May 12, 2026 | Mayor & Council: Work Session

The City of Hagerstown held a Mayor and Council work session on May 12, 2026, focusing on several key topics including arts programming partnerships, GIS program modernization, and the FY 2027 budget with emphasis on water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The Washington County Arts Council discussed opportunities for collaboration to support local artists and cultural initiatives downtown. The GIS team presented progress on transforming GIS into a centralized operational resource, highlighting ongoing projects such as cloud migration and public safety transparency initiatives, with funding included in the budget. The FY 2027 budget presentation detailed significant capital improvement projects in the water and wastewater funds, including a $16.2 million capital outlay for water infrastructure and a $3 million project for solids processing facility improvements. The council also discussed utility rate structures, including tap fees and benefit fees, with plans to revisit fee adjustments. Additionally, the council considered submitting a $2 million federal grant application for safe streets improvements, requiring a $400,000 local match over three years. Finally, the council reviewed plans to establish a citizen charter review committee to evaluate and recommend updates to the city charter, aiming for a transparent and inclusive process. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, but several action items related to budget allocations, grant applications, and committee formation were proposed.