EDITOR’S NOTE: The amount of the county shortfall was inaccurately reported in an earlier version of this article. It has been corrected.
WASHINGTON — The county council in Prince George’s County, Maryland will soon see the county executive’s plans for the budget in fiscal year 2017.
The $3.7 billion budget proposed by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is an increase of $160.8 million from the previous budget year.
Baker said growth in both property and income tax revenues left the county with a $64 million budget hole, the smallest deficit he has had to face while on the job.
“I have been waiting five years for this to happen,” Baker said.
In the area of education, there is $1.93 billion set aside for the Board of Education. This is a $93 million increase over the previous budget year, but it’s also $100 million less than requested by schools chief executive Kevin Maxwell.
“We’re totally in agreement on where we would like to get to, but in this budget he [Baker] has exceeded maintenance of effort requirement by the county by almost four times,” Maxwell said.
Of the money set aside for schools, $5.7 million will come from revenue received from MGM National Harbor casino, which Baker hopes to see open halfway through 2017.
The budget also includes $106 million for Prince George’s Community College and $27 million for the Memorial Library system.
In the area of public safety, Baker allotted money to beef up the county’s fire and police departments. Prince George’s County police will see a budget increase of $13 million, which will allow for 150 new recruits if Baker’s plan is approved by council. The plan also calls for $11 million more this year for the Fire and EMS Department, which will make it possible to bring 70 new first responders on board.
Curbing domestic violence in the county is also a priority for the county executive in the next budget year. So far this year, at least seven people have lost their lives due to domestic violence in the county.
“We’re committed to doing everything we can to stop these tragedies from happening,” Baker said.
In the plan, $1 million is set aside for the Department of Family Services for pilot program which will put social services literally next door to people who may need them. The county plans to work with apartment complexes and occupy vacant apartments with social workers.
“We’ll have services from the Department of Social Services, Family Services, the Housing Department, Workforce Services, the things that stress people out,” said Betty Hager Francis with Health, Human Services, and Education.
Francis says if the council green lights the money, the program could begin as early as July.
In the next year, Baker also calls for money to allow the Department of Permitting to implement a new permitting system which will make the process of obtaining permit or inspection more efficient.
Another overhaul proposed will be for trash pickup. After receiving the idea from a resident, Baker says $6 million can be saved by only picking up trash one day a week.
Some attention in budget will go to two redevelopment projects in the county. A total of $3.65 million is set aside to get work underway for projects in Suitland and Glenarden, which includes the proposed Suitland Town Center.
The budget will go to the county council and the council will have until Jun. 1 to adopt a budget for the 2017 fiscal year.
