Prince George's Co. reveals proposed FY25 budget amid deficit, decreased revenue

LARGO, Md. (7News) — In 2023, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made her budget speech in a ballroom, but this year, with tougher news to deliver, she revealed her plans in the county media room.

The total budget is nearly $5.5 billion, amounting to just 1% more than last year.

It comes as the county must deal with a huge deficit and decreased revenue.

Alsobrooks announced that with federal COVID funds gone, it's time for belt-tightening.

READ MORE | Alsobrooks defends school funding amid PGCPS Superintendent budget cut claims

“To cover our projected $171 million budget deficit, we’ve made very difficult decisions to freeze hiring for over 800 positions within the county,” Alsobrooks said. “This year’s budget includes cuts to every county agency except for public safety and PGCPS. Most departments will see a decrease in dollars year over year.”

Alsobrooks made it clear once again that a major money headache is the state’s so-called blueprint for education, a mandatory spending increase plan for public schools passed by the legislature without a way to pay for it.

“Meeting our obligations under the blueprint grows more expensive every year,” Alsobrooks said. “We see the long-term value of this investment, but we must maintain the fiscal health of our county. As you can see, the current funding model is difficult to maintain.”

Alsobrooks is hoping that economic conditions improve in the county and revenue grows, but she is making it clear that something must change with regard to the blueprint demands or how it is paid for.