Wicomico Co. FY ’23 Operating Budget Adopted

Wicomico County now has a Fiscal Year 2023 operating budget in place. The budget amounts to $173-million.
Acting Wicomico County Executive John Psota said that the spending plant keeps the focus on core services such as education, public safety and health, while investing into infrastructure.
Spending is up 11.7% over FY ’22, reflecting continued economic vitality.
Psota said the budget also includes much-needed pay increases for county employees, based on a comprehensive market study conducted by a professional consulting firm. Also funded are pay increases for sheriff’s deputies, as negotiated in a three-year collective bargaining agreement.
Also, Wicomico County is expected to bond more than $23-million in the fall for various capital projects.

Wicomico County Acting Executive John Psota’s office provided additional highlights in the budget:

The budget increases funding for volunteer fire and EMS companies by $1,300,000 and includes a length
of service awards system to assist with recruitment and retention of members.
Funding for the Board of Education Maintenance of Effort will increase by $260,000, and also provides
$1 Million in potential funding for enhanced school safety. Funding will also be provided for Mardela
Middle/Senior High School as well as roof renovations at Wicomico High School.
The budget includes much needed pay increases for County employees based on a comprehensive market
study conducted by a professional consulting firm. The new pay scales will render Wicomico County
much more competitive with neighboring jurisdictions and will help ensure recruitment and retention.
The budget also funds the next round of pay increases for sheriff’s deputies as negotiated in the most
recent three year collective bargaining agreement.
There has been $325,000 appropriated to allow for the continuance of our efforts to provide County sewer
service in areas experiencing septic failures. Additionally $70,000 has also been appropriated to assist
the health department with septic inspections and permitting.
The County plans to bond $23,378,386 in the fall of this year to fund proposed capital improvement
projects including, upgrades to the old courthouse, the Applied Technology Building at Wor-Wic College
Mardela Middle/Senior High School, renovation to the Coulbourn Mill pond dam and various airport
projects including the extension of runway 14/32.
The Acting County Executive wishes to express his appreciation to county citizens and the County
Council for their cooperation and suggestions during the budget process.