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Dorchester County Budget: A Perfect Storm

Dorchester County Commissioners
courtesy Star-Democrat
Dorchester County Commissioners

Dorchester County, Maryland is heading into the perfect storm of fiscal crisis.

With federal monies vanished, state support cut back and a host of new, mandated expenses required, Dorchester officials have resorted to desperate measures to come up with nearly $92 million for the 2026 fiscal budget.

And the crunch is only beginning. One Maryland's poorest districts, Dorchester County is running on empty, having nearly exhausted its reserve funds to meet current expenses. Next year, county leaders say, they expect costs to climb even more. And there will be no cash reserve to save the day.

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