The Baltimore County Council voted on May 26 to adopt County Executive Kevin Kamenetz’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2017 with only minor changes.
The general fund operating budget is $1.99 billion, an increase of 1.27 percent above the previous year. The capital budget totals more than $383 million, much of which will go to school renovation and construction projects.
Once again, there will be no increases in the property tax rate (for the 28th year in a row) and the income tax rate (for the 24th year in the row), according to Baltimore County.
Operating Budget Highlights
- 2 percent cost-of-living agreement for general government and Baltimore County Public Schools, Community College of Baltimore County and Baltimore County Public Library employees
- $195.7 million for school renovation and construction projects
- Pikesville High School will be complete in August 2016
- No schools in District 10 are scheduled to have air conditioning installed in the 2017 fiscal year, according to the county’s schedule. It appears Franklin Elementary School will have air installed in August 2017.
- 130 new teaching positions for BCPS
- 26.6 additional ESOL teachers
- 20 additional teachers for special education and teachers of at-risk youth
- 2.5 positions for pre-kindergarten
- $349 million for public safety (Police, Fire, Corrections and 911) – 18 percent of general fund budget
- $76.8 million to support social safety net programs to support health and human services, homeless programs, support for seniors, housing opportunities and assistance to victims of domestic violence
- $52.8 million to support culture and leisure in the county and the region
Capital Budget Highlights
$2.7 million to:
- Replace turf at Catonsville High School and CCBC Essex
- Install turf fields at Milford Mill Academy and Sparrows Point High School
- Light an additional all-purpose field at Spring Grove
- $1 million for capital improvements to the Catonsville, Randallstown and Reisterstown libraries
You can read the county’s full text and where the money goes and comes from at baltimorecountymd.gov.