of the surplus funds may go to cover the cost of building the new well.

鈥淲e have to bring a third well on, so we have to look at how we鈥檙e going to pay for this third well,鈥� Whittington said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e conducting a water study rate. We may have to increase the water rate.

鈥淎 lot of the grants that were available with the new administration, those grants have been taken away. So, we鈥檙e going to have to look for ways to generate additional revenue for our town to get our projects done that we need as far as the infrastructure.鈥�

The commissioners thanked town staff for their work on the budget.

鈥淭hank you all the staff for this budget of 2026. Thank you for all your hard work putting this together. Very well done,鈥� Commissioner David Wojciechowski said.