Faced with a tight budget this year, the county Board of Education is considering reducing or cutting programs to meet the governor's challenge to increase teachers' salaries. 

Middle school foreign language, staff development, technology, away athletic games and band performances, summer school, staff travel and health care options for new employees are among the programs that could be dropped. 

Superintendent Bernard Sadusky said that because the Board of County Commissioners slashed $3.3 million from his proposed budget last week, there's not enough money to fund the 4 percent pay raise required to get an additional 1 percent from the state. 

"Given the proposed level of funding, we have eliminated every addition to our proposed budget except mandated or necessary operational costs," Mr. Sadusky wrote in a letter to staff on Friday. "In addition, we must reduce or eliminate existing programs, examine current support staff ratios and review our current teachers' contract." 

Under the initiative introduced by Gov. Parris N. Glendening last year, county school systems raising pay by 4 percent or more can pick up another percentage point from the state. 

Queen Anne's County spent $2.2 million in new funding to qualify for the state aid last year. 

This year, however, county officials say the unstable economy has forced them to tighten the reins on spending. 

In the commissioners' $64.4 million fiscal year 2002 budget unveiled last week, schools got the biggest chunk, $30.4 million. It reflected a 4 percent increase, or $1.2 million. 

But much of that money will go towards an expected $750,000 increase in energy costs, Mr. Sadusky said. 

"We're hoping (the county commissioners) will adjust it," Mr. Sadusky said. "We're $1.19 million short if we honor the teachers' contract." 

County Commissioners President George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown, said that the group will make only some minor adjustments before striking a budget by July 1. 

"With $9 million in requests and only $2.5 million in new money, we had to make $7 million in cuts," he said. 

Public hearings on the proposed budget will be held Monday at Bayside Elementary School, Tuesday at the Liberty Building in Centreville, and Wednesday at Sudlersville Middle School. All hearings begin at 7 p.m. 

The threat of cuts isn't sitting well with parents or other residents. 

Cheryl Washington, president of the Queen Anne's County Council for the Parent Teacher Association, said the programs facing the knife are all essential. 

"I know we've become a bedroom community for retired people, but those of us who still have children understand the importance of education," said Mrs. Washington, who plans to attend Monday's hearing. 

Members of the grass-roots Kent Island Defense League e-mailed 387 people over the weekend, asking that they come to Monday's budget hearing to testify against any cuts in education. 

"In order for our schools to continue to offer a well-rounded education to our children, all steps possible should be taken to avoid cuts to programs or teaching personnel," the e-mail stated.

Residents can review copies of the proposed budget at the County Commissioners' Office in Centreville and at all public libraries. 
Published May 16, 2001, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2001 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

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Forced by a county judge's ruling, the Queen Anne's County commissioners yesterday grudgingly granted utility access to developers of a planned Kent Island Wal-Mart. 

However, the next day County Commissioner John McQueeney, R-Stevensville, confirmed that the commissioners plan to appeal Circuit Court Judge W. Sause Jr.'s April 30 reversal of his earlier finding that they, acting as the Sanitary Commission, correctly denied water and sewer service to Petrie Dierman Kuhn, of McLean, Va. 

"You're torn because we have a lot of respect for Judge Sause," Mr. McQueeney said. "He may be correct but why have a Sanitary Commission if you can't make decisions." 

The developers' attorney, Joseph A. Stevens of Centreville, could not be reached for comment yesterday. 

With the commissioners' approval, the developers can now resubmit their application to the county for site plan approval by the Planning Commission. Once that hurdle is cleared, the developers can apply for a building permit. 

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has invested more than $1 million toward building a 285,000-square-foot Kent Commons shopping center at the foot of the Bay Bridge on the southern side of Route 50.

The project would include the 154,000-square-foot Wal-Mart, a 123-room hotel, a conference center and a sports bar. 

The commissioners gave preliminary approval to the project for sewer and water service in November 1999. But residents rose up against the big-box discounter, and the commissioners switched their position in May, stating that the store would use too much of the Kent Island wastewater treatment plant's capacity. 

The Kent Narrows-Stevensville-Grasonville Wastewater Treatment Plant in Stevensville can handle only 230,000 gallons per day. The Kent Commons project would consume 25 percent of the available capacity. 

Last September, Judge Sause sided with the commissioners and found that the Wal-Mart would use too much of the plant's capacity. 

But he flip-flopped, and in a 12-page opinion last month ruled that the Sanitary Commission had no legal authority to "pick and choose" when it rejected the developers' application for sewer service. 

A landowner has a right to service when existing water and sewer lines are in place, unless there is a countywide moratorium on new projects, the judge said, citing case law. 

"This will have an effect on future sewer allocations," County Commissioners President George O'Donnell, D-Grasonville, said. 

In making the motion to approve the service yesterday, Commissioner Marlene Davis, D-Queenstown, said, "I don't really want to. But if the judge is going to haul me off to jail, I'll make the motion." 

Mr. O'Donnell said the county commissioners would decide "very soon" whether to appeal. 

Project opponents support that idea. 

"There is a place in this county for a huge warehouse type store. It goes where the unsightly cannot be seen," said Stan Ruddie, head of the grassroots group, Up Against the Wal. 

Published May 16, 2001, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2001 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.