Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker plans to cut funding for nearly every county agency and department in his $2.6 billion budget for fiscal 2012, he told members of the County Council.
Over a breakfast briefing Monday morning, Baker and his budget director, Thomas M. Himler, told the council that they plan to close the county’s $77 million shortfall by eliminating 145 vacant county government positions, consolidating county-owned and leased office space and chopping away at the budgets of the county’s agencies.
“Virtually across the government, every agency’s funding is going down,” said Himler, explaining that the county’s budget matches 2008 spending levels. “That’s just the reality of when you have to turn back the clock four years.”
Baker is set to formally unveil his budget during a Monday afternoon news conference in Upper Marlboro.
The county executive said his budget also includes modest spending increases for public safety, education and economic development.
He is proposing to spend $50 million on an economic development investment plan that would help bring and retain businesses in the county through loans and other programs in hopes of growing the county’s corporate tax base. Himler said about 60 percent of the county’s residents leave Prince George’s for work.
Baker said he is proposing to give the school board — facing its own budget crisis — a one-time jolt in additional funding of $14 million.
He said he’s working with lawmakers in Annapolis to restore more state funding to the schools. Officials say drastic job and program cuts to the schools are necessary if that doesn’t happen.
The budget includes money for more public safety personnel and equipment, as well as two new staff members in the State’s Attorney office, Baker said.
