Next Year's Budget to Allocate more funds to Development, Education

Faced with a $30 million budget cut in education earlier this year and an inflated deficit, county officials wrapped up planning for the 2012 fiscal year budget this week.

Despite the adversities, Prince George's County is off to a promising start, they contended.

“If we don’t lay off any employees, and if we don’t furlough any employees, then we’re doing great,” County Councilman Will Campos joked at a District 2 town hall meeting Thursday night at “It’s definitely been a tough year.”

Campos gave residents details about the county’s expected expenditures and revenues for the year, which total nearly $2.65 million. The largest chunk comes from education, with 61 percent of funding going to schools.

“Montgomery County had to take away money from school systems. Luckily, we did not have to do that,” Campos said.

With an $18 million increase to the board of education, part of maintaining the budget for schools included maneuvering funds within the education budget. But Campos prides his legislation in some particular areas they focused on that were at high-risk of getting depleted. The reader recovery program is still in place, along with appropriated funds to provide transportation as needed for school trips.

“Because we have a very tight budget, we take those limited resources and target them where they have the greatest impact,” County Executive Rushern Baker said.

In addition to school funding, Campos announced efforts to curb crime by adding 150 newly sworn officers to the force, amounting to 1,610 in the county. When Baker first took office last year, the county experienced 12 murders almost immediately and seven major fires simultaneously in one day. Now, crime is down 15.9 percent in Campos' district, and the addition of officers and fire recruits is to thank, Baker said.

“[We had to] bring every facet of the government together to look at issues from a holistic standpoint,” he said.

Along with the approved budget to bring in more public service staff, the county’s biggest goal is growing the tax base in order to continue investing in education and health. To do so, no county taxes will increase – but efforts to grow a commercial tax base will.

Baker described the vibrant growth in the county, and the desire to create new transit-orientated developments with walk-able communities to lure commercial business.

Baker’s comments were backed by a $50 million economic development incentive fund as part of the approved budget, and plans to build a new elementary school next year to decrease the congestion in county schools.

“Two years ago we had the arts district,” Baker said. “Now you see the fruits of that investment. You’re starting to see the growth there. This area has the potential to grow.”