EASTON — At a regular meeting Monday, the Easton Town Council heard from Mayor Megan Cook about the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget, approved the purchasing of seven police vehicles and talked about communication with residents regarding a proposed ordinance.
BUDGET PRESENTATION
During the proposed fiscal year 2025 town budget presentation, Mayor Megan Cook talked about the various amenities and services that “(make) Easton Easton.”
She also talked about the difficulties of drafting this year’s budget compared to years past. She said the fiscal year 2024 budget still had “the major effects” of American Rescue Plan Act funds and 2020 bond funds.
“One of the main reasons this year’s budget has been so difficult is due to the completion of those projects and the allocation of the ARPA funds,” she said.
ARPA funds need to be obligated by the end of calendar year 2024 and spent by the end of calendar year 2026.
Cook said they were able to get the draft budget down to $28 million from about $31 million. The tax rate is proposed to stay the same as it has been since 2008 at 0.52 cents per assessed $100 of value.
Looking into the future, Cook said rising costs will come with the growth of the town. That could result in a need for reevaluating the tax rate, she said.
“We have to consider the balance between maintaining what we have and our projected future growth,” she said.
A public hearing on the budget is set for the next council meeting on May 20.
POLICE VEHICLES
The Town Council approved the purchase of seven vehicles for the Easton Police Department and radios for those vehicles.
Town Manager Donald Richardson said the police department was able to find seven vehicles on lots in Howard County and in Pennsylvania.
Richardson said the total cost of the vehicles is $307,425. This will be paid for using ARPA funds, which were reallocated by council from a $390,000 stream restoration project in early March.
Richardson said the the police department also requested new radios be purchased for the vehicles. He said the cost of this, which is $52,756.41, would come out of the remaining ARPA funds allocated for the purchasing of the police vehicles. He said there was a remaining balance of $516,000 after the vehicles were purchased.
ILLICIT DISCHARGE ORDINANCE
A proposed ordinance that would define what illicit discharges into stormwater drains are and provide for enforcement actions brought discussion from council members about the town’s communication with residents.
Town Engineer Rick Van Emburgh said illicit discharge is essentially anything that isn’t stormwater. While there are some exemptions, he said anything other than stormwater — such as petroleum, industrial waste or hazardous waste — shouldn’t go into the town’s storm drains.
Van Emburgh said the ordinance is necessary for Easton’s participation in Maryland Department of the Environment’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, or MS4, program.
The town’s goal with this program is to educate and work with the community on what can and cannot go into the storm drains.
”Ultimately, we’re just trying to keep the Bay clean,” Van Emburgh said.
Ward 4 council member the Rev. Elmer Davis Jr. asked what the town would do to ensure the community is aware of this new enforcement. He said transparency is key, and this addition would enhance the policy. Ward 1 council member Maureen Curry said some kind of an outreach plan would be beneficial.
Van Emburgh said he would make a revision to include communication with residents in the ordinance. A public hearing for the ordinance is set for June 17.
Most Popular
Comments / 0