Maryland agency sues Prince George’s County for raiding park funds to plug budget holes
by Sean Salai · The Washington TimesPrince George’s County officials are facing a lawsuit after diverting more than $39 million in property tax revenues designated for parks to fill a budget deficit.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which oversees recreational programs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday. It accuses County Executive Aisha Braveboy and the county council of violating state law by illegally poaching the funds for pet projects in a revised fiscal 2027 budget they approved earlier that day.
The lawsuit asks a state circuit court judge to block the county from depositing the money in a special account by July 1, the start of the fiscal year.
“We recognize that balancing a countywide budget requires difficult decisions, and we value our longstanding partnership with the Prince George’s County Council and county executive,” said Artie Harris, the commission’s chairman. “At the same time, we must be clear that reductions of this magnitude affect the services our communities rely on every day.”
The Maryland General Assembly created the commission in 1927 as a bi-county agency to manage suburban growth around the nation’s capital. It has a $918.9 million budget in the current fiscal year, down $15 million from the previous fiscal year.
Prince George’s County revenue projections have taken major hits over the past year. They include federal job losses, the closure of Six Flags in Largo, the planned relocation of the Washington Commanders from Landover to the District and the Trump administration’s scrapping of a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.
The county’s $6 billion budget cuts the commission’s operating budget by $20 million, its capital budget by $8 million and its Largo headquarters construction and maintenance budget by $33 million.
The commission insisted the cuts would limit its countywide printing, planning, research, arts programs, and senior and disability services.
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The county executive’s office countered by accusing the park commission of demanding a 57.8% funding increase for Mr. Harris’ office, including boosting his salary to more than $300,000 a year.
“The County’s FY 2027 budget for the Commission reflects feedback from County residents about the programs they need to improve their lives,” Ms. Braveboy’s office said in a statement emailed to The Washington Times.
The statement identified local Boys and Girls Club chapters, College Park senior programs, nutritious food programs, county recreation programs and the Bowie Gymnasium athletic complex as recipients of the redirected funds.
It said the money also supports the University of Maryland Extension Program, the Anacostia Watershed, the Patuxent River Keepers and the First Baptist Church of Glenarden’s homeless assistance program.
“We will fight to ensure that these important programs continue to receive needed funding,” the statement added.
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The county insisted in a May 28 statement that Ms. Braveboy and County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha inherited “a nearly $155 million structural deficit” from previous leaders.
Former County Executive Angela Alsobrooks drafted the county’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal in 2024, but resigned that December after being elected as Maryland’s junior U.S. senator. Her office did not respond on Thursday to a request for comment.
Former acting County Executive Tara Jackson oversaw the finalization of the $5.8 billion budget for fiscal 2026, which ends June 30.
The fiscal 2027 budget marks the second time this year that Ms. Braveboy has pointed fingers at her predecessor.
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In February, the county executive’s office pledged to cooperate with a House GOP probe into substandard public housing conditions and noted that all problematic inspections occurred under Ms. Alsobrooks.
Nevertheless, this week’s lawsuit blames only current county leaders for raiding the park commission’s primary source of funding.
The commission predicted in an email that the cuts would result in a 40% reduction to its help desk and permit services budget and “a potential hiring freeze.”
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Sean Salai
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