Anne Arundel residents? taxes will not increase, but they?ll pay to use a county ambulance after the County Council passed the fiscal 2009 budgets.
“You can?t secure 100 percent in these budgetary times, but I?m pleased that the lion?s share of my priorities were approved by council,” County Executive John R. Leopold said.
The council Thursday made a few last-minute changes to the slim $1.22 billion operating and $400 million capital budgets, most notably adding $225,000 to the library system and suspending money for artificial turf fields.
“This is pretty much a bare-bones budget,” said Councilman Josh Cohen, D-District 6.
Only two new initiatives were funded: an affordable housing program ? The council only funded $500,000 of Leopold?s requested $2 million for the program ? and a baseball field for children with disabilities.
No taxes were increased ? in fact, because of the county?s property tax revenue cap and rising housing assessments, the property tax rate will decrease.
Some fees will increase, notably those for restaurant and well drilling licenses. A fee for using a county ambulance should be in place by April.
The council also put a hold on funding for artificial turf fields at the high schools pending an investigation of the bidding process by County Auditor Theresa Sutherland. Questions have been raised about the issuance of the $10 million contract.
The council did most of its money shifting this past week, including slashing $36 million from both budgets. The money helps offset $6 million lost from removing a proposed 3 percent increase of the hotel tax, and $14 million was added to the school budget.
The library system saw one of the bigger cuts of funding, a total of $1.5 million from its operating and capital budgets.
The additional funding allotted Thursday will be added to the library system?s material account, which has $3 million and pays for new books and audiovisual materials.
However, cuts remain for benefits to part-time employees and the system?s fledgling fundraising foundation.
“We increased our fines and fees, and sought other means of self-generated revenue, but the council chose to remove a sizable contribution,” said Marion Francis, the library system?s administrator.
The system?s board of directors will decide how to make up for the cuts during a June meeting.
