Sykesville officials mull over concerns

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Sykesville officials mull over concerns

Daylong retreat provides opportunity to review the past, plan the future

by Katherine Mullen | Staff Writer

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Staffing concerns and increasing costs were part of a daylong discussion between Sykesville Town Council members, the mayor and other town staff on Saturday.

The annual retreat, which was held at the Old Main Line Visitor Center, provides an opportunity for the Town Council and mayor to plan long term, review the past year, and look to the future, said Matthew Candland, town manager.

‘‘It gives us the chance to talk big picture,” Candland said. ‘‘It gives us a full day of looking at where we’ve been and where we want to go.”

During his presentation of the police department’s 2006 report, Sykesville Police Chief John Williams Jr. asked town officials for an additional officer to handle the increasing number of calls for service.

In 2006, the number of calls increased by 1,261, Williams said, adding that nearly 10 percent of these calls happen outside town limits.

Williams also noted that each year, the number of calls for service increases.

As a ‘‘bedroom community” for the Washington-Baltimore area, Sykesville and other communities in Carroll County have seen an increase in crime, Williams said.

The national recommended ratio of sworn police officers is 3.1 per 1,000 residents, he said. The Sykesville department has six officers with one vacant position to police a population of more than 4,000 residents. Using that ratio, the town should have about 12 officers.

‘‘We’re somewhat behind on staffing,” Williams said.

The Town of Sykesville also has to grapple with increasing costs of basic expenses, such as asphalt, gas, workers’ compensation, heating oil and health insurance, Candland said.

The town has not bought more of these items, Candland said, but rather the cost of these items has increased over the past eight years.

‘‘The quantity of what we’re buying is not increasing, just the price is,” Candland said.

The town’s revenues from property taxes have not compensated for the cost, Candland noted.

What it would mean for the Town of Sykesville this year is a reduction in the number of capital improvement projects, Candland said.

During the retreat, Town Council members and Mayor Jonathan Herman also discussed other budget issues, such as using property sales from the town’s riverfront project to help pay down the town’s debt. The town plans to bring retail development along the riverfront property next to the historic train station.