Pr. George's Budget Hearings Set for Tonight

The Prince George's County Council will be holding a budget hearing tonight at 7 p.m. to gather feedback on the proposed county FY 2014 operating budget, six year capital education program, and the Prince George's County Board of Education budget, as well as the proposed budgets for the redevelopment authority, revenue authority and industrial development authority, according a press release.

The proposed FY 2013 county budget totals roughly $3.24 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent over the current budget.

The public hearing will be held in the Council Hearing Room of the Prince George's County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro. 

Revenue Overview

The proposed budget projects a 1.4 percent, $38 million increase in General Fund revenues for FY 2014.

Real property tax revenues are projected to come in $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.

Over the last five years, according to county budget documents, the median home sale price has decreased sharply in Prince George's County, down from a high of $299,900 in January 2008 to $168,000 in January 2013.

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.

Spending Overview

The largest slice of the county's budget pie is cut for the Prince George's County Public School System, accounting for roughly 63 percent of the proposed general fund budget.  

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. 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 initiatives 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. 

For more information, check out the Prince George's County Council website for detailed information about the proposed budget.