Ink Not Dry on Pr. George's Budget

Tomorrow, the Prince George's County Council is set to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins on July 1. One of the big questions in the lead up to that vote is how the county council might modify the proposed budget submitted earlier this year by Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker. 

Prince George's County Council Vice Chair Obie Patterson (D-District 8) said that council members and the county executive's office are still finalizing the details of the budget. 

"There will be some changes, it's still fluid and were still crunching the numbers," Patterson said in an interview. "The ink is not dry. We're still negotiating with the fifth floor–that is, the county executive's office."

In March, Baker released his proposed FY14 budget, which projects a 1.4 percent, $38 million increase in General Fund revenues for FY 2014.

Real property tax revenues are projected to come in at$629.8 million, a slight decrease, down about $65,000 over the current year, as a result of lower property assessments over the past three years.

Personal property taxes, a projected $63.9 million slice of county revenues, are also expected to decline about 3 percent, down about $ 2 million over the current year, as a result of a decline in the value of personal property owned by businesses and corporations.

The proposed budget increases funding for K-12 education by $30.3 million over the current year, raising the school system budget to $1.69 billion in FY14, roughly 63 percent of the county executive's proposed general fund budget. The funding increase is driven primarily by a $34 million boost in state funding. Federal aid and other school board fundraising sources are projected to decline roughly $4 million this year. 

According to the Prince George's County Council's Budget in Brief document, the education budget includes $15 million in pay and benefit raises for school staff and $8 million for programs targeted by the county's Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative.

The proposed budget also calls for a 4.6 percent increase in funding for the Prince George's County Police Department, a 9.8 percent increase in funding for the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, and a 1.4 percent increase in funding for the Prince George's Community College. 

One of the more controversial line items in the county executive's proposed budget is a $800,000, 3.2 percent cut to the Prince George's County Memorial Library System.

Patterson said that wants to make sure that the library has adequate funding to remain stable. He also said he was looking for ways to return Sunday hours to some county libraries, but stressed that the final budget numbers were still in flux.

"These are very tough times, and we have to tighten our belts and do the best  with what we have," said Patterson, without divulging specifics. "I think if the budget stays as it is right now, then we'll have met the expectations of citizens regarding the core services offered in the county."

The Prince George's County Council will convene to adopt the FY14 budget tomorrow, Thursday, May 30, at 11 a.m. in the council chambers at the Prince George's County Administrative Building in Upper Marlboro.