Prioritizes Public Safety, Education
No Tax Increases
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly released today his recommended fiscal year 2024 budget following an in-depth review of current county operations and spending. The $1,184,307,000 budget is lower than the previous year and does not raise tax rates, while making unprecedented investments in public safety and contributing to full funding for Harford County Public Schools. Upon releasing his first county budget since taking office, County Executive Cassilly issued the following statement:
“I have met with my budget team every day for the past four months and reviewed county spending and operations in detail to ensure we’re acting responsibly as good stewards of taxpayer funds. Like other counties and families across Maryland, we’re also facing a very uncertain economic future and steep cost increases from unfunded state mandates. I have not raised taxes as other Maryland counties have done. But we must act now to restore fiscal responsibility while maintaining essential services. My budget reduces our structural deficit, greatly increases funding for my top priority – public safety – and provides education funding in the amount required by the state. I encourage the Harford County Board of Education to take the same close look at their budget and operations to find efficiencies, especially in non-instructional salaries. However, they will be able to fully fund their budget by using a combination of county and state funds, and a portion of the $92 million in unspent taxpayer dollars they have amassed from prior years of overfunding.”
Budget Highlights:
- No increase in tax rates
- Rapidly expanding emergency services – Adding 130 first-responder positions including paramedics, EMTs, and 9-1-1 dispatchers with nearly $10 million in new funding.
- Supporting law enforcement & the criminal justice system – Increasing salaries, personnel and equipment for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office including 10 new deputies, pay scale enhancements, and additional overtime pay; adding 13 new positions for the state’s attorney’s office.
- Funding for education – $305 million in operating funds, equal to the amount required by state law. In addition, funding to upgrade schools includes $20 million for Harford Technical High School, $17 million for Aberdeen Middle and $16 million to plan a new combination elementary school and Harford Academy, which serves special education students.
- $23 million for road & bridge maintenance and repairs
- $2.7 million for trails and parks
- Living within our means – Cutting the structural deficit in half and putting Harford County on a path to living within our means.
“I would like to thank the taxpayers who fund the county budget, my budget team and our dedicated county employees,” County Executive Cassilly said. “I strive each day to ensure that the funds entrusted to us are spent wisely and we are able to provide essential services for our citizens.”
County Executive Cassilly’s budget video is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjNLyl969gw
The county’s executive’s budget letter and proposed FY 24 budget are online at https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/1531/Budget-Efficiency
