FY 2024 Proposed Budget Hearings – Week of May 1
Dear Prince Georgians:
We are still in the midst of budget season after I released my fiscal year (FY) 2024 proposed budget on March 15. Even though this year’s budget is tight, we are still making investments that will improve critical government services for our residents and local small businesses. We are also making investments to grow the commercial tax base, which over time will help us bring in new revenues as we continue to work to remove the tax burden from our residents.
Council committees are continuing to hold hearings this week, and we want to highlight some of the key investments that we are making in several County Government agencies that will go before the Council. These people-centered investments in economic development, public safety, and other critical government services will directly serve the needs of all Prince Georgians.
Economic Development
My administration has been focused on smart growth and transit-oriented development, which means building out homes, retail spaces, and offices along existing metro stations. This helps limit traffic and reduces our impact on the environment. It provides new places to visit, new amenities, and new entertainment to enjoy. Transit-oriented development allows our County to grow in a smart way, create new jobs, and bring in new revenues without resorting to sprawl.
Transit-oriented development is the key to growing the commercial tax base and removing the tax burden from our residents, and one of our biggest opportunities lies within the Blue Line Corridor. We have already secured over $1.2 billion in public and private investments for our Blue Line Corridor Project, helping create walkable, bikeable, amenity-rich neighborhoods at Metro stations along the Blue Line. That includes $400 million from the Maryland Stadium Authority to build an amphitheater, youth sports fieldhouse, library/cultural center, market hall, and civic plaza.
We are also working to transform New Carrollton into the premier transit hub on the eastern seaboard. Last year, we received a $20.5 million federal RAISE grant to build a new train hall, and this year we received $50.7 million from the State of Maryland for additional infrastructure improvements. As we grow and develop, we have also focused heavily on affordable housing, creating or preserving nearly 4,000 affordable housing units since 2021.
Our work to grow the commercial tax base would not be possible without the support of our economic development agencies, which is why we are making critical investments in these agencies during this budget cycle. Our Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) budget totals $5.9 million for FY 2024, an increase of 31.6% over last year. The County grant totals $4.8 million. With this funding, EDC will help grow our local economy by attracting new businesses to the County and providing technical assistance to help local businesses expand.
EDC is also a recipient of our County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. They have received a total of $1.5 million for their Grow Prince George’s Initiative, with funding continuing into this next fiscal year. Grow Prince George’s is supporting 200 small, minority, and women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through several programs. Examples include technology assistance grants, a coaching and assistance program for manufacturing companies, and the Entrepreneur in Residence program to provide mentoring to new entrepreneurs.
FSC First’s budget totals $3.4 million, an increase of 65.2% over last year. The County grant totals $1.2 million. Funding will help them continue to support local, small, and minority-owned businesses with access to capital and flexible funding solutions. FSC First will also continue to serve as grant administrator for the Purple Line Business Assistance Grant program, supporting businesses who have been impacted by construction of the new Purple Line.
Similar to EDC, FSC First received ARPA funding to support our local businesses. FSC First has received $2.5 million in ARPA funding to expand their Level Up program, with funding continuing into this next fiscal year. Level Up provides small businesses with access to education, mentoring, and coaching, as well as resources and loan packaging services. So far, they have successfully supported over 800 businesses.
Our Revenue Authority’s budget totals $46.3 million, an increase of 11.9% over last year. This will help the Revenue Authority continue to grow the commercial tax base through real estate development and development financing. In addition, the agency’s capital budget will support another transit-oriented development project, our revitalization project in Suitland. The next phase of this project will include new workforce housing and mixed-use development to bring new amenities to the neighborhood.
Experience Prince George’s, our County’s tourism agency, has a $1.8 million budget. Funding will help us expand tourism so we can continue to grow our local economy. This will include a focus on attracting new conferences and conventions to the County, bringing additional visitors and growing revenues.
Public Safety
As we work to grow our commercial tax base, we are also working to keep residents safe. Just like communities across the nation, we are facing a rise in violent crime. That’s why we are allocating $394.7 million to the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD), an increase of 6.2% over last year. This funding will support four recruit classes of 120 new officers, as well as provide recruitment incentives so we can attract the best and brightest new officers.
PGPD’s budget also includes funding to continue 21st century policing practices and implementation of police reform efforts. The capital improvement program budget includes funding to continue construction of a new forensics lab. Finally, separate from the Police Department budget, we are also providing funding for the new Police Accountability Board to continue its work, which includes full-time staff and stipends for Board Members.
We also know that when our residents have a fire or medical emergency, they rely on the swift response of our Fire/EMS Department and right now, there’s a nationwide shortage of firefighters. That’s why we are allocating $259.7 million to our Fire/EMS Department, an increase of 8% over last year. This will fund three recruit classes for a total of 80 new firefighters.
In addition, the department will receive funding to purchase smoke detectors for County residents that may be unable to obtain them, helping protect them in the event of a fire. In the capital improvement program budget, we have included funding for a major renovation of the Hyattsville Fire/EMS station, as well as renovations at other stations across the County.
Government Services
As we work to keep Prince Georgians safe, we are also making people-centered investments in other agencies that will improve government services for residents and businesses. When I came into office, I heard the concerns of our business community about County procurement. Our technology was antiquated and slow.
That’s why during our first term, we launched a new electronic procurement system to make it easier to do business with County Government. We also launched multiple programs like the Green Book, the Mentor-Protégé program, and the Supply Schedule, all working to create new opportunities for local, small, and minority-owned businesses. In our FY 2024 proposed budget, we are building on that successful work with $17.8 million across multiple agencies to increase procurement opportunities and assistance programs for small and minority-owned businesses.
We will also continue to streamline services within our Office of Central Services (OCS) with $48.3 million in funding, an increase of 7.5% over last year. Increased funding will support three new positions and expand services for local, small, and minority-owned businesses. We will also expand our Supply Schedule program, which will increase the amount of dollars we spend on County-based small and minority-owned businesses. Finally, we will continue electrification of the County fleet to protect our environment.
Our Office of Human Resources Management will receive $11.8 million, an increase of 19% over last year. Funding supports new and innovative approaches to hiring so we can attract qualified and diverse candidates to County Government positions. $2.5 million will also support our Summer Youth Enrichment Program, which has provided summer jobs and career readiness opportunities to over 17,000 young people over the past four years. We will provide these opportunities to thousands of young people again this summer.
Finally, our Office of Finance receives $5.9 million in our budget. This funding includes three new positions within the department, one of which supports the implementation of a new Treasury Management System. The other two positions will support implementation of the new Property Tax Credit for seniors.
As we continue the budget process, we encourage our residents to stay engaged and learn more about the people-centered investments we are making that will benefit all Prince Georgians. To find information on County Council hearings, including schedules, agendas, minutes, and links to view the hearings, visit the County Council website here. For a more detailed breakdown of the FY 2024 proposed budget, view the Office of Management and Budget’s FY 2024 Proposed Budget in Brief here.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
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