Worcester County Approves $300M Budget

Worcester County, MD - The Worcester County Commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget on June 2, 2026. The total comes in at $300,172,146, a $18.7 million increase over last year's budget.

Despite the bigger spending plan, your tax rates aren't changing. The property tax rate stays at 81.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the local income tax rate holds at 2.25%. Worcester County already has the lowest income tax rate in Maryland and the third lowest property tax rate statewide.

Commissioner President Ted Elder called it a budget that balances investment with responsibility. "This budget provides meaningful salary increases for our valued employees and makes substantial investments across all departments, while still maintaining a fiscally conservative approach," Elder said.

County employees will see a salary step increase plus a $4,000 cost-of-living adjustment. That same structure applies to Board of Education staff as well.

Education funding gets a big boost this year. The county is putting $142 million total toward the Worcester County Board of Education, an increase of $10.9 million over last year. That includes $8.9 million in direct funding, along with increases to post-employment benefits and pre-kindergarten funding.

Law enforcement is also seeing a significant investment. The Worcester County Sheriff's Office budget grows by $2.8 million. All sworn officers will receive a one-grade pay increase, bringing the starting salary to $70,221 for the coming fiscal year.

Sheriff Matt Crisafulli said the move helps the department stay competitive in a tough hiring market. "Law enforcement agencies across our region continue to face intense competition for qualified personnel, and maintaining a professional, well-trained workforce requires us to remain competitive with surrounding jurisdictions," Crisafulli said.

Fire companies and EMS services are covered too. The budget includes $3.3 million in grants to county fire companies and $10.8 million in ambulance grants to help 10 EMS companies with staffing and operational costs.

Towns across the county are also getting more support. Grants to municipalities increased by $2 million, with Ocean City receiving an additional $869,757 and Berlin, Snow Hill, and Pocomoke each getting $55,000 more in unrestricted funds.

The county is also setting aside $2.9 million toward the Buckingham Elementary School replacement project and $2.4 million to maintain its reserve fund. Worcester County holds a AAA bond rating from Fitch, which helps the county borrow at lower interest rates and save taxpayer money on big projects.