Anne Arundel taxpayers who said they were unaware of proposed tax increases or cuts to the school system may have a chance to change how the county does its budget.
Complaints from officials and residents having little time to weed through hundreds of budget documents have led County Council Chairwoman Cathy Vitale, R-District 5, to propose the county executive introduce the budget two weeks earlier.
If approved by five council members, the question would go before county voters in November, as it requires a change in the county?s governing policy.
A $60 million expansion of a Glen Burnie prison surprised many county officials, one of several surprises that met the council when County Executive John R. Leopold introduced his proposed fiscal 2009 $1.22 billion budget May 1.
“I think it?s a major undertaking … and we need more than one or two weeks to discuss this,” said Councilman Ed Middlebrooks, R-District 2. The project was eventually axed.
Though Vitale said the problem is years old, this year saw many complaints, mainly from business leaders, about a proposed hotel tax increase and $50 million in cuts to the school system budget.
But Budget Officer John Hammond said pushing back the unveiling of the budget could make it difficult to factor in state funding and school construction money, which is allocated in mid-April.
“This process has worked well in 45 years-plus of charter government, and I have never heard anyone express concerns about the timing of the budget,” Hammond said.
This is the sixth charter amendment resolution before the council, part of an effort to give the council more say over the inner workings of the county government.
