Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman’s proposed $2.16 billon budget for fiscal 2023 includes pay increases for school employees and money for new school construction and infrastructure.
The proposed operating budget includes about $300 million more in spending than last year’s budget.
“We must send a signal to our educators that we value their work,” Pittman said about the pay increase. “And then there’s the problem of vacant teaching positions. We must and we will cooperate with the state to make Maryland a place where young people enter the profession and have good reasons to stick with it.”
The county Board of Education would also receive money to create two new schools: Old Mill West High School and West County Elementary School. There will also be money set aside to replace Old Mill Middle School South.
The board is scheduled to vote on final approval of the school system budget on June 16.
The proposed budget also calls for property taxes to remain steady at 93.3 cents per $100. “That’s farther below the cap than any budget in this county’s history, putting $27 million back into taxpayers’ pockets and saving the average homeowner $100,” Pittman said.
The proposed budget allocates $110 million for roads and bridges, while parks and recreations would receive $99.7 million.
Public safety would receive $47 million, most of which will go toward upgrading the county’s public safety radio system and replacing a fire station in Crownsville.
