Lean county budget a 'cold fiscal reality' | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

And a smaller-than-requested $862 million allocation to county schools sets the stage for teacher cuts and a month of acrimonious debate about education funding.

"In these difficult economic times, we must find the political fortitude to make budget decisions that reflect cold fiscal reality," County Executive John R. Leopold said Thursday to a crowd of political and community leaders at the Arundel Center in Annapolis.

Faced with declining revenues from the real estate market, rising expenses and the county's self-imposed cap on property taxes, the budget reflects a small expansion over last year coupled to cuts in the millions for some county departments and lower-than-expected allocations for others.

The budget for county schools is set to grow by 5 percent, about equal to what Mr. Leopold told school officials privately earlier this year and less than half what school officials said they need.

Mr. Leopold said the $48 million increase for schools should cover raises for teachers and secretaries, the largest share of the county budget in history. He urged school officials to spend the money on what he suggested.

"Diverting resources from these vital priorities must be resisted," he said.

But reeling from news that his budget from the county is $51 million short, schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell accused Mr. Leopold of breaking his promise to fund a contract with the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County.

"Mr. Leopold said that he was going to fully fund the TAAAC agreement, and he has not," Dr. Maxwell said at a news conference Thursday. "He has not held up the contractual agreements. He didn't hold up his end in the budget, so I will have to do that. I believe we have a moral obligation to do so."

To give teachers their contracted raises, Dr. Maxwell said he will have to scrimp and cut from other places, likely slicing schools' faculty, maintenance, instructional materials, utilities and construction projects.

"We will pretty much have to touch every area of the school district to make up this kind of money," he said.

Mr. Leopold disagreed with Dr. Maxwell's analysis of the situation, and argued he did fully fund the teacher raises. "His effort is obfuscation of the facts. ... His comment bears no scrutiny of the facts," Mr. Leopold said.

Mr. Leopold's spending plan is 2.9 percent larger than last year and includes new initiatives for science and math education programs, a baseball field for children in wheelchairs and a police officer dedicated to working with federal authorities to curb illegal immigration.

It also sets aside $2 million to build workforce housing, allocates money to preserve 130 acres of land and gives money to help veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan access mental health and substance abuse treatment.

The County Council will deliberate on the plan and the $3.6 billion of proposed capital projects and hold public hearings before taking a final vote at the end of the month. The north county public hearing is planned May 12 at the Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park.

Mr. Leopold's budget announcement reignited a fiscal fight that has simmered since last year, when Dr. Maxwell and Mr. Leopold battled over how much the schools needed.

The allocation is not enough to reinstate the 200 teaching jobs slashed earlier this year by Dr. Maxwell, a move made to save $12.2 million in anticipation of a tight budget.

Mr. Leopold said his decisions reflect "cold fiscal reality," a nod to a slumping housing market and dwindling economy that led to a universal lack of funding affecting all county departments.

He said he gave the schools half the county's funds, which was 95 percent of what they asked for - $862 million out of the $909 million Dr. Maxwell wanted from the county.

Dr. Maxwell's plan to cut 200 teaching positions has upset parents, teachers and students worried about expanding class sizes and losing their favorite teachers.

Schools also will roll back on instructional materials, delay replacing equipment like printers and diminish use of heating and air conditioning, Dr. Maxwell said.

And even though he already decided to cut 50 non-teaching positions, he'll have to look at slicing more administrative positions from the central office - all cuts that ultimately will hurt student achievement and his goal of taking county schools "from good to great."

"If you want a Mercedes, you have to pay for a Mercedes," Dr. Maxwell said. "And we didn't even ask for a Mercedes. We asked for a Chrysler, and we got a pogo stick."

Mr. Leopold said the schools not only got a larger share of the county budget than any other department, they also got a 5 percent increase when the rest of the budget grew only by 2.9 percent.

School officials also are upset to only get $136 million out of the $189 million they wanted for school construction.

To expand the budget, Mr. Leopold cut $6.6 million out of current spending and suggested a pallet of fee and tax increases totaling $11 million. He asked the council to approve an ambulance service fee of $500 that would raise $2 million and be used to build underground water tanks in neighborhoods without access to public water.

He also requested increasing the tax on hotel stays from 7 to 10 percent, a move that would generate $6.3 million and would fund raises for school secretaries and support staff.

Other fee increases on well and restaurant inspections, recreation and parks, and building approval are expected to bring in $2.7 million if the council grants the increases.

ecox@capitalgazette.com