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Central Prince George's County municipalities are feeling their budget purse strings stretch even tighter in the wake of cuts in state aid for road projects and police protection.
Some are losing up to 90 percent of expected state aid in the current fiscal year under Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) plan to cut $454 million from Maryland's $13.8 billion fiscal 2010 budget to close a $750 million gap created by less-than-expected state revenues from property, sales and income taxes.
The plan cut $7 million in aid to Prince George's County towns and cities.
"I think the thing that perturbed me the most is that [O'Malley] did not give a pre-warning," District Heights Mayor James Walls Jr. said of the reductions, which were approved last month.
The cuts included those to the amount of State Highway User Revenue Maryland distributes. The revenue goes to municipalities for street repair projects such as sidewalk, curb and gutter replacement. O'Malley's plan also reduced state aid to local police
departments, which is used to pay for equipment and personnel.
The state cut $159 million in state highway user revenues, leaving $148.9 million, according to the state Department of Budget and Management Web site.
The Town of Cheverly was in the middle of a curb and gutter replacement on 64th Avenue, near the Cheverly Community Center, when it received word of the cuts, said David Warrington, Cheverly town administrator.
The $180,000 project, which would have been fully funded with state highway user revenue, will be covered with highway user funds and money from the town's reserves. The town has about $800,000 in its reserve fund, Warrington said. The town was expecting $211,000 in highway revenue but will receive $21,000, he added.
"If we had known a month ago, the [town] council would've been able to consider whether to move forward with the project," Warrington said.
Seat Pleasant was expecting $158,550 in highway revenues but will now receive $15,855, Mayor Eugene Grant said. The city also will receive $59,770 in police aid, or $12,527 less than expected. The cuts will make it harder for the city to fill its four vacant police officer positions, Grant said, adding that the City Council might have to discuss the possibility of layoffs in the public works department.
The public works department already is taxed with the upkeep on abandoned properties that resulted from foreclosure, Grant said, adding that staff reduction along with fewer police officers could make the properties harbors for criminal activity.
"It has a cyclical effect and a tremendous impact as it relates to the public safety of our residents," Grant said of the cuts.
The lost money deals a blow to municipalities such as District Heights, which depends on state money for city improvement projects, Mayor James Walls Jr. said.
District Heights officials met last week to determine how to cut spending after learning that the city will lose more than $293,139 in a combination of highway user revenue, funding for police and state Department of Juvenile Services funding.
"When I first heard about [the cuts] I was crawling through my skin," Walls said. "A quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money, especially for a municipality."
Officials identified $256,500 in cuts and decided to leave two vacant police department positions unfilled, for a savings of $80,575.
Officials also decided to cut $40,000 in operating funds from the District Heights Youth and Family Services Bureau, which provides social services such as family counseling for residents. Officials cut the funding rather than reduce the center's staff, they said.
The remaining $36,639 will come from the city's surplus fund, which totals roughly $125,000, city treasurer Daniel Baden said.
New Carrollton City Administrator J. Michael Downes said the $314,007 the city expected from the state in highway user revenues would drop to $31,000.
The city still must decide how to absorb the cuts. However, Downes said he didn't want to call the situation a crisis because the city can take money from its contingency reserve and operating reserve funds, which total $400,000.
"We have a number of people, particularly in the public works department, who have over 30 years of service for this city and we're looking perhaps to give them some incentive to retire," Downes said. "That would free up revenue."
The state's inability to balance its own budget worries him, Downes added.
"It's a lot of unknown out there," he said.
TOWNS ABSORB CUTS
Central county muncipalities saw their state highway and police aid cut by the following amounts:
Capitol Heights: Highway user revenue from $147,751 to $14,775; Police aid from $47,919 to $39,616
Cheverly: Highway user revenue from $211,497 to $21,150; Police aid from $98,982 to $83,831
District Heights: Highway user revenue from $213,728 to $21,373; Police aid from $75,224 to $62,190
Fairmont Heights: Highway user revenue from $57,505 to $5,750; Police aid from $15,350 to $12,690
Glenarden: Highway user revenue from $170,150 to $17,015; Police aid from $58,910to $48,703
Landover Hills: Highway user revenue from $57,505 to $5,750;; Police aid from $26,625 to $22,012
New Carrollton: Highway user revenue from $314,007 to $31,400; Police aid from $98,504 to $81,346
Seat Pleasant: Highway user revenue from $158,550 to $15,855; Police aid from $72,297 to $59,770
