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The seven-member Anne Arundel County Council unanimously passed a $2.4 billion Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget on June 13. After 45 days of deliberation, the council made some tweaks to County Executive Steuart Pittman’s proposal before agreeing on the final bill.
“As we face threats to federal funding and attacks from the federal government on the services that families rely on, our elected officials in Anne Arundel County worked together to support a budget that protects our people,” Pittman said in a statement. “I want to thank the county council for their collaboration that allowed us to pass a budget that delivers for all our residents.”
Here’s an overview of the FY26 budget:
The budget includes no new taxes and offers a modest cut on the property tax rate, from 98.3 to 97.7 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The FY26 budget includes a $52.28 million increase over current spending for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, adding 30 special education positions and additional staff for bilingual support, social-emotional learning, and community schools. It also invests in middle school athletics, early childhood enrichment, and construction of new school facilities, including $120 million for the Old Mill Master Plan.
Five new positions will allow the Anne Arundel County Police Department to staff an additional shift at the Real-Time Information Center and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department will receive five new positions dedicated to the fire training academy. The budget also adds eight vehicles for sheriff’s deputies and creates two civilian positions that will allow deputies to focus on courtroom security. The capital budget invests in the construction of a new Northern District Police Station, a joint 911 center, and new fire stations in Jessup, Waugh Chapel and Arundel.
Investments include $1.5 million for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, recurring funding for the Health Ambassadors and Healthy Communities programs, funding for violence interruption programs in Eastport and Severn, and increased support for crisis response mental health services.
The supplemental budget will reallocate funds in the capital budget to address needs for sidewalks and pedestrian safety. In her July column for the Severna Park Voice, District 5 Councilwoman Amanda Fiedler wrote, “This increased investment will keep two important projects moving forward for the Berrywood community (a feasibility study for a sidewalk connection at Maryland 648 and Asbury Drive) and Severn View community (funding completion of design so a sidewalk project can move forward). Without it, these projects would have been stalled for another year.”
See Councilwoman Amanda Fiedler’s full budget commentary.
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