The county council in Prince George’s, Maryland, passed a $5.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2024 on Thursday. While many of County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ priorities remained in it, others didn’t receive funding.
An initiative that will pay for security camera vouchers for county homeowners and businesses is among the programs moving forward.
As part of the Jayz Agnew Law, enacted following the deadly shooting of a 13-year-old while he raked leaves outside his home last year, $250,000 will go toward providing up to $100 for security cameras subscriptions and $200 for cameras.
The program includes a limit of one camera per household and two per business.
Other initiatives include more weekend programs that will provide tutoring and activities for county’s youth, but Councilmember Edward Burroughs III expressed disappointment more was not done.
“We have a long way to go when it comes to creating additional programs for young people. Hopefully next year we will come back and advance the ball down the court a little bit more,” said Burroughs.
The budget also includes $3 million toward grants for several community organizations and $275,000 for the nonprofit United Communities Against Poverty to help manage an emergency shelter.
A guaranteed universal basic income program and an emergency rental assistance program aimed at addressing price gouging were among the initiatives left unfunded.
The final budget was unanimously passed by the council in a 10-0 vote.
Following the budget’s approval, Council Chair Tom Dernoga said he was disappointed that many of the council’s priorities did not receive funding.
“Forty-five million dollars to fund the administration’s priorities, you would think there’s a couple million to fund the council’s priorities,” said Dernoga, referencing the county’s surplus fund of $600 million, which includes an increase of $125 million during his five years serving on the council.
“We weren’t talking about dramatic dollars being spent. We were talking about modest items, but at the end of the day, the county executive has more control over the purse than we do,” Dernoga said.
“I think we did as well as we could under the circumstances. We’re enhancing public safety, education. There are more positives than negatives,” Dernoga said.
Alsobrooks said the new budget, which is 6.3% — or $318 million — over the FY 2023 budget, was “tight due to several factors,” specifically mentioning “new funding obligations mandated by the funding formula under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.”
In an email to the county, Alsobrooks said the just-passed budget contained “people-centered investments that will uplift all Prince Georgians.”
Fiscal year 2024 begins July 1.
