Greenbelt council inches toward balanced $40.2 million general‑fund budget; final vote set for Monday

Mayor Emmett Jordan and City Manager Mr. Summeron led a final review of the proposed FY2026 budget at a Greenbelt City Council work session, confirming a general‑fund plan of roughly $40,221,600 in revenue and $40,145,800 in expenditures, leaving a working surplus of about $75,800. The council scheduled final action on the ordinance for the regular meeting on Monday, June 2. The work session produced several directions to staff to populate grant tables and to refine a small number of line items before the vote.

Why this matters: the general fund is the city’s main operating budget; a tight margin leaves limited room for new spending and increases the importance of reserves and conservative revenue projections.

The city manager reiterated that the draft budget aligns with council priorities and that about three‑quarters of the budget is personnel costs. Staff told council that the document reflects multiple work sessions since the manager introduced the proposal in March and that the budget is presented as an ordinance that the council will consider Monday.

Council members pressed staff on revenue assumptions and potential risks. Treasurer Miss Gayman and the city manager said the budget anticipates conservative revenue projections and that the city holds roughly $2.1 million in reserves (rainy day/budget stabilization/capital) that could be used if needed. They also identified a specific risk from property tax abatement appeals: more than 60 commercial accounts are under challenge and, if all appeals were awarded, the city’s potential exposure could exceed $1.8 million; staff said abatements typically take about 18 months to resolve.

Staff also noted a recent $250,000 award from the Maryland Energy Administration to support purchase of an EV trash truck and that a county reduction to a child and family services grant will be backfilled with previously authorized ARPA funds.

Council discussed several line‑item changes and procedural matters: legal services, advisory group contributions and grants, and the solid waste fee assumptions (see separate articles). The city manager and treasurer will produce a consolidated list of all edits and corrections for the Monday meeting so council and the public can see exact changes between the draft and the final packet.

What follows: the council will vote on the budget ordinance Monday evening; staff said the ordinance itself requires a simple majority but suspending certain procedural rules would require a supermajority. If adopted, council also will consider companion resolutions or ordinances to implement fee changes or other items that require subsequent action.