Wicomico County Council passes new Capital Improvement Plan

SALISBURY, Md – After months of delay, Wicomico county’s newest Capital Improvement Plan is now final. Tuesday was the final day for the county council to approve the new CIP after the deadline was initially extended back in December. “So when we’re creating a CIP, that plan is our best estimate at a point in time. You’re creating that plan in October, November, to be submitted in December. Things change,” said County Finance Director Pam Oland, who sat in front of the Wicomico County Council at Tuesday’s meeting.

Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted in favor of the capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 after several amendments. The CIP lists out projects and budgets for every department within the county. Projects included in the plan range from expanding the county landfill, to constructing a brand new building for Fruitland Primary School–with the school building project wielding a $20 million price tag. The council’s approved amendment differed from Finance director Pam Oland’s recommendation.

“I recommended that the council amend the CIP and put the $16.5 million in as a debt…It’s kind of like you making a big purchase and utilizing a big chunk of our savings for one project,” said Oland, referring to the council’s decision to classify the funds as “pay-go,” meaning that the county will intend to pay for the project from the equivalent of its savings account rather than borrowing the money and paying it over.

Despite the disagreement, the CIP was finalized and will be used to guide the creation of the county’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year, with upwards of 30 projects in the works. The county’s new plan will be adopted on July 1st