In a last-minute shift, the Carroll County commissioners approved a $2.6 million budget allocation to move the county's Emergency Operations Center back to its former home on Route 32, a move firefighters and emergency dispatchers have been advocating for months.

Money for the move was not included in the county's original budget proposal, but the commissioners added the allocation to the final version, which was approved Friday night.

That addition was the only surprise in a budget that otherwise remained nearly identical to the working version released in April.

The final budget for fiscal 2003 includes about $230 million in daily operating expenses and about $65 million in construction expenses.

Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge said the commissioners decided to fund the emergency center move because of security concerns, which have magnified since Sept. 11.

"It was clear that the majority of the emergency workers want the move, and the least we can do in return for their service is give them a place where if something would happen, they'd be able to keep up communications and do their jobs," Gouge said.

The center now occupies part of the basement floor at the County Office Building in Westminster.

The center moved when a new communications system was installed in 1996.

Emergency officials say it is difficult to keep strangers from wandering into the offices there, and they also worry that a catastrophe at the building might disable the system designed to help deal with such an emergency.

The facility where the operations will return to, just outside Westminster on Route 32, is built into a hill and features secure doors and alarms.

"When they were out there, it was always very secure," Gouge recalled. "You didn't go in until you rang a bell and said who was there."

The building would also be compatible with the addition of offices, which could be built on top of the existing structure.

Part of the extra money for the emergency center move came out of $1.8 million the county recently received after settling debts with Carroll County General Hospital.

The remainder of that money will go into the county's contingency fund, which needs to be as big as possible during the current tight economic times, the commissioners said.

Tax rate unchanged

Overall, the budget contains few priority shifts from previous years. The property tax rate remains unchanged, employees received a 2 percent raise, and education receives by far the largest slice of the pie.

The construction budget, up about 50 percent from last year's, includes the costly modernization of North Carroll Middle School, outside Hampstead, and the construction of a building at Carroll Community College that will house expanded health care training courses.

North Carroll Middle has a failing sewer system, a leaky roof and unreliable heating and cooling systems. Upgrades there will cost about $17 million.

Access complaints

Some residents complained that the proposed budget did not include status reports for continuing projects funded in previous budgets.

In response, county budget officials printed an addendum including such information and contact information for any residents with further questions.