Mount Airy Mayor Hushour says tax increase is needed for new police station

Mount Airy Mayor Larry Hushour says he has proposed an 18% property tax increase next year primarily to finance a new police station.

If approved, the property tax rate would go from 16.62 cents per $100 of assessed value to 19.62 cents per $100 of assessed value starting July 1. The 3-cent tax increase equates to 18%.

The increase would help fund Hushour’s proposed $7 million operating budget for fiscal 2025.

“Our police department was formed in 2017, and we’ve been renting a local office building as a station with waivers since then, at a cost of $75,000 per year,” Hushour said. “The council and I view the building of a police station as a long-term need for Mount Airy.

“I’ve proposed a tax rate increase of 3 cents so we may repay a $4.5 million bond loan over the course of 20 years to build the station,” he said.

Mount Airy residents will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed tax increase, and the proposed operating budget and $8 million proposed capital budget, at a public hearing Monday, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 110 S. Main St., in Mount Airy.

This meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 23. It can also be viewed live on the town’s Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/TownofMountAiry.

The council is slated to adopt the budgets, including any property tax increase, in June.

Last May, the Mount Airy Town Council adopted the current $6 million operating budget and $5.9 million capital plan, which includes $500,000 for the design and engineering of the new police station. The current budget did not include a property tax increase.

Hushour was elected mayor in November 2021 during a special election following the death of former Mayor Patrick Rockinberg. This is the first time Hushour has proposed a property tax increase.

“This proposed tax rate still keeps us as the lowest municipality in Carroll County and among the lowest in Frederick [County],” he said.

Mount Airy is located on the border between Carroll and Frederick counties.

The following are the property tax rates for fiscal 2024, in the municipalities that make up Carroll, according to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.

• Hampstead: 0.2200 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Manchester: 0.2160 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Sykesville: 0.3300 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Taneytown: 0.3700 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Union Bridge: 0.3500 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• New Windsor: 0.2615 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Westminster: 0.5600 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Hushour said the town will be looking into grants to help fund the new police station.

“We will be looking for any funding resources such as grants and other state and federal opportunities to offset costs of the station, but we need to have the financial ability to move on this project fully and without further delays,” he said.

The mayor’s budget also includes funding for a 12th officer for the Mount Airy Police Department. Hushour has said the extra officer would allow for 24-hour policing of the town, as well as more community-centric foot patrols.

Police salaries, including overtime, are slated at $1,140,075 in the proposed budget. In total, $2.439 million is allocated in Hushour’s proposed budget for the police department. This is up from $2.02 million in the current budget.

Hushour also said PFAS (forever plastics) in the town’s water supply continue to demand the town’s attention, and that safety concerns must be addressed.

“PFAS remediation is in the budget for two of our four water stations that have shown higher than acceptable levels of contaminants,” he said. “We have a grant pending for the other two stations, but that added grant won’t be awarded until the fall, so it will require a budget amendment at a later time once it is realized.”