Mayor John Kinnaird
The Class of 2019 at Catoctin High School (CHS) just graduated, and I want to wish all of them the best of luck as they move on to the next phase of their lives. I feel that CHS, and all our feeder schools, provide a rich educational experience for our children. Our communities are very fortunate to have wonderful and dedicated teachers, administration, and support staff, and I want to thank them for their hard work. I also want to say thank you to all the parents; your loving care and support play a big part in your child’s success at school and graduation. I believe that one of the most important lessons we learn at school is how to learn. At some time, someone has probably told you to never stop learning or that you should learn something new every day. Regardless of whether you are going on to higher education or not, it is important to keep learning. Follow this simple rule and you will find a world full of challenges that you can face head on with confidence and the knowledge that you will be successful. Each day will present you with new opportunities to better yourself, increase your knowledge, and to apply what you already know and understand. Again, congratulations to the CHS Class of 2019!
The arrival of June also means that schools will be out for summer break. Please keep an eye out for our youngsters as they enjoy their summer break. They may not always be fully aware of their surroundings outside, as they ride their bikes and skateboards or when they are playing.
The Town of Thurmont is once again hosting the “A Day In The Park” Summer Program. Last year was the first year of this program, and it proved to be a big hit with the kids and parents. The days are filled with lots of outdoor activities, games, learning experiences, and plain old fun! Be sure to check out the details at Thurmont.com, and register your children for this fun summer park program.
This is also carnival season! Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg holds the first carnival of the year and always sets a high bar for the others to match. Carnivals are fun events and allow us to meet friends, have a good time, and get some delicious homemade food. As much fun as carnivals are, they also provide much needed revenue for our fire departments, ambulance services, and schools. I invite you to join me at each of our local carnivals to support these local organizations; they are here for us every day of the year!
The Town of Thurmont just adopted our 2019-2020 budget, and I want to thank our financial staff and department heads for helping craft the budget, and our Commissioners for reviewing, tweaking, and adopting the budget. Our General Fund is dependent on property tax revenue to maintain our police, parks, streets, and administrative staff. I am pleased that we were able to base this year’s General Fund on the Constant Yield Tax Rate. Due to increased property values, this year’s constant yield tax rate actually drops our property tax rate ever so slightly. In the coming year, we will be making several improvement to streets and parks and funding several new police cars and equipment.
If you have any questions, complaints, or suggestions, I can be contacted by phone at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com. I am also happy to speak to you in person, so if you see me out around town feel free to strike up a conversation.
