Establishing A Direction--And A Legacy
The County Executive Has Set The Tone For the Coming Year And Beyond With FY24 Budget Proposal
News Commentary By Raoul Dennis
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAOUL DENNIS
Two weeks ago, when County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks announced her new budget proposal she was completing several tasks at once. The most obvious of which includes providing the framework for the fiscal and legal responsibility of shepherding public monies.
But as the first budget plan for her second – legacy – term, Ms. Alsobrooks is also setting the tone for the next four years and for the legacy that she plans to leave when her second term of office comes to a close.
From the start, the top executive of the county dove immediately into her plan to provide for the critical needs of today while simultaneously crafting the vision and security of tomorrow.
“Right now we see signs of prosperity, promise and opportunity all around us,” Alsobrooks said. “Even during a time of uncertainty, our county is on the rise. The investments that we're making in our FY2024 budget creates a financial foundation that will allow us to meet our residents' critical needs. Our budget is focused on residents today and ensures that our county can prosper together tomorrow.
In other words, this is a budget that is future-proof.”
Future-proofing, to make a product or system unlikely to fail or become obsolete in the future, was an anchor of the County Executive’s March 15 State of the County message . It was the hallmark of Ms. Alsobrooks’ vision to assure that the second half of her tenure was committed to the long arc of nation building within the county.
“I'm not here to talk about the $5.4 billion,” Alsobrooks said. “I can't talk about all of it in our budget. As a result of the legal mandate that we have, we are required to give 62% of our budget to our school system. Our public safety programs require at least 19.7%. That means before we spend a penny of our revenues, 82% of our entire budget goes just to public safety and to our school system. I'm here to talk to you today about the remaining 18% of our budget.”
The county executive seeks to increase county revenue base as a means to help future proof the county’s growth. She is focusing on developing the kinds of venues and initiatives that will bring more money into the county and relieve stress on county taxpayers.
“If we grow our local economy, over time we will increase revenues,” Alsobrooks said. “Our 2024 budget is an opportunity to do just that. We can build a new amphitheater that serves our residents and attracts new businesses; we can build a new cultural center that promotes economic growth in an often overlooked region. These projects have a near-term benefit. They mean new restaurants, new places to gather, new places to live, and new jobs to pursue.”
Other revenue generating projects such as transit oriented development around the Blue Line Corridor, Downtown Largo and Liberty Sports Park are among the kinds of efforts Alsobrooks envisions putting the county in the driver’s seat of its own future.
It’s not a direction that delivers instantly but it delivers. Cities such as New York, Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. continue to increase their revenue streams by broadening their commercial tax bases.
Alsobrooks offered an easy example.
“I hear residents say all the time, ‘Washington, D.C. has all of these extra services that our residents don't have.’ That's because just last year, Washington DC's budget total was $90.5 billion dollars for 700,000 residents. This year, Prince George's County's budget total is nearly $5.4 billion for nearly a million people. How did Washington, D.C. create so much revenue? Decades ago, leaders in Washington began to invest in their community the way that we're doing now. They built homes, they attracted private investments, and more importantly, they broadened their commercial tax base. In turn, the district saw their revenues grow, which allowed them to offer more services to residents.”
With focus, commitment and continued investment in revenue generating initiatives, the county can build a larger budget, provide more services and increase quality of life for our residents. That’s what legacy is all about. That’s why legacy terms matter.
