SOUTHEAST--Sykesville * Eldersburg * Gamber

Sykesville passes budget, pay raises; tax rate holds

The Sykesville Town Council passed a budget Monday that holds the tax rate to 82 cents and gives a 3 percent cost of living raise to municipal employees.

The $839,380 budget, which takes effect July 1, calls for the first raise in three years for 16 full-time employees. It also makes room for a 12 percent increase in premiums for liability and health insurance.

To balance those increases while maintaining the tax rate, all departments received across-the-board cuts, said Town Manager James Schumacher.