— OAKLAND — The Garrett County Commissioners received a $20,343 insurance settlement from the National Interstate Insurance company for costs incurred to the county as a result of the tanker truck accident on April 16.

A tanker full of 10,000 gallons of liquid propane overturned in the heart of the Oakland business district and traffic had to be detoured for Routes 219 and 135 to Sand Flat Road. The Garrett County Roads Department will receive $13,672.

The incident prompted transfer of 45 inmates of the Garrett County Detention Center to the Allegany County Detention Center where they remained incarcerated overnight prior to being returned to Garrett County. The inmates were evacuated to the Southern Garrett Rescue Squad building prior to being taken to the Allegany County jail in Cresaptown.

The Garrett County Sheriff’s Office will receive $6,671, of which $2,214 will go toward detention center overtime, $1,062 for 911 center overtime, $1,935 for Allegany County, $744for transporting the inmates, $423 for food for the inmates and for the command post and $290 for sheriff’s office overtime costs.

“There was also a lot of overtime involved for the various agencies involved and hundreds of people involved in the emergency response,” said Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, in a previous interview.

Garrett County’s 911 calls were handled by Allegany County during the incident.

More here.

— OAKLAND — The Garrett County School Enrollment Committee will make a recommendation on the transportation study contracted by the board of education with School Bus Consultants at the June 10 school board meeting at 6:05 p.m. at the Central Office.

The 2013-14 Facility Study made a recommendation to consider moving students from the southern end of the county north.

The transportation study was completed following the facility study and Superintendent Janet Wilson appointed a committee to analyze the data and make recommendations to assist the school system in operating more efficiently.

After the board meeting, the committee’s presentation, along with the School Bus Consultants’ report, will be posted at www.garrettcountyschools.org. The board will accept public on the School Enrollment Committee report until noon on June 16. can be submitted to areaenrollmentproposal@garrettcountyschools.org or by mail to Area Enrollment Proposal Committee, Garrett County Public Schools, Attention: Jane Wildesen, 40 S. Second St., Oakland, MD 21550.

The board will meet again June 16 at 5 p.m.

More here.

— OAKLAND — Garrett County Commission candidates Eric Robison, Larry Tichnell, incumbent Gregan Crawford and Andrew Harvey address the biggest issues facing the county.

Both Tichnell and Robison said that the budget is one of the biggest issues facing the county. Tichnell suggested looking at each department to try to trim the fat from the budget. Robison has concerns about capital reserves being used to balance the fiscal 2015 budget.

“This will leave a structural deficit of $1.2 million for the incoming elected commissioners and kick the can down the road,” said Robison, who participated in the administrative session in which the commissioners reviewed the budget. “We should be looking at reducing the budget and working within the revenues generated, just like most households and businesses. If you make X, you can only spend X or go into debt.

“We should run government like a business and in economic hard times make difficult decisions to assure the success of the business,” said Robison. “I am willing to run government like a business; we need to budget within our means and market our assets.”

Tichnell also noted property rights and whether there should be zoning or not.

“I’m against zoning in the county,” said Tichnell.

Robison said that many issues facing the county stem from a lack of economic development.

“We need to broaden the tax base and market Garrett County to businesses that will enhance the current business base,” said Robison. “Those new businesses need to attract millennials with growing families and the ability to grow and encourage development for local employment.”

The county faces many challenges with growth and development similar to that of other rural counties across the state and the country, according to Crawford.

“Local government has had to be very reactive to changes in policies implemented by the state and the new fiscal realities of a slow recovery in rural areas,” said Crawford. “Problem solving, whether in business or government, requires innovative thinking and collaboration on all levels.”

— OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners unanimously approved both the $71,835,856 fiscal 2015 operating and capital budgets as well as the fiscal 2015 tax rates during their public meeting Tuesday. The real property tax is $0.9235 in Mountain Lake Park and $0.990 in all other areas. The tax rate includes the fire tax rates, special fire tax levy per $100 and the landfill bond tax.

“This should be a joyous day like we celebrated over the weekend with our graduates because in this instance government has contracted and has actually cut funds for the budget that keeps the tax rate at 99 cents and still covers the basic services provided by the people’s government and it also kept community schools open this year,” said Jim Raley, commissioner. “What we hope by keeping the tax rate the same is that investors once again look at buying and building in Garrett County’s wonderful areas.”

The budget will be reduced by more than $6.5 million when compared to fiscal 2014 ($71.8 million versus $78.3 million). The county lost more than $5 million in revenue, $3 million in real estate tax, $525,000 in income tax and $500,000 in recordation tax, according to Scott Weeks, director of financial services for the county.

Commissioner Gregan Crawford stressed that despite the reduction in the budget that the property tax rate was kept flat, there weren’t any cost of living adjustments in the budget and the rainy day fund, which makes up 5 percent of the budget, remained intact.

“Friends, I just want to say that this budget before us is one of the most difficult in my four years,” said Raley. “Not only does it involve having to say no to many agencies and people who I trust, but it also cuts into services performed at the governmental level.”

More here.

— OAKLAND — In an open letter to the Garrett County Board of Education, the Garrett County commissioners expressed their frustration over being placed in a collective bargaining negotiation process with the public school system.

“It was you, the board of education, who negotiated a salary increase only to then make anincrease in employee compensation a controversial segment of the county government fiscal year 2015 budget,” says the letter addressed to Thomas Carr, president of the board. “It would seem from a responsibility perspective that you would honor the agreement you negotiated by eliminating items within the approved 2015 Board of Education budget.”

Carr said that reopening the negotiations would be the worstcase scenario.

“We have gone through a lot of choices and a lot of the cuts, that is not part of what is being considered. Since the letter went out we would really like to know where the written notification required by law is stating that we are anticipating reopening negotiations,” said Carr during Tuesday’s county commission meeting.

Larry McKenzie, director of finance for the board, questioned the accuracy of some of the facts contained in the letter.

“There are certain half truths within the letter,” said McKenzie.

McKenzie agreed that the board’s budget had increased to $51.8 million in fiscal 2015 compared to $51.3 million in fiscal 2014.

“I would say, by the same token, that we’ve made cuts and adjustments,” said McKenzie.

Cuts have been made to positions and the budget includes capital items such as the Southern Middle School renovation project, the alternative education program, textbooks and computers, according to McKenzie. The renovation project could potentially cost $16 million, according to the letter.

“Yes, we show a budget increase but certainly it’s not haphazard in terms of how those funds are being spent and certainly they are needs of the school system and needs of Garrett County,” said McKenzie.