By Glenn Rolfe

MILLSBORO — Upon further review, a previously presented budget proposal was just an outline, not a draft.

That’s the stance Town Council took Monday, subsequently tabling action on its proposed fiscal year 2025 budget.

While town administration felt the plan needed to be approved to adhere to Millsboro’s charter, following a lengthy discussion and scrutiny of the charter, the consensus was that what transpired at an April workshop was basically an outline, not the required “rough draft.”

“What we got before (that) budget workshop was four pages, … then (today,) the rest. There is quite a difference,” said Councilwoman Kimberley Kaan, who held up the 321-page packet presented to each council member Monday. “We did not discuss the operating budget, only capital items. I feel like we are just getting the rough draft now.”

Had it been interpreted as a rough draft earlier, the adoption of the balanced $38.6 million budget presented by director of finance and technology Matt Hall would have been necessary, per the charter — a mandate discovered recently by assistant town manager Ashleigh Sander.

Councilman Marty Presley agreed with Councilwoman Kaan, saying he was under the impression there was to be another workshop prior to the budget’s approval.

“The plan was to let you guys do it in June, but Ashleigh did discover the charter says we have to approve it,” Mr. Hall replied.

At issue is Section 29 of the charter, which may be missing some words. It reads: “Annually each year and not later than sixty (60) days prior to the beginning of the next fiscal year, the Town Manager shall prepare a rough draft of the Town Budget. From this rough draft, the Town Council shall not later than the regular meeting following the presentation of the rough draft prepared of the Town Budget, containing the financial plan for conducting the affairs of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year.”

Mary Schrider-Fox, the town’s solicitor, said she believes the charter language is confusing and appears to lack “action.”

“The action item of saying ‘shall pass’ seems to be missing. I think that was a drafting error. I even checked the authenticated copy of the town’s charter with the state and looked at the legislative history,” she said.
Given the council’s stance that it was given an outline, not a draft, Ms. Schrider-Fox said she is comfortable with the decision to delay adoption.

“I was proceeding under the assumption that what you guys had before was a rough draft. (But), if this collective body does not consider what you had before to be a rough draft, then I think tonight, … it sounds like almost what you had before was an outline. So, it was an incomplete draft,” she said.

Ms. Schrider-Fox emphasized that the charter’s wordage needs to be addressed.

“I still think that the wording of that Section 29 is weird. We need to put that on the list of things to take care of, if you guys are going to seek a charter change. You need to add the action words that seem to have been missing for decades,” she noted.

As proposed, the fiscal year 2025 budget is about $6 million more than last year’s, which totaled $32.2 million. The new wastewater treatment plant accounts for the bulk of that increase, Mr. Hall said.

Another budget workshop will be scheduled prior to the June 3 council meeting, during which the budget should be adopted. The town’s fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30.

At present, the town tax rate will remain the same, at 39 cents per $100 of assessed value, based on Millsboro’s 2015 reassessment, Mr. Hall added.