Carroll County Looks to Pass Surplus Budget

HUNTINGDON (May 14) — As the 2026-27 Fiscal Year draws closer, the Carroll County Finance Ways and Means Committee is moving closer to presenting a balanced budget to the legislative body in June. While the Committee is taking issue with the Carroll County School budget, which requested School Superintendent Johnny McAdams to revisit the budget to make additional cuts, a completed budget has started to come into view.

​Noted during the Thursday meeting, the Committee, along with the Central Finance Department, was able to create a budget that would include no tax increases and provide a 3% raise for employees.

First, in the General Fund, which is the largest portion of the budget, the total anticipated revenue is $16,742,384. The total budgeted expenses are $16,585,876. This creates a small surplus of $156,508 to be added to the Reserve Fund Balance.

The largest expenses were based through the Public Safety at $9,629,238. This includes the Sheriff’s Department ($3,178,590), the Jail ($3,873,843), Juvenile Services ($1,789,716), the Fire Department ($561,143) and additional departments. 

Separate budgets included Solid Waste with $2,590,167 in anticipated revenue and estimated expenditures of $2,523,789 creating a $66,378 surplus to be applied to the department’s Fund Balance. The Highway Department has $4,753,748 in anticipated revenue and estimated expenditures of $4,630,935, creating a $122,813 surplus to be applied to the department’s Fund Balance.

​The key issue with the Carroll County School budget comes with the system attempting to pass a forced balanced budget. The anticipated revenue is $2,789,395 with budgeted expenses of $4,228,095. If approved, this would draw $1,409,700 from the Fund Balance. Then on the transportation side the anticipated revenue is $908,470 with expenditures estimated at $973,040 forcing an additional $64,750 from the Fund Balance.

​Members of the Finance Ways and Means Committee, especially Chairman Darrell Ridgely and Commissioner John Austin, expressed their concerns about the stewardship of the school’s finances. After three consecutive years of force balancing and with an estimated $4.3 million in reserves at the end of the 2026-27 Fiscal Year, the Carroll County Commission may have to look at either absorbing or dissolving the Carroll County School System.

​The Carroll County Commission should have the budget on its agenda for the June 8, 2026, meeting.