The Baltimore County Council passed a budget Thursday for the next fiscal year that does not raise taxes.
The council left County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s $5.2 billion spending plan virtually untouched.
The council did slice $6.6 million from the budget. That money was for renovating the clubhouse at the Rocky Point Golf Course in Essex.
Chairman Mike Ertel, a Democrat, said the council was not opposed to the project, but that it should be paid for by the Baltimore County’s Revenue Authority, especially since the council was “given no oversight role” in approving the funding.
The Revenue Authority manages five golf courses in the county including Rocky Point, and according to its website its projects should be self supporting.
The council kept its fingerprints off the rest of the budget, which includes a mid-year two percent cost of living raise for county employees, money for a new Dulaney High School and a “like new” Towson High, and $38 million for roads and sidewalks.
Chairman Ertel said it was frustrating that the county council was unable to give the school system the money it needed to fully fund promised pay raises for educators.
“It is important to realize that under the county charter and state law we cannot wave a magic wand and add money to the executive’s submitted budget or decide how or where monies allocated to BCPS should be spent,” Ertel said.
Executive Klausmeier said it was a difficult budget year and the county could not afford the 11 percent increase the school system wanted.
She said they had to craft it without knowing what’s to come from the federal government in the way of tariffs and cuts to jobs, grants and contracts.
“These uncertainties coupled with increased insurance and utility bills, new state taxes and inflation are already a burden on our families and businesses,” Klausmeier told the council in April. “Because of this we cannot ask Baltimore County residents to pay more taxes.”
County Budget Director Kevin Reed said the spending plan includes a rainy day fund of about $500 million.
Reed said it “will buffer us from any anticipated or further write-downs from the state or the federal government.”
The budget also includes $60 million for two new senior centers, $1 million to continue bulk trash collection and $2 million for the Community College of Baltimore County to train people to be welders so they can help rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
After the unanimous vote to pass the budget Republican Councilman Wade Kach praised the body’s bipartisanship. The council is made up of four Democrats and three Republicans.
“Despite the party differences, we were able to work together and resolve all these issues,” Kach said.
The budget takes effect July 1.
