Schools, Police, Fire Would Get More Money, Taxes May Rise In Anne Arundel Budget Proposal

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The new Anne Arundel County budget proposal would expand school, police and fire services. The plan, however, calls for some tax hikes.

County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) unveiled his pitch Monday in the packed County Council chambers in Annapolis.

"Our county is in a better fiscal position than ever in its history, and that allows us to focus on and budget for our future," Pittman said in a press release. "That is why we must be both conservative and progressive. We must make conservative assumptions about future revenues and set ourselves up for future economic challenges, while also investing in progress, so that our children, our families, our environment, and our institutions will thrive for many years to come."

Schools

Pittman plans to fund the entire pay raise package proposed by the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.

This would include an 8% raise for all Anne Arundel County Public Schools employees. Contracted bus drivers would get a 10% cost of living adjustment, a type of raise to counter inflation. Special education teachers would get a $2,000 bonus, and substitutes would get $5 more per day.

The pitch also calls for 208 new school jobs, including:

• 45 pre-K staff
• 14 English language development positions
• 15 social and emotional health positions
• 23 alternative transportation program drivers
• 13 positions to prepare for the new Old Mill West High School

"From the day I arrived, Mr. Pittman and his team have pledged to be partners in helping to eradicate deficiencies that are impediments to us becoming a truly great school system," AACPS Superintendent Mark Bedell said in a press release. "The full funding of our compensation request is a huge step toward eliminating embarrassing pay gaps for our employees, and the allocations to address student achievement and social-emotional wellness in many other areas will help us get where we want to go."

Police And Fire

The Anne Arundel County Police Department currently has 766 officer positions, including 22 that are vacant. Pittman wants to fill those vacancies this year and add another 12 officer slots.

Pittman also called for another 18 firefighter positions and noted that he hopes to fill several existing vacancies as well.

The budget proposal would fund the new joint 911 call center for the police and fire departments.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department would get $5 million for new equipment plus money for the new Cape St. Claire and Jessup Fire Stations. The Department would also collect funding for a new fire training academy planned for Generals Highway behind Rams Head Roadhouse.

Police officers would welcome cash for the new firing range, special operations facility and fusion center.

Community Highlights

On average, county employees are slated for a 5% cost of living adjustment and a 3% raise.

The Anne Arundel County Food Bank would get an extra $1 million. Another million would go to reforestation projects, while $7.1 million would go toward shoreline erosion control.

The budget funds the planning and construction of the Brooklyn Park Community Center and the Odenton Library Community Park. The next phase of construction is on tap for the South Shore Trail, and the renovations at the Arnold Senior Center are expected to be finished.

Pittman has another expansion planned at Severn Danza Park, where the county bought 30 acres last year. There's also money to design and restore the Ralph J. Bunche Community Center. New facility lights would come to Northeast Middle School, Sunset Park and Riva Area Park.

The county executive additionally allocated money toward park improvements at:

• Fort Smallwood
• Lake Waterford
• Millersville
• Peninsula Park
• Quiet Waters Park

Tax Hikes

The income tax rate would stay the same for 98% of residents. It would jump to 3.2% for the top 2% of earners. This hike applies to income over $400,000 for single filers and $480,000 for joint filers.

This tax hike for the wealthiest residents comes a year after the County Council trimmed the tax rate on the first $50,000 of income. That tax cut remains in place. This year's income tax changes only affect the highest earners.

Under this year's proposal, the property tax rate would rise 4.7 cents to 98 cents per $100.

Pittman also suggested raising the tax rate on home sales worth more than $1 million. This rate would jump from 1% to 1.5%. The hike would pay for a new Housing Trust Fund to improve local affordable housing options.

Another tax increase would bump the hotel tax from 7% to 8%. This is still beneath the 9.5% levied on hotel stays in Baltimore City and County, Pittman said.

A final charge would add a 25-cent fee to all ride-hailing transactions for services like Uber and Lyft. This money would go directly toward improving county buses.

Pittman's plan would put 8% of the budget in the rainy day fund, which serves as the county's in-case-of-emergency savings account. That's up from 7% last year.

Altogether, this budget would place $2.137 billion in the general fund. That's about $20.1 million less than last year's budget.

The capital budget would be $526 million. The county executive's office did not immediately have last year's capital budget numbers available. We will add those details if we hear back.

Pittman's office said the budget proposal is balanced and there is no deficit.

What's Next

The County Council can now amend the proposal. Four of seven County Council members would need to vote in favor of the budget to pass a final version by June 15. The Council has four Democrats and three Republicans.

This Fiscal Year 2024 budget would cover July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

More information is posted at aacounty.org/budget. To watch Pittman's full budget speech, click here.