FY25 Property Tax Bill Information

Dear Anne Arundel County Taxpayer,

Since becoming County Executive, I’ve worked with my staff to redesign the budget process around you. This year, we maintained that transparent and open process by hosting 8 Budget Town Halls – one in each Council District, and another in Spanish. Thousands of residents participated in the process by providing testimony online or at a town hall.

People who shared testimony said they wanted investments in public safety and education, and that’s where most of our new money is going. The next largest growth area is health. That’s why this year’s budget theme is Staying Strong. This budget continues to address threats to our future while delivering quality services to the people and businesses that call Anne Arundel County home.

I believe that the government’s most fundamental obligation to its people is public safety. Our public safety departments are where our budgets have grown most over the last five years, and they remained a priority again this year. Our FY25 budget increases the starting salary for police officers to $70,000, the highest in the State of Maryland today. We’re also providing funding to train 70 new firefighter recruits, and staffing the county’s most effective new crime-fighting tool, the Real Time Information Center.

The budget fully funds AACPS Superintendent Dr. Bedell’s compensation request. It also starts a Middle School Athletics Program, staffs our two newly built schools, and meets all Blueprint requirements. Plus, we’re investing in the Anne Arundel County Public Library and increasing our support of Anne Arundel Community College.

A strong economy is important, but it’s simply a means to something greater – health. This year, we’re continuing many of the programs previously funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars during the pandemic. While health and wellness programs are usually the first to be cut, many have proven to effectively impact our residents. That’s why we’re continuing our investments in affordable housing, food programs, mental health care, and health equity.

The best news here is that our property tax remains the lowest in our region and one of the lowest in the state because we are sticking to our county tradition of honoring the tax cap. Unlike neighboring counties, we recognize no more than a two percent annual increase in value when calculating the property taxes you owe. While paying taxes isn’t optional, I do want to thank you for your investments in our communities. You can read every line of spending in this year’s budget at aacounty.org/yourbudget.

Thank you for all that you do to make Anne Arundel County The Best Place - For All, and please keep sending me your feedback at countyexecutive@aacounty.org.

Sincerely,

Steuart Pittman - County Executive