Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced Thursday the county received requests for approximately $50 million in additional funding over last year’s $1 billion budget. While that number could grow, Fitzwater announced there will be no new taxes or changes to tax rates at this time.
The largest portion of additional funds was requested by Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS), at $32.6 million. Even as the school system makes up nearly half of the county budget, the board of education has faced tight budgets over the last several years.
FCPS faced the difficult decision this budget season to cut back the number of media specialists and combine certain special education roles in the effort to find funding where they could. Parents worry these decisions will create inequitable outcomes for students and add to teacher burn out.
Even before that, FCPS has worked to maintain what funding it has, making it difficult to address the growing needs of its students and staff.
The remaining $17.1 million in additional requests could go towards public safety, housing and infrastructure, as well as other areas necessary for the maintenance of Frederick’s communities. While these aren’t as flashy as a new library or firehouse, Fitzwater said they make a difference. “When we are doing our continual improvement on water and sewer infrastructure that's under the ground, or pavement projects in a different part of the county…those might not be as visible to everybody in the community,” Fitzwater explained. “But if things aren’t working, people notice.”
Current Spending
While education makes up the largest portion of the county budget, Fitzwater said public safety, including the police and fire departments, make up the next largest portion. Following in third is community departments such as the libraries and senior centers.
With so much variety among those requesting funding and the amounts being requested, Fitzwater said it's a matter of keeping things balanced and shifting where funding is directed when programs are found to no longer serve their original purposes.
Fitzwater refers to this approach as the county’s “stop, keep, start” exercise.
Accomplishments
FCPS’s budget has increased by 30% over the last three years, Fitzwater said as she described what she called record levels of support for local schools. This parallels contributions from a reserve fund dedicated to renovating aging school infrastructure.
As a former educator herself, the county executive said she is excited to see Linganore Creek Elementary School (LCES) opening for the start of the upcoming school year. Even as the county faced cuts from the federal government, Fitzwater chose to include funding for the school in her previous budget.
Fitzwater said a school is going to open after being constructed in one year. The area LCES will serve faces severe overcrowding. She explained that the investment in funds will save the county in the long term, as the more drawn out construction becomes, the more expensive a project grows. “The fact that we were able to move this project so quickly in an area of the county that is really desperate for some relief from that overcrowding, through strong advocacy at the state level, is a really big win for our community,” Fitzwater said.
Federal Impacts
Fitzwater acknowledged actions at the federal level will always have some form of impact on local governments. With cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and questions surrounding grants and other forms of funding, she said it can be a challenge.
Residents can speak on the budget next Thursday at Winchester Hall.
