Maintenance Of Effort (MOE) Waiver Request Withdrawn

Wicomico County Board of Education and Wicomico County officials are no longer heading to Baltimore for a Maintenance of Effort (MOE) waiver hearing before the Maryland State Board of Education Tuesday. Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., announced Monday that he has withdrawn the county’s application for a waiver of the MOE standard for funding public education for Fiscal Year 2012-13.

Pollitt and Board officials were scheduled to attend a hearing Tuesday for the appeal to the State Board, but the withdrawal negates that presentation, Pollitt’s office said.

In a letter to the State Board, Pollitt said, “Having our MOE standard re-based under the terms of the State legislation, I am now able to proceed with my original budget to the Wicomico County Council. That budget provides the full amount originally requested by our local Board of Education, not only achieving MOE but adding more than $500,000 in new funding, as well.”
The Board of Education’s second Public Budget Hearing on the school system’s fiscal year 2012-13 Proposed Consolidated Current Expense Budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24, in the Wicomico High School Auditorium. Information on this year’s budget process is posted at www.wcboe.org (click on the Budget box). Input may be given at any time at comments@wcboe.org, at 410-677-5251, or by mail or hand delivery. 410-677-4561.

The Wicomico County Council will hold a public hearing on the FY 2012-13 budget and constant yield tax rate at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5 in the Midway Room of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. The County Council’s regular meeting agenda will begin at 6 p.m. 410-548-4696.