Tag Archives: Queen Anne’s County

QAC’s Bond Rating Upgraded

Queen Anne’s County’s financial credit report was upgraded when Fitch Ratings revised the county’s AA+ bond rating February 22.

“The revision of the Outlook to Stable from Negative reflects enhancements made during fiscal 2012, spending cuts and conservative budgeting, allowing the county to generate an operating surplus which significantly strengthening reserve levels,” said the Fitch firm’s report. “Fitch takes additional comfort from the county’s positive operating projections for fiscal 2013 as well as substantial revenue raising capacity.”

“When this Board of Commissioners took office they inherited a projected $18 million budget deficit and the potential of seeing the county’s AA+ bond ratings downgraded,” said Steve Arentz, president of the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners. Although the county retained its AA+ bond rating, it was put on a “negative watch” by Fitch Ratings. Bond ratings determine the interest rate that the county pays when borrowing large sums of money to build schools and other public buildings.

“This Board of Commissioners made dramatic budget cuts, small tax increases and created a budget that was not only balanced, but has a surplus,” Arentz said.

Governments, like people, are evaluated on their ability to repay debt. The Fitch report notes that the county’s overall debt levels are moderately low. “Debt service expenditures represent an affordable 9.6% of general fund expenditures,” according to the report.

“In an effort to restore structural balance and improve reserve levels, during the fiscal year 2012 budget process the county implemented a property tax rate increase as well as an increase in the income tax rate,” details the Fitch report. “The expenditure budget included a continuation of the workforce furlough program, hiring freeze and suspension of various employee benefit programs. Additionally, during the year the county offered an early retirement incentive. Fiscal year-end 2012 results reflected a second consecutive year of positive variance in income tax revenue, the county’s second largest revenue source representing 31% of the general fund, supporting a $5.3 million operating surplus. The unrestricted fund balance increased to $11.9 million or a healthy 10.9% of general fund spending, compared to the modest budgeted drawdown of $566,779.”

In detailing the reasons for the “Stable” rating, Fitch Ratings noted, “Fitch views the county’s low comparative property tax rate as an important measure of financial flexibility given its dominance as a source of general fund revenues.”

Given the fairly limited economy, roughly 85% of the labor force commutes outside the county, with most workers crossing the Bay Bridge to jobs in the deep and diverse Baltimore-Washington market. The county’s unemployment rate has declined year-over-year, recorded at 5.6% as of December 2012, and has consistently ranked below those of the region, state, and nation. Wealth levels are above average when compared to state and national levels.

Staycation in QAC: Shop, Sip and Savor In Queen Anne’s County

Day Trip

Enjoy shopping at the premium Outlets in Queenstown, a delicious seafood lunch and sipping on locally produced wine made right in Queen Anne’s County, gateway to the Maryland’s Eastern Shore!
Start your day by visiting the Chesapeake Exploration Center, where you can orient yourself with regional information and enjoy a lovely view of the Kent Narrows.

Shop ‘til you drop at the Premium Outlets in Queenstown. With over 65 outlet stores, find impressive savings at Adidas, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Coach, Gucci, J. Crew, Michael Kors, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren and many more.

Enjoy a delicious lunch of freshly caught seafood at one of the many restaurants that caterer to groups.

Hop on the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail and sip on locally prepared wine. The first stop is Cascia Winery in Stevensville, which features a waterfront family run vineyard and winery on beautiful Cox Creek. Then head to Cassinelli Winery in Church Hill for a tasting on their family-owned working farm, vineyards and winery. End the day at Tilmon’s Island Winery in Sudlersville and sample some of Maryland’s fine wine at the boutique winery.

Contact Information:
Queen Anne’s County Economic Development and Tourism
425 Piney Narrows Road
Chester, MD 21619
410.604.2100
htaylor@qac.org
www.discoverqueenannes.com

Boat Services, Repair, & Supplies in Queen Anne’s County

A & M Marine Services, Inc., 121 Rental Lane, Grasonville.
410-827-7409.
www.ammarineservices.com

Allied Marine Services, Inc., 188 Log Canoe Circle, Stevensville.
410-643-6313.
www.shipequip.com

Boat Lifts Unlimited, 6400 Main St, Queenstown.
410-827-0094.

BOE Marine Electronics & Outfitting, 325 Cleat St, Stevensville.
866-735-5926.
www.boemarine.com

Clark Fiberglass, 334 Sparks Mill Rd, Centreville.
410-556-6898.
www.clarkfiberglass.com

Clarks Landing Marine Centre, 1804 Crab Alley Dr, Chester.
410-643-2694.
www.clarkslanding.com

Cutwater Marine Sales, 106 Wells Cove Rd, Grasonville.
410-827-5350.

Dominion Marine, LLC, 1735 Little Creek Rd, Chester.
410-604-3899.
www.dominionmarina.com

Eastern Shore Marine Services, 10781 Sheldrake Dr, Chestertown.
410-778-1593.

Hudson Marine, LLC, 205 Country Day Rd, Chester.
410-643-6768.
www.hudsonmarinellc.om

Kent Island Mobile Marine Services, 1604 Chester Rd, Chester.
410-490-8895.

Kent Narrows Yacht Yard, Inc., 321 Piney Narrows Rd, Chester.
410-643-4400.
www.kentnarrowsyachtyard.com

L A Thompson & Son, 1719 Little Creed Rd, Chester.
410-643-5609.

L & B Marine Supply, Inc., 124 Kent Landing, Stevensville.
410-643-3600.

Lou’s Marine Services, 311 Winchester Creek Rd, Grasonville.
410-827-7244.

Marine Polymers, Inc., 222H Log Canoe Circle, Stevensville.
410-604-1918.

Martek Ki, Inc., 337 Pier 1 Rd, #101, Stevensville.
410-643-6888.

Miller’s Marine Services, Inc., 21529 Tolchester Beach Rd, Chestertown.
410-778-5951.

Nuteak Mid-Atlantic, LLC, 1004 Butterworth Court, Stevensville.
301-367-5361.
www.nuteak.com

Scandia Marine Services, 910 Kentmorr Rd, Stevensville.
410-643-0037.
www.scandiamarineservices.com

Seven Seas Yacht Services, 442 Kent Narrow Way N, Grasonville.
410-827-6400.
www.sevenseasys.com

Worton Creek Marina, 23145 Buck Neck Rd, Chestertown.
410-778-3282.
www.wortoncreek.com

Wye Marine Services, 12520 Wye Landing Lane, Wye Mills.
410-822-5335.

Staycation in QAC: Sea Glass, Seafood and See Birds in Queen Anne’s County

Day Trip
Explore the great outdoors in Queen Anne’s County, gateway to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Hunt for sea glass on the Chesapeake Bay beaches, eat freshly caught seafood and bird watch at the Chesapeake Environmental Center.

Begin the day at the Chesapeake Exploration Center getting oriented at the county’s visitor center and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Kent Narrows.

Visit Chesapeake Bay beaches to hunt for natures vanishing treasures; sea glass. Enjoy the thrill of finding a rare piece of sea glass with the background of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.

After a morning of beachcombing, curb your appetite with a delicious crab feast or freshly caught seafood from local restaurants.

In the afternoon proceed to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center located in Grasonville which features 510 acres of Maryland’s pristine wetlands. Here you will discover indigenous birds of the area and hike on their extensive preserve. Learn from ornithologists about the life cycles of birds and enjoy access to the varied habitats that are vital to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

Contact Information:
Queen Anne’s County Economic Development and Tourism
425 Piney Narrows Road
Chester, MD 21619
410.604.2100
htaylor@qac.org
www.discoverqueenannes.com

Public Fishing = Fishing License Required

From Department of Natural Resources – Who needs a Maryland License or Maryland Registration?

Unless exempt below, anglers fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Bays or tributaries must be licensed or registered with the State. You do not need to be licensed or registered with the State if you are:
•Under 16 years of age;
•A registered angler with the State of Maryland and fishing from a boat holding a valid tidal/salt water license issued by Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the Commonwealth of Virginia or the State of Maryland;
•In possession of a valid commercial tidal fish license;
•Fishing from a licensed commercial fishing pier;
•A registered angler with the State of Maryland and fishing on a free fishing pier;
•Fishing from a licensed charter boat;
•Fishing on a free fishing day – the first two Saturdays in June and July 4;
•A registered angler with the State of Maryland and possesses a Virginia Saltwater recreational fishing license; or
•In possession of a Potomac River Fisheries Commission recreational fishing license.
•A resident of MD, on active duty with the armed forces, on leave with official leave orders.

If you have any questions about fishing licenses, visit the DNR web site www.dnr.maryland.gov or call 1-877-620-8367.

The following information was gathered from the following web site. If you want more information about a particular site or would like to see an aerial map of the exact location, visit www.hookandbullet.com/cn/fishing-queen-annes-md.

Centreville Locations
Alder Branch, Butler Cove, Conquest Beach, Earle Creek, Emory Creek, Gravel Run, Grove Creek, Mezick Farm Pond Dam, Middle Quarter Cove, Mill Stream Branch, Miller Creek, Piney Cove, Reed Creek, Robin Cove, Three Bridges Branch, Tilghman Cove.

Chester Locations
Bryans Cove, Cabin Cove, Calfpasture Cove, Tubby Cove, Wickes Beach.

Grasonville Locations
Abbott Cove, Bogle Cove, Ditchers Cove, Durdin Creek, Earle Cove, Hail Creek, Little Queenstown Creek, Queenstown Creek, Sadlers Cove, Salthouse Cove, Shipyard Creek, Tilghman Creek, Walsey Creek, Wesley Creek, Winchester Creek, Wye Narrows.

Rock Hall Locations
Church Creek, Cliffs Bight, Corsica River, Deep Cove, Eastern Neck Narrows, Fryingpan Cove, Goose Cove, Grays Inn Creek, Langford Creek, Langfords Bay, Long Cove, Short Cove, Wilson Pond.

Queen Anne’s Costs Soar, Strain Housing Aid Programs

By ALLISON TROBIANO and MELISSA MOORE
Special to Capital News Service
STEVENSVILLE – Queen Anne’s County, which has seen basic living costs nearly double in 10 years, has so many residents seeking help with housing that it has closed its waiting lists. Some families on the lists will be waiting up to eight years for openings in housing programs, county officials say.

“We are in tough times, and people are losing their homes and their jobs and they need assistance,” said Mike Clark, director of housing and hamily services for Queen Anne’s.

Heather Focht, 34, a Queen Anne’s resident who lost her job last year, said that she and her 2-year-old daughter had to move in with her mother while Focht looked for jobs and took classes at University of Maryland University College.

“It is just hard,” she said. “I honestly just can’t afford to live on my own right now.” Clark said that residents who have applied recently to services including the Rental Allowance Program include people who had no need to ask for assistance before. They tend to be unfamiliar with the process, he said, and also are reluctant to ask for help.

The Rental Allowance Program, which provides help with rent for a year, has a waiting list of six to eight years. The county subsidizes the rent for the units, which range from rooms in private homes to apartments and single-family homes, through funds provided by the state. But the county only has enough money to cover about 20 families a year and that has contributed to the long waiting list, Clark said.

Queen Anne’s population is 47,798 — with 5.5 percent living below the poverty level.

“When you only have enough money to serve a certain number of people but the demand is high, the list starts to add up,” Clark said.

A recent study, the Maryland Self-Sufficiency Standard for 2012, found that the cost of basic needs for a family of three living in Queen Anne’s almost doubled from $33,855 in 2001 to $65,072 in 2012.

The study also found that housing costs went up 110 percent. Queen Anne’s County has the fourth-highest foreclosure rate in Maryland, with a rate of 1 in 959.

The unemployment rate for jobs within the county has increased over the past five years and has led to an increase in residents who commute outside of the county to work. Five years ago, 60 percent of residents left the county for their jobs. Today, that figure is 85 percent.

Healthy People In Queen Anne’s County

Baltimore residents are at the bottom of a list ranking the healthiest people in Maryland. A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute rated Maryland jurisdictions based on factors such as deaths before the age of 75, low birth weights, smoking, obesity and the availability of primary care doctors. The annual study says Howard County residents are the healthiest in the state, followed by folks in Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, Frederick and Carroll counties.

25 Places to Visit in Our Glorious County

In celebration of the Shore Update’s 25 year anniversary this month, we are all about the number 25!

25 Places to Visit in Our Glorious County
1. Chesapeake Bay Exploration Center
2. Queen Anne’s County Arts Council
3. Kent Island Federation of Arts
4. Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
5. Island Dog Park
6. Kirwan House
7. Queen Anne’s County Chamber of Commerce
8. Bay Bridge Airport
9. Kent Narrows
10. Stevensville & Centreville Public Libraries
11. Cross Island Trail
12. Queen Anne’s Museum of Eastern Shore Life
13. Wye Grist Mill
14. The Cray House & Stevensville Train Station
15. The Tucker House
16. Queen Anne’s County Court House
17. Wye Island
18. Matapeake Club House
19. Farmer’s Markets
20. Church Hill Theatre
21. Terrapin Park
22. Conquest Beach
23. Nemo “Niedomanski” Equestrian Trail
24. Waterman’s Monument in the Kent Narrows
25. Antique Shops

While 25 is such a big number for us at the Shore Update, it’s an incredibly small number to reflect on all the wonderful things our county has to offer. Did we not list one of your favorites? Visit us at www.Facebook.com/theshoreupdate and give a shout out to your top choice. Don’t forget, all month long, if you register to receive our weekly e-newsletter, you will be entered in a drawing to win a Kindle Fire! Visit wordpress-547-1846-2922.cloudwaysapps.com, scroll to bottom and hit “subscribe.”

Busy Day For Accidents In QAC

The casualty list from a head-on collision that happened last week on 213 near John Brown road: 56-year-old James Chastain of Stevensville. There were five people in the other care; three were flown to Shock-Trauma and two others taken to Memorial Hospital in Easton. There was no word on the condition of those five. It was the second fatal accident on that stretch of road in less than a month. On that same day, another accident occurred on Route 8 at Route 18 involving a QA school bus and a pickup truck that collided at the intersection. The school bus driver and three people in the pickup truck were hurt but apparently just minor injuries.

QAC Residents Are Urged To Be Aware Of First Blackboard Connect Test

Test to Take Place April 7th, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Emergency Managers realize the need for additional means of warning our communities of imminent danger or the need to turn on radios, televisions or computers for information. Since its inception, we have relied on the Emergency Alert System used regularly for local and regional notifications. Now, in an attempt to keep pace with technology and offer yet another way of reaching out to our citizens, Queen Anne’s County is doing a trial of Blackboard Connect™.

The Blackboard Connect™ service allows authorized County Officials to create and rapidly disseminate time-sensitive messages to every telephone number, cell number or email address stored in the notification database. Blackboard Connect™ can place phone calls to businesses and residents with the added capability to send emails and text messages. Public Safety Officials can use the system to provide potentially life saving protective actions, warnings of imminent danger or any message related to the health, safety or well being of the County. Only authorized County Officials are allowed to access the system.

The system will be tested Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time; two hours after the Tri-County Siren Alarm Test.

As a reminder, the Tri-County Siren Alarm Test (Queen Anne’s, Talbot & Caroline Counties) is conducted on the first Saturday of the Month at Noon by sounding the “IMMENINET DANGER” signal followed by the “ALL CLEAR.”

The “Imminent Danger” siren signal is a two minute wavering tone. The wavering tone goes up and down faster than the customary fire signal. The “Warning” signal is a two minute steady tone. A steady tone is now used for ambulance alerts but has a much shorter duration than the “Warning” signal. The “All Clear” signal is a steady, 30-second tone.

The Blackboard Connect™ test will be conducted by the Queen Anne’s County Department of Emergency Services. We intend on placing phone calls to businesses and residents as well as sending text messages and emails to registered users. This test is an important exercise to ensure communication of critical information in a true emergency.

For more information or to register your cell phone, VOIP phone or email address, please visit www.qac.org and click on the Blackboard Connect™ tile.

The public should use this event as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and emergency plan for themselves, their families, communities, and businesses. Visit www.Ready.gov for more information readiness.