by James Rada, Jr.
T h u r m o n t
Public Hearing Held for Budget and Tax Rates
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently held public hearings on the proposed tax rates and fiscal year 2026 budget.
The personal property tax will remain at $.62 per $100 of assessed value. The real estate property tax will be the constant-yield rate of $.2780 per $100. This is a slight decrease from $.2987. The constant-yield rate will maintain the same level of income from property tax from one year to the next.
The proposed town budget for fiscal year 2026 is:
General fund — $5,848,538
Water fund — $1,204,575
Wastewater fund — $2,083,204
Electric fund — $9,071,804
No one spoke at the hearings, so the proposals will be considered for a vote in June. The budget and tax rates need to be approved before the end of the month. The new budget starts on July 1.
Electric Substation Bids Approved
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved three bids for projects that will continue the refurbishing of the Moser Road electric substation.
The mayor and commissioners approved a bid of $47,545 to Novatech Automation for the installation of a SCADA system to control the breakers at the substation. The wastewater treatment uses a similar system, and it should leave less room for problems. The substation is currently using the manual system that was installed when the substation was built in the mid-1990s.
Delta Utility Services received a contract for $151,543 to install 10 new breakers and dispose of the old breakers at the substation.
Preston Waller and Associates received a contract for $39,800 to provide on-site engineering and project management services to coordinate with the contractor for the breakers and SCADA system installation.
New CFO Introduced
Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird introduced the new town chief financial officer, Suzanne Claxton, who takes over for Linda Joyce, who retired after nine years with Thurmont.
Emmitsburg
Town Readies New Budget
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners adopted the constant yield tax rate of .3464 per $100 of assessed value for properties, which is a slight decrease in the current property tax. The proposed budget of $2,682,000 is about 6 percent higher than the current budget. However, it will be more than offset by an increase in the town’s water rate to try and build up the needed revenue to maintain the town’s water system and make needed improvements.
After a special meeting in May to discuss budget issues, the Board of Commissioners needs to approve the final budget for fiscal year 2026 by the end of June. The water rate remains the most contentious issue among the commissioners because the water system needs so much in the way of improvements and maintenance.
Town Preparing to Study Traffic
The Town of Emmitsburg will be conducting a traffic study for Lincoln Avenue. Frederick County will conduct the study for the town in accordance with the $30,000 Safe Streets for All grant. The results of the study will help the town to determine where to place three LED-flashing stop signs.
DePaul Street Paving Approved
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid of $133,950 from Huntzberry Brothers to pave DePaul Street once the current infrastructure work under the street is completed.
