Annapolis, MD (May 1, 2024) - Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced his FY25 budget proposal. The proposed budget invests in the people and institutions of government that deliver high-quality services for residents in a fiscally disciplined manner, staying strong while addressing the challenges facing the county. County Executive Pittman introduced the budget with an address to the County Council - click here to read the full address, and click here to view the proposed FY25 budget.
“This budget allows us to Stay Strong, to continue the progress we have been making in public safety, education, and health equity, in a year when most jurisdictions are taking a pause,” said County Executive Pittman. “And thanks to the forward-looking budget decisions we’ve made in recent years, we are able to make these investments while keeping our ranking among the lowest taxed counties in the state.”
"County Executive Pittman's budget proposal stays strong in its support of our teachers, our firefighters, our police officers, and the services our government provides for residents all over the county," County Council Chair Allison Pickard said.
“I want to commend County Executive Pittman and his team for this budget proposal. As a county, we have no higher priorities than the education of our children and the safety of our communities, and I’m thrilled to see these priorities addressed in record support for our school system and our public safety personnel,” County Council Vice-Chair Julie Hummer said.
Protecting Our Communities
County Executive Pittman’s FY25 budget strengthens the county’s commitment to public safety by increasing the starting salary for police officers to the highest in the state of Maryland at $70,000, and funds a generous pay package to retain existing officers. The proposal also provides funding to train 70 new firefighter recruits, and includes money for hiring bonuses for detention officers to continue reducing vacancies. The proposed budget also funds an innovative program to provide a Sheriff’s Deputy in every courtroom.
Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders
The FY25 budget proposal continues the county’s work in building a strong school system by investing in tomorrow’s leaders today. The proposal fully funds Dr. Bedell’s compensation request with a step increase and 3% cost-of-living adjustment for AACPS teachers and school staff. It includes funding for staffing for the three new schools opening this fall - Severn Run High School, Two Rivers Elementary School, and New Village Academy - and provides funding to meet all the current year Maryland Blueprint for Education requirements.
Improving Quality of Life
The FY25 budget proposal strengthens the health of county communities by continuing investments in programs that proved successful during the pandemic. The budget proposal provides $1.5 million in funding to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, and funds the Department of Social Services’ SNAP program, benefitting more than 36,000 children across the county. The budget also includes money for the Mental Health Agency’s Crisis Response Team, and adds a position in the Department of Health to manage the department’s Cure Violence program.
Safeguarding Our Environment
County Executive Pittman recently-announced the creation of the county’s first environmental subcabinet to lead sustainability efforts and continue the administration’s progress in strengthening the protections of our natural resources. This year’s budget proposal includes staff for the soon-to-be-open Jug Bay Emory Waters Nature Preserve, and expands the River Days event series to five locations to provide free public water access for families. The Resilience Authority also continues to bring in and deploy money dedicated to environmental protection and climate resilience work, with $32 million received so far in state and federal grants, and another $58 million in the pipeline.
Critical Services/Fiscal Responsibility
This year, Anne Arundel County maintained its Triple-A bond rating from all three major bond rating agencies for the second year in a row. In doing so, the bond rating agencies supported the county’s continued strong economic indicators and fiscally responsible strengthening of the institutions of government that provide services to residents. The budget proposal includes a close to 3% cost-of-living-adjustment for union and non-represented employees, while also funding escalating information technology costs for the new Police Real Time Information Center, the Land Use Navigator, and for other tools that improve operations and enhance security protocols.
To accomplish these funding goals, the budget proposal includes revenue enhancements that generate recurring funding to remove the deficit without cutting essential services. These enhancements include:
Updating permit fees for the first time in 21 years, linking fees to cost.
Raising the fee residents pay each month for 911 service from $0.75 to the state average of $1.
Increasing the income tax rate from 2.81% to 2.94% on income between $75,000 and $480,000. Only 3.6% of Marylanders enjoy lower rates than Anne Arundel County’s.
The county’s property tax rate remains the lowest in the region as we continue to honor the tax cap.
“County Executive Pittman has proposed a budget that boosts public safety salaries, funds our public education needs and delivers critical services to county residents in a fiscally responsible way,” said Budget Officer Chris Trumbauer. “May 1st is just the beginning - I look forward to working with the County Council in the coming weeks to make it even better.”
The County Council will begin to hear presentations this afternoon as it reviews and considers the proposal. The county charter requires that the final budget be passed by June 15.
County Executive Pittman will be available for Zoom interviews from 12pm - 1pm on Wednesday, May 1. To book a time slot, please contact Renesha Alphonso at exalph21@aacounty.org or by phone 410-271-7331.