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We continue to lose highway user revenue funds from the state. The county has lost another $1.3 million because property assessments have dropped. The maintenance of effort requires education funding to remain level with last year, and, we are now state-mandated to appropriate money for teachers' pensions.

The council began again this year pursuing flat funding from all agencies except spending for existing and additional mandates from state and federal government that are unfunded. We have to find the money from our County. These include an upgrade of the narrow banding system which operates the pagers for volunteer firefighters. The texting system that was presented to the council cost less than an audible system, but the men and women who use pagers found texting difficult and dangerous when responding to calls. We chose the audible system.

Another mandated expenditure concerns Chesapeake College and a new Allied Health and Physical Education building. If three of the other five counties involved support a college project, the two remaining counties, who may not support the project, are required by state law to join in paying the cost.

Additionally, improvements continue at the county landfill with capping old Beulah, planning for future expansion and other work to comply with Department of the Environment regulations. Work also continues at the airport.

Efforts to develop the Tech Park and Incubator continue as well. I hear criticism of these projects because they seem to have gone on forever and our unemployment rate continues so high with no real signs of improvement. In sharing this, I want to emphasize that increasing job opportunities continues to be one of my top concerns.

For the record, I want to say that at no time did the council discuss or vote to lay off employees in the Recreation and Parks Department. The rumors on Facebook are just that - rumors.

On a positive note, we have restructured to more responsibly manage our spending as we try to maintain the best possible quality of life in the county.

I also want to assure everyone that we are continuing to seek reversal of unfunded, costly mandates to reduce Bay pollution. We all want the cleanest Bay possible, but not every solution fits every problem. It's not “one size fits all.�

Finally, thank you to all who work with us, for us, and those who attend and participate in our meetings.

Rick Price represents District 4 on the Dorchester County Council.