Prince George’s County Council on Wednesday passed a record $2.64 billion fiscal 2008 budget, with more than four out of every five dollars going to education and public safety.
The budget represents an 11 percent increase from the budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The council passed the budget unanimously without discussion, but Council Chair Camille Exum addressed the audience after Wednesday’s vote.
“This budget reflects the values and priorities of Prince George’s County,”she said, noting that “education and public safety are at the core.”
Of the $2.64 billion, roughly $1.66 billion, or 62.8 percent, will cover schools and education, while approximately $486.99 million, or 18.5 percent, will go to public safety, according to budget director Jonathan Seeman. In March, County Executive Jack Johnson had proposed $1.68 billion, or 63.7 percent, for schools and education. He subsequently changed that number after the state failed to provide the roughly $30 million the county was entitled to under the Geographic Cost of Education Index.
GCEI is a component of the Thornton Act that went into effect in fiscal 2004 to provide additional state support for Maryland schools. However, the state funded the GCEI piece only on a limited scale in year one.
“Just like in past years, we would have to evaluate where spending would have to be reduced without impacting instruction,” schools spokesman John White said.
Council Member Thomas Dernoga said the council “fully expects that [the superintendent] will draw from their unspent prior appropriations.” Therefore, Dernoga said, “essentially there is no consequence.”
Although the council and Johnson generally were in agreement on funding, one significant change from the county executive’s proposal was an additional $7 million allotted for Prince George’s Community College.
Council Member Samuel Dean said about 70 percent of the county’s students attend PGCC after high school.
“The college provides a very critical service to the citizens of Prince George’s County,” Dean said.
Dean said the money would fund programs, which will keep students costs lower. Johnson spokesman Jim Keary said the county executive was “thrilled by the work of the council.”
“They agreed with his fiscal year 2008 priorities,” Keary said, “and there was a less than 1 percent change in the budget from whathe originally proposed.”
