Finance committee outlines budget priorities, no property‑tax increase proposed

Alderman Harry Huntley, chair of the finance committee, presented a 33‑page finance committee report summarizing council priorities and proposed amendments to the draft 2027 budget.

Huntley said the committee identified four top priorities — improved infrastructure, better service delivery, youth and community programs, and environmental sustainability — and that the proposed budget includes investments across those areas. He said the budget proposes no increase to the property tax rate and reported general fund revenue of $122,006,000.

On the capital side, the committee urged a shift toward more external‑facing projects (sidewalks, crosswalks, raised intersections) that residents notice, while still recognizing necessary internal facility upgrades. The committee also recommended adding positions in central services (a risk management role and a real estate manager) and asked the administration to increase precision in budgeting assumptions.

Huntley highlighted proposed fee changes, including an amendment to set the baseline fine for unlicensed short‑term rentals to be “equal to twice the highest advertised nightly rate” and to increase registration fees for nonowner‑occupied short‑term rentals while lowering them for owner‑occupied units.

The report includes several software and efficiency proposals — for improved snow‑removal dispatching and expanded use of technology to speed permit processing — and notes anticipated cost‑offsets for a peak medic unit supported by grants from Anne Arundel County and the state.

Council members thanked the finance committee for extensive hearings and said the full council will vote on the final budget on June 1; the administration and committee promised continued outreach and detail on amendments ahead of that vote.