The Prince George’s County Council, convening on Thursday, May 25, 2023, adopted a balanced $5.4 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2024.  

The adopted General Fund totals $4.5 billion, with the largest portion of General Funds, nearly $2.8 billion or 62%, directly supporting the Board of Education for Prince George’s County Public Schools. Nearly 20% of General Funds support public safety, and the remaining 18% supports the rest of County Government operations.

The County’s new spending plan takes effect with the Fiscal Year that begins July 1, 2023.  

Prior to budget adoption, District 8 Council Member Edward Burroughs III, introduced an amendment allocating $250,000 in Non-Departmental funds to the State’s Attorney’s Office to support the Emerging Adults Program. Developed to reduce recidivism among young men and women between the ages of 18 and 26, the mission of the Emerging Adults program is to support young people who have become involved with the criminal justice system and assist them with becoming gainfully employed, productive members of the community, who are less likely to re-offend. 

“This budget amendment is about reducing crime and saving lives. This amendment is about creating a safer Prince George’s County for our children, for our seniors, and for our families,” said Council Member Burroughs prior to the Council vote. Following Council debate, the measure was favorably considered, and the County Budget was adopted.

Prince George’s County Council Chair Council Tom Dernoga, noting the impact of a $60 million revenue shortfall, thanked his Council colleagues and residents for their engagement during the budget process, but ultimately expressed disappointment that the final budget package failed to fund important parts of People’s Agenda legislation.  

“Over the last few months, guided by the core tenets of the People’s Agenda, Council Members, as a body and in our respective districts, have been digging in to ensure Council priorities – your priorities – were reflected in the final spending plan. With disappointment, and despite our best efforts, we are approving a County Budget with serious concern that so many of these priorities were not addressed.”   Council Chair Dernoga noted that the Administration did not directly support the Council’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program, the Healthy Restaurants Program, or various public programs aimed at reducing violence in the County. 

Among some of the Council-initiated enhancements: 

• The addition of $1.3 million for more firefighters; funding for public safety officials’ disability training; support for the Police Explorers; and a $250,000 investment in the Office of the Sheriff for recruitment and replacement of weapons.

• Council Member Krystal Oriadha secured $250,000 to support the Private Security Camera Incentive Program, also known as the Jayz Agnew Law, named in honor of 13-year-old Jayz Agnew, who was fatally shot in front of his home while raking leaves. The program allows businesses and homeowners to purchase and install cameras to support law enforcement in their efforts to address and solve crime within Prince George’s County communities. 

• The Council also responded to residents, who for years have advocated for safer streets, accessible pathways, and road improvements with an allocation of $2.1 million for additional streetlights and traffic signals, along with $4.5 million for curb and road rehabilitation.

•  Additional Council investments include increased funding for noise enforcement and the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council; an additional $3 million for grants to support community organizations; and $275,000 for United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP) to support Shepard’s Cove Emergency Shelter for women and children. 

In bi-county budget action earlier this month, Prince George’s and Montgomery county lawmakers unanimously adopted new FY24 spending plans for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); the bi-county portion of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC); and the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC).  Both Councils approved the WSSC FY 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets of $1.6 billion, reflecting an increase of 7-percent for water and sewer customers.  

READ Budget Adoption Remarks

FY 2024 County Budget Portal