Dorchester County leaders approved a 2027 budget Monday night built around employee pay, public safety, and basic county services, while warning residents the county may not be able to sustain the same approach if state finances worsen next year.
After months of workshops and revisions, council members described the spending plan as an effort to hold the county workforce together and maintain core services rather than launch major new initiatives.
The council unanimously approved the 2027 ordinance after holding its third and final public hearing on the spending plan. No residents spoke during the hearing before the council voted in favor of the measure.
County Manager Jerry Jones said the county entered the budget process with a clear directive from the council to focus on employees and county operations. He said the budget included pay enhancements, retirement considerations, and investments in equipment used by county staff.
“You all made it very clear that our folks were a priority, and we took that to heart,” Jones said. “We put in a lot of effort. Not only have we been successful in this budget process by securing well-deserved pay increases for them, but we have also addressed their retirement. We looked at just the equipment that we give them to do their job every day, and I think this has been a very good year for our folks.”
Council members described the budget as an effort to stabilize county operations and retain employees rather than launch major new spending initiatives. Officials repeatedly pointed to staffing, equipment, and public safety as the county’s immediate priorities.
“We voted to invest in the staff,” Council member Mike Detmer said. “The budget process shows that we are getting into a level of fitness that we were not before.”
Detmer said the county was trying to build a stronger operational foundation by improving internal systems and supporting county departments before larger financial challenges arrive in future years. He said county government needed to stay focused on “taking care of the business of the people” and maintaining what he described as the county’s “general welfare and common good.”
He later said the county needed to focus on “taking care of the business of the people” and maintaining what he described as the county’s “general welfare and common good.”
During public comments, representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and the county detention center also thanked the council for prioritizing county employees in the 2027 budget.
World’s End Turn debate focuses on redirected paving funds
The council later debated a proposal tied to the ongoing World’s End Turn repair project and a detour route that would involve Marsh Road. The discussion centered on a state proposal to redirect paving money from other Dorchester County road projects to improve the detour corridor.
Jones said the state informed the county it believed funding could be available for paving work connected to the detour, but the money would have to come from projects already planned elsewhere in the county. Council members expressed frustration that the state was not identifying new funding for the work.
“The only problem is, it’s money from North County paving projects that they would cancel,” Jones said. “We generally don’t tell the state how to pave the roads, except this time, where we’ve asked them, please work with us some. But they normally don’t tell us how to pave our roads as well, either.”
Council member Ricky Travers argued the county needed to move forward with the proposal because of the condition of the detour route and the uncertainty surrounding the larger repair timeline. He acknowledged the difficulty of diverting funds from other projects but said the county needed an immediate solution.
“We have a problem now, and I think we have a possible fix for the best possible way to do it,” Travers said. “I think we need to move forward to allow them to go ahead and pave what they can on Marsh Road to make it an easier way to get through this detour. I’d like to tell you that this project will be over in two weeks, not three weeks or three months. But I don’t know. They’re working 24/7.”
Detmer said he supported the effort but remained frustrated that the state’s proposal would effectively shift county priorities rather than provide additional funding. Detmer said county officials originally believed the state would identify outside money for the project.
Detmer said the council initially believed the state would identify additional funding to implement the project. Instead, the state later proposed redirecting money from other planned paving projects elsewhere in Dorchester County.
“I don’t think when the motion was made the other day that we thought [the state] meant taking the money from our own piggy bank, so to speak,” Detmer said. “But we have a problem now, and I understand . . . that something needs to be done.”
Detmer said he remained concerned about delaying paving work in other parts of the county, particularly in District 5, but ultimately supported the proposal because of the condition of the detour route and the uncertainty surrounding the larger repair project.
“As much as it pains me in the face of a terrible budget year and the responsibility to the people in District 5, I understand what they’re trying to do,” Detmer said. “Hopefully, this process will shake out in our favor.”
The motion passed with one opposing vote from Council President Lenny Pfeffer. Jones said the county would formally notify the state that it supported the proposal to shift funding from the northern county paving projects.
Later in the meeting, state Delegate Tom Hutchinson said state officials and the county delegation were continuing to work on the issue. Hutchinson said he had listened to the meeting remotely while returning from project-related discussions.
“We’re still working with the state in terms of the funding issue for what they are expecting the county to do on Marsh Road, and we’re still staying on top of that as well,” he said.
Trash sticker changes approved as county moves away from cash handling
The council also approved changes to residential trash sticker sales and payment procedures at county transfer stations. Under the plan, residential stickers will only be sold through the landfill office, county finance office, and online services.
County officials said the change was intended to reduce cash handling, improve security and simplify operations at transfer stations. The county also plans to return to mailing sticker applications to previous customers.
Solid Waste Manager John Cooney said county staff had dealt with repeated operational issues involving stickers, temporary staff, and cash handling. Cooney said the county was also concerned about employees handling money at remote locations.
Solid Waste Manager John Cooney said the county had dealt with recurring problems involving misplaced stickers, inconsistent enforcement, and turnover among temporary employees staffing transfer stations. He said the county also wanted to reduce security concerns tied to handling cash at remote sites.
“We’re having some issues with people,” Cooney said. “They don’t want to put the sticker on a windshield.”
Pfeffer said he supported removing cash from transfer stations but also worried about residents who rely on in-person payments and do not regularly use online systems. Pfeffer said some residents were accustomed to purchasing stickers locally and may struggle with the transition.
“I know, especially with some of my older constituents [who] are used to dealing in cash [or] are used to getting their sticker at the secretary transfer station, it may be a bit of a learning curve as well as an inconvenience,” Pfeffer said.
Finance Director Karen Tolley said the county hoped to have online applications and payments fully operating by July 1. She said county staff had already started testing portions of the system internally.
“We’re moving forward, and it’s really exciting,” Tolley said. “We’re trying something new with the applications, also online. They would get an email, [then] pay online. It’s something new.”
During public comments, resident David Beverly urged the county to continue accepting cash payments and warned against moving entirely to digital transactions, since some residents lack bank accounts and could face barriers if cash payments disappear.
“There are a lot of people that are what they call unbanked,” he said, “and they use cash only. They’re not going to go get banked because of this ordinance.”
