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.
National Harbor Sphere Project and TIF Financing
The county is authorizing up to $215 million in special obligation bonds to refund 2022 bonds and help pay for the Sphere entertainment venue at National Harbor. The bonds are paid back from tax increment and hotel tax revenues in the district, not the county's general taxing power. The bill was amended on second reading but hasn't had its final vote yet.
Construction Mentor-Protege Training Cohort Program
CityWorks DC outlined how the county can turn its new apprenticeship incentive law (effective September 13) into results: make participation easy, address employer hurdles like transportation, and measure net-new apprenticeships rather than just activity counts.
FY 2027 Budget — Department of the Environment
The water and sewer utility presented its FY2027 proposed budget, emphasizing affordability programs and rate pressure — this directly affects residents' water bills.
Potomac plant power failure and aging electrical infrastructure
Last week's power failure at the Potomac Water Filtration Plant disrupted water for most of two counties. WSSC blamed obsolete 1975-era electrical equipment and said an assessment confirms the top three highest-risk projects match the failure points; $11.8 million in electrical upgrades are in the FY 2028 budget.
FY 2027 Budget Allocations Briefing
Budget officials briefed the Council on state aid coming to the county, including K-12 education funding drivers like enrollment, poverty, and special education, plus state budget bills that could affect county finances.
General Obligation Bond Issuance (CB-130-2026)
The county is borrowing up to $751 million plus $152 million in stormwater bonds to pay for capital projects in the FY 2026 budget. The county's full faith, credit, and taxing power back the debt.
FY2026 General Obligation and Stormwater Bond Authorization
CB-130-2026 would let the county borrow up to $788.6 million for capital projects and $161.5 million for stormwater projects, plus up to $950 million in bond anticipation notes — backed by the county's full faith, credit and taxing power.
$20 million supplemental funding for PGCPS
The Board of Education requested an additional $50 million; the county executive proposed $20 million above maintenance of effort, leaving a ~$30 million gap educators and parents say will mean larger classes, fewer special education supports and program cuts like immersion and IB. Testimony repeatedly cited $146 million in cumulative cuts and a classroom fire from degraded wiring at Cesar Chavez as evidence of underfunding.
FY 2027 County Operating Budget
The Council got its roadmap for how the county's FY 2027 operating and capital budgets will be reviewed and adopted — the process that decides funding for schools, safety, parks and infrastructure. Residents can follow scheduled budget meeting dates and weigh in before final decisions.
Solid waste enterprise fund structural deficit
The county's trash fund is $26.8 million in the hole and losing money every year, with combined enterprise fund deficits projected to top $327 million. Fixing it likely means raising landfill fees — which under county law may require a voter referendum. Council members debated whether to educate the public first or put the fee question on the ballot.
Police Department staffing shortage
The department is about 350 officers short of its authorized 1,728 and needs to hire at least 150 a year just to keep pace with retirements. A big December recruit class and an April 18 one-day hiring event are part of the recovery plan, which the chief says will take three to four years.
Adolescent psychiatric inpatient bed capacity
Prince George's teens currently lack local access to licensed psychiatric inpatient care. The supported bill would require the state to ensure at least 24 beds for ages 12-17 in the county by the end of 2028.
Winter Storm Fern Snow and Ice Response Plan
A major storm is expected to drop 4 to 13 inches of snow plus up to a third of an inch of ice starting Saturday night. Public Works rolled out fixes after last year's problems — better salt for cold weather, fixed truck tracking, a dedicated 311 team, and loaders for cul-de-sacs.
State budget deficit and federal job losses
Maryland faces a $1.4 billion deficit and lost roughly 25,000 federal jobs this year — Prince George's is the hardest-hit county. Expect tough budget choices on Medicaid, SNAP, and the Blueprint for education, and pressure to avoid shifting costs onto counties.