They kept the property tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value.
Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick County is ready for fiscal year 2026. The Council on Tuesday adopted a general fund budget totaling $1.02 billion.
Councilman Steve McKay says this is the first budget he’s voted for since he was first elected in 2018. “I want to see modest budget growth from the county. And this is the first time I’m actually seeing that,” he said.
The vote for the budget was 6-1 with Councilman Mason Carter voting “no.” He said he wanted to see the property tax rate lowered, noting that assessments are going up for many residents.. He said too many Frederick County residents are what are describes as ALICE households; Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Carter said they don’t make enough money to pay their expenses, and hard choices have to be made. “I want everyone understand how hard it is to have these conversations with constituents, especially when they present you with a dilemma of whether or not to pay their property tax bill, or pay for their medicine,” he said.
Carter said he proposed a reduction in the property tax rate of one-and-a-half cents per $100 of assessed value, and put together budget cuts of $6 million to pay it. But it was voted down.
Council Vice President Kavonte Duckett said the Council helped out citizens in 2023 by making adjustments to the income tax rate, where lower income residents would pay less, and those with higher income would pay more. “We did put money back into our residents’ pockets when we passed the income tax variation,” he said. “I think that was a step in the right direction.”
There are reasons assessments are going up, according to Councilwoman M.C. Keegan-Ayer. “Everyone loves Frederick County. That’s why everyone wants to live here. That’s why we don’t have an issue selling our homes. That’s why homes are expensive here. People love Frederick County. They want to live here. But that takes money,”: she said.
“This budget will help seniors,”: says Councilman Jerry Donald. commenting on the budget. “I think we have done a lot for the school system in the 11 years that we’ve been doing these budgets. Our parks programs are expanding. and they’re doing a lot of good for people. We use some of this money to conserve our farms and buy development rights so we have these farms in perpetuity.”
Council President Brad Young said the County needs to increase its tax base. “We need to expand our commercial and industrial tax base and be able to provide additional services without having to continually go back to our residents for an increase in property taxes, or taking the revenue from the tax assessment increases,” he said.
In other action, the Council. voted to keep the property tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. The vote was 6-1 with Councilman Carter opposed.
Fiscal year 2026 begins on July 1st.
By Kevin McManus
