Auditor warns about debt
County Council urged to cut $9.2 million from operating budget
The Anne Arundel County auditor has recommended the County Council shave $9.2 million off its operating budget and reduce capital projects to protect the county from inflating debt.
County Auditor JoDee Dickinson laid out her analysis at a meeting Tuesday, where she raised concerns about long-term county debts and out-year rate increases.
“I am concerned about the growing size of the bonds in the” capital budget, Dickinson said during her presentation at the Arundel Center in Annapolis.
Her recommended operating budget cuts — across a variety of departments — would give the council about $5 million in unallocated funding to place elsewhere.
The other $4.2 million was linked to one-time funding that she recommended be kept separate from recurring expenses.
The auditor’s proposed cuts may represent a path for the council, as a majority of members are looking to add teachers to the county budget. The council cannot add to the operating budget unless they are meeting Board of Education requests or adding to county reserves.
The council is scheduled to finalize the budget on Thursday.
Many of the auditor’s reductions were linked to previous funding expenditures.
Her largest operating budget cut proposal is for about $2.4 million; it would involve moving a fiscal 2020 state retirement agency payment to fiscal 2020.
On the capital budget, Dickinson recommended the council remove the $28 million that would be used for “advanced land acquisition.”
This money was proposed by County Executive Steve Schuh to buy land that could be used for parks or future school sites. One potential site was the Belle Grove Landfill, which would cost an estimated $22.5 million.
Dickinson was skeptical of this purchase, saying its use as a landfill could cause development problems and increase cost.
She also raised concerns about Schuh’s See AUDITOR, page 4
County Auditor JoDee Dickinson laid out her analysis at a meeting Tuesday, where she raised concerns about long-term county debts and out-year rate increases.
“I am concerned about the growing size of the bonds in the” capital budget, Dickinson said during her presentation at the Arundel Center in Annapolis.
Her recommended operating budget cuts — across a variety of departments — would give the council about $5 million in unallocated funding to place elsewhere.
The other $4.2 million was linked to one-time funding that she recommended be kept separate from recurring expenses.
The auditor’s proposed cuts may represent a path for the council, as a majority of members are looking to add teachers to the county budget. The council cannot add to the operating budget unless they are meeting Board of Education requests or adding to county reserves.
The council is scheduled to finalize the budget on Thursday.
Many of the auditor’s reductions were linked to previous funding expenditures.
Her largest operating budget cut proposal is for about $2.4 million; it would involve moving a fiscal 2020 state retirement agency payment to fiscal 2020.
On the capital budget, Dickinson recommended the council remove the $28 million that would be used for “advanced land acquisition.”
This money was proposed by County Executive Steve Schuh to buy land that could be used for parks or future school sites. One potential site was the Belle Grove Landfill, which would cost an estimated $22.5 million.
Dickinson was skeptical of this purchase, saying its use as a landfill could cause development problems and increase cost.
She also raised concerns about Schuh’s See AUDITOR, page 4
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