Prince George's County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Prince George's County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
County Auditor vacancy filled after a year
The auditor is the county's independent financial watchdog. The seat sat empty for about a year, and supporters argued filling it was an emergency for good governance and accountability.
Child Care Improvement Workgroup State Legislative Recommendations
A briefing on how prepared county kids are for kindergarten and what childcare funding exists to close gaps. Childcare access and cost is a daily struggle for many working parents in the county.
National Harbor Tax Increment Financing
The Council is advancing bonds to fund the Sphere entertainment venue at National Harbor and refinance 2022 bonds, aiming to replace tax revenue lost with Six Flags' closure. Amendments added labor peace and diversity commitments before final passage.
Senior and disabled property-tax relief package
Four bills (CB-94, CB-95, CB-98, CB-117) aim to ease property tax burdens for seniors and disabled homeowners, but the committee held them until September 24 pending solid cost estimates. There was a heated exchange over whether the administration slow-walked fiscal data, and Ivey floated funding relief through a carve-out of future revenue like sports wagering.
Distribution of state cannabis reinvestment funds
The council rewrote the process for the cannabis community reinvestment fund, adding staffing and a council approval step, and extended the board's deadline to April 1, 2027 — over board members' objections that their authority was being stripped and the timeline unrealistic.
Property Tax Relief for Elderly and Disabled Residents
Bills to expand property tax credits and deferrals for seniors and disabled homeowners were introduced with amendments — including a $1 million annual cap on deferrals and a fiscal-year reset on the credit queue — plus a homestead credit set at 104%. One tax cap bill was pulled as a compromise with the administration.
State's Attorney's Office exempt employee compensation
Assistant state's attorneys have been locked out of county COLA increases since their 2024 salary restructure, making it hard to keep prosecutors. This resolution restores raises and allows retention bonuses for FY2025–2027.
Jones House District 8 programs and accountability
Council Member Burroughs announced that Jones House started an independent audit months ago and a fiscal partnership with the Center of Nonprofit Advancement, with both reviews to be presented publicly at the October 20 meeting.
FY 2028-2030 Local Impact Grant plan letter
The committee approved the $12.17 million local impact grant plan, a $28.7 million FY26 closeout reallocation, and capital transfers for the District VI police station and public safety upgrades.
Board of Education FY 2026 Transfer Request
The Council endorsed the school system's mid-year budget transfer with a letter to Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph.
FY 26 Project Charge Pilot Program funding controversy
Chair Oriadha said misinformation about Project Charge funding has become a distraction, and she and County Executive Braveboy are asking for the second distribution to be returned so it can be fully documented and redirected to District 7 services.
Energy cost relief (HB 1532)
A resolution calling for a moratorium on utility price increases was on the agenda — a response to rising utility bills for county residents.
Government transparency and budget process concerns
The multi-year contracts list (CR-036-2026) reached the council just a day before the meeting, angering members who said the administration's lateness is making their oversight job harder. The fallout: budget adoption slips from May 21 to May 27 to allow proper public notice and a hearing.
Local Impact Grant Funds spending plan (FY2028-FY2030)
CR-148-2026 would send the Local Impact Grant Funds Multiyear Plan to the full Council for review and approval, directing how grant funds are allocated over multiple years.
Sphere Community Impact Fund (CB-132-2026)
A new bill would reserve 15% of county revenues from the Sphere venue for communities within six miles — half for community programs, half for infrastructure. It was just introduced and will get further committee review and a public hearing.
Rent Stabilization Program Fee Schedule (CR-073-2026)
The county needs to set fees to run its permanent rent stabilization program — covering fair return applications, a capital improvement surcharge, renovation exemptions, and rent banking. The committee couldn't agree on a recommendation, so the full council will decide.
FY 2026 Public Safety Budget Review
The committee backed multi-year financing for emergency communication equipment and public safety vehicles, moved capital funds to the District VI Police Station, and added money for public safety infrastructure upgrades.
Permanent Rent Stabilization fee schedule
The committee was scheduled to reconsider the fee schedule that makes the 2024 rent stabilization law workable — covering fair return applications, capital improvement surcharges, renovation exemptions and rent banking. The fees landlords and tenants deal with under the program depend on how this is resolved.
Utility affordability and shutoff protections
With roughly 43% of county households financially strained, the committee backed a resolution asking the state Public Service Commission to block utility shutoffs during winter and summer months for vulnerable residents, and to study whether data centers are driving up rates.
Utility price increase moratorium
A resolution calling for a moratorium on utility price increases was on the agenda — a response to rising utility bills for county residents.
Public Utility Rate Increases
A resolution calling for a moratorium on utility price increases was on the agenda — a response to rising utility bills for county residents.
State's Attorney pay plan resolution
Assistant State's Attorneys didn't get the COLA raises other county employees received in 2025 and 2026, and the office struggles to keep attorneys. This resolution gives them catch-up raises and possible retention bonuses. Better pay means better-staffed courtrooms and cases handled well.
FY 2027 Property Tax Rates
A new bill would create a property tax credit capping taxes for eligible low-income seniors — potentially meaningful savings for older homeowners on fixed incomes.
DPIE permitting fee increase
Two measures headed to the full council would consolidate all county permitting fees into one fee table and implement a 20% across-the-board fee increase plus a 10% technology fee at the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement. Anyone pulling a permit — homeowners, builders, developers — could pay more.
Cannabis Reinvestment and Restoration Board Methodology
About $12 million from cannabis tax revenue is sitting in a fund meant to reinvest in communities harmed by prohibition — and it can't be spent this fiscal year. The board is racing to set up its structure so grants can go out early in fiscal 2027.
Fiscal Impact of Growth Study
A county-commissioned study examined how projected growth affects county finances — which land uses pay their way, where infrastructure will be needed, and how TIF and PILOT subsidy tools should be evaluated.
Supplementary appropriation to FY 2026 General Fund
The county is adding revenue to the General Fund to pay for costs nobody anticipated when the FY 2026 budget was approved. It's a mid-year budget patch, moved to the full Council with unanimous committee support.
CDBG funds redirected to Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program
The committee advanced moving $1.3 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money into the county's housing rehab fund. That means more help for homeowners who need to repair aging homes.
$20M payment toward teacher retirement liability
The county owes the state a portion of the school system's teacher retirement liability, and $20 million of that wasn't budgeted for FY 2027. The committee recommended a supplemental appropriation to cover it, pulling the money from county reserves rather than raising revenue.
$412 Million Bond Package for Capital Projects
Five bond bills totaling over $412 million were enacted for community college, roads, buildings, libraries and public safety — all must still win voter approval in November.
Elimination of At-Large Council Seats
Two parallel measures — charter resolution CR-057-2026 and bill CB-030-2026 — would scrap the county's at-large council seats after 2030, leaving nine district-only members. The bill version was pulled from this agenda; the resolution is moving.
Eliminating at-large council seats
Two parallel measures — charter resolution CR-057-2026 and bill CB-030-2026 — would scrap the county's at-large council seats after 2030, leaving nine district-only members. The bill version was pulled from this agenda; the resolution is moving.
November 2026 bond referendums for capital projects
Five bond bills totaling over $412 million would let the County borrow for community college, roads, buildings, libraries, and public safety — but only if voters approve them on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Vacant and abandoned property tax rate
A package of six new bills took their first reading: rapid-response cleanup crews for dumping corridors, a public transparency dashboard, steeper vacant-property fines, illegal sign enforcement, a report-a-violation reward program, and a special tax rate on vacant unfit properties. All head to committees.
M-NCPPC FY 2027 Budget Review
Parks proposed a $415.9 million budget with 13 new positions, no increase over FY 25, and priorities including pool access equity, weekend rec center hours, after-school transportation, and the Pro Peace summer initiative. Members want tax dollars felt in direct services.
M-NCPPC Recreation Fund budget transfer (FY 2026)
CR-010-2026 lets the parks commission move appropriations within its recreation fund for fiscal year 2026, affecting how recreation programming is funded.
Direct support professional supplement increase
Parents of children with disabilities asked that DSP funding not be cut; one speaker asked for an increase from $4.6 million to $6.9 million to stabilize the workforce caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Equity of M-NCPPC project charge distributions across county regions
Council data shows southern county districts (7, 8, 9) received as little as 3-6% of project charge funds for years, versus 40-50% each for north and central districts. Council Members Oriadha and Burroughs demanded accountability for historic disinvestment and delayed reimbursements to nonprofits.
State income tax clawback and revenue outlook
The state comptroller over-distributed income tax money and will claw back $26.5 million from the county in FY 2027, mostly canceling out the $17.5 million disparity grant the county executive won back. OMB still projects a $2.9 million revenue increase over the proposed budget.
County Debt, Reserves, and Credit Rating
OMB warned the county still faces a structural imbalance from rising compensation costs and state-mandated Blueprint K-12 spending, and debt service is projected to exceed the 8% policy limit in FY 2028 — peaking at 8.32% in FY 2030.
County hiring speed and workforce modernization
The county cut average hiring time from 104 days to 42 and is targeting 60-80 days for police and fire so it stops losing recruits to DC, Northern Virginia and Anne Arundel. Vacancies and retirements are straining agencies from OCS mechanics to OMB analysts.
Slowing development shrinks school surcharge and transfer taxes
The school facility surcharge is projected to fall from $91.2 million to $36.7 million because fewer homes are being built, and recordation taxes are down because fewer homes are selling — both squeeze the budget.
Housing Authority budget, vouchers, and Cottage City repositioning
Federal HUD changes push the county's homeless system from 'housing first' toward 'treatment first,' capping permanent housing renewals at 30% — forcing a restructuring to stay competitive for funding. A temporary court-ordered return to FY 24 rules is in place.
FY 2027 Department of Social Services budget
The Health Department's proposed budget for next fiscal year was reviewed by the committee. It funds county health services residents rely on, from clinics to community health programs.
2026 Maryland General Assembly legislative and budget priorities
With six days left in the Maryland session, the county's lobbyists flagged bills that could change utility rates, school funding, youth prosecution, renter protections, and county tax authority. Most are stuck in opposite-chamber committees awaiting votes before Monday at midnight.
FY 2027 Health Department budget
The Health Department's budget drops $22.3 million, mostly from four federal grants that didn't come through. Leadership warned that erosion of general funds jeopardizes far larger external funding and that state-mandated services are underfunded.
Office of Law FY 2027 budget and rising litigation costs
The County Attorney's office wants a 16.5% budget increase to hire more attorneys, citing expensive litigation — including a challenge to jail housing policies and child sexual abuse cases with no statute of limitations. The county is self-insured, so big judgments come straight out of county funds.
DPIE FY 2027 Budget and Enforcement Division Transfer
DPIE's budget drops 26% to $24.3 million because its enforcement division is moving to Homeland Security, but the agency still has to support that division with IT and data services. The agency is asking for about $1.5 million extra, with the Fast Track small-business permitting program as the top priority since its funding dies June 30.
Inspector and Technician Attrition and Compensation
DPIE is losing inspectors and engineering technicians to other jurisdictions that pay more, with a chronic 19% attrition rate. The engineering salary study helped, but no comparable study has been done for inspectors — and the committee wants OHRM to act before vacancies climb back toward the 53 seen a few years ago.
Automated speed enforcement revenue surge
Speed camera revenue jumped from $3.3 million to $14 million thanks to a new per-ticket vendor billing model and more cameras (66 to 107). New state law means school-zone speeding fines now range $40–$425, which is expected to keep revenue climbing. More revenue means more funding for county projects — but also more tickets for drivers.