Proposed AACo Budget: More Teachers, Cops, Higher Taxes

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Spending and taxes would rise under a budget proposed Wednesday, May 1, for Anne Arundel County's government by County Executive Steuart Pittman, according to a media report. Pittman's spending plan for fiscal 2020 calls for an increase of about $100 million from the previous year, to $1.7 billion, the Capital Gazette reported.

Under the proposed budget, Anne Arundel would hire more police officers, firefighters and teachers, buy a new police helicopter, and boost funding for county schools by $46 million, the Annapolis newspaper reported.

The proposed budget also calls for an increase in the county's income tax rate from 2.5 percent to 2.81 percent, and a hike in the property tax rate from 90.2 cents to 93.5 cents per $100 assessed value, the Capital Gazette reported.

Part of the income tax increase would go into a new public infrastructure fund.

In a tweet Wednesday, Pittman said that he assured Wall Street bond rating agencies that "I was willing to do whatever it takes on the revenue side to meet our obligations" in paying the county's debt, "and they retained our excellent AAA and AA+ ratings."

Pittman presented his budget proposal Wednesday morning to the Anne Arundel County Council, which held a public hearing on the budget afterward, the first in a series, the Capital Gazette reported.

The next public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday; the council has 45 days to pass a balanced budget.

More $$$ For Schools

In proposing a $46 million boost in public school spending, the budget calls for hiring 136 classroom teachers, raising substitute teacher pay, and providing back pay raises for teachers, the Capital Gazette reported.

The proposals won a hearty endorsement from George Arlotto, the superintendent of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. He released the following statement Wednesday on the proposed fiscal 2020 budget:

“The proposal put forth by the County Executive today is a quantum leap forward in addressing the expectation gap that exists in Anne Arundel County," he said.

"The residents of this county rightfully expect the best in all areas, especially when it comes to the education of their children," Arlotto said. "Our school system needs the appropriate resources to continue to move towards elimination of achievement and opportunity gaps that exist and to address the rising number of social and emotional issues faced by our students.

"This proposal funds the vast majority of our request, provides critically needed compensation and staffing increases, and makes tremendous inroads towards reducing our infrastructure backlog," he said. "It is a huge investment in our children and our future.”

Pittman's proposed budget also calls for the hiring of 10 new officers, a chemist, a management aide and custodial workers for the Anne Arundel Police Department, the Capital Gazette reported. In addition, the county plans to buy a new police helicopter.