Citizens Can Offer Input On Frederick County’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Priorities

They can go on line and participate in the Balancing Act.Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick County residents can take an interactive survey on the fiscal year 2024 budget. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater says the Balancing Act is currently on line, and will remain up until Thursday, March 23rd at 5:00 PM. She says residents  can get a lesson in budgeting as they decide what their priorities are for fiscal year 2024, and try to fund them with limited revenues.The Balancing Act can be found at FrederickCountyMD.gov/Budget.County Executive Fitzwater discussed the Balancing Act during her public information briefing on Thursday. She also talked about the county’s fiscal situation. “We have a diverse and growing economy here in Frederick County, and we’re seeing steady income growth.,”: she said. “We are seeing slowing housing growth which is probably not a surprise to folks with fewer permits and the decreasing in financing that’s affecting our recordation  tax revenue.”There’s also continued   growth in the number of public school students. “We have the fastest growing student enrollment in the state of Maryland. We’re projected to grow by 9.8 percent which is almost four times as fast as the county behind us, Carroll County, at about 2.4 percent,” said Fitzwater.She also said her office has received more than $108 million in budget appeals.As part of her public information briefing, County Executive Fitzwater said there are some Capital projects for future fiscal years.  . She said the replacement of Liberty Elementary School has been added to the Capital Improvements Program with design funding for fiscal year 2025, which is one year sooner than was requested. “This project has been sorely needed for quite some time so we’re excited for the opportunity to move this one forward,”: she said.There’s an updated time line for a west side branch library. “That is  still pending a memorandum of understanding with the City of Frederick. But we are working as a team to make sure that we bring this resource to the west side of the city,” says Fitzwater.The CIP also has a new senior center for the east County area which is scheduled for design in fiscal year 2025. “So we’re excited to continue to move that project forward,” she says.There will be a public hearing on the fiscal year 2024 budget on Tuesday, March 14th at Winchester Hall beginning at 7:00 PM. It will be broadcast over Cable Channel 19, and web streamed over FrederickCountyMD.gov/FCGTV, and FrederickCountyMD.gov/BudgetPublicHearing.County Executive Fitzwater says she will formally introduced her fiscal year 2024 budget on April 14th.By Kevin McManus