Like any writer, I pay attention to reviews. Some sting, and some warm my heart.
Y’all are divided. Some tell me that these letters give them hope, inspire them, and make them glad to be living in a place with leaders who care. Others tell me to stop whining about Trump, and that I’m the worst thing that ever happened to Anne Arundel County.
For those of you who do read these letters but disagree with a lot of what I say, thank you for at least reading. I hope that some of what I write resonates with you.
At the end of the day, we all are protected by the same police and firefighters, have our retirement funds invested in the same economy, sit in the same traffic, go to the same hospitals, and breathe the same air.
The budget that I’ll be introducing to the County Council next Thursday is made possible by the taxes that all of us pay, and funds services that all of us rely on. Ain’t nothing partisan or political about any of it, other than the fact that I and the seven County Council members who ultimately approve the final package are elected by majority vote.
There’s also nothing partisan or political about fiscal discipline, about living within your means, preparing for economic downturns, and setting yourself up to be resilient. That’s true for households, and it’s true for local governments. We’ve done those things in Anne Arundel County.
The theme of the budget that I will introduce next week is “Protecting Our People.” I think most of you will like what you see. I also think that you’ll start wondering how it is that Anne Arundel County is able to protect its people while many of our neighbors, our state, and our federal government are facing painful budget cuts, tax increases, or both.
For answers to that question, tune in May 6th to my interview with Budget Officer Chris Trumbauer on Pittman and Friends Podcast.
As you listen to my speech next Thursday, or as you comb through the actual budget proposal that will be posted at aacounty.org/budget, here are some questions that you might ask.
Do we fully fund the revenue reserve fund, so that we have a cushion if there is an economic downturn?
Do we have a plan to backfill the loss of federal grants to county agencies that provide essential services?
Are we able to continue the strong support that we established in recent years to families that don’t have their own reserves, for things like housing, food, and health?
Do we continue to strengthen our public safety agencies?
Are we keeping up with the things that make government function efficiently, like IT modernization and competitive pay to attract and retain a talented workforce?
How about education? Dr. Bedell and the Board of Education have drastically reduced vacancies, improved test scores, and elevated our district in rank to “most desirable” in the DMV area. Will this budget continue that progress for our kids, and for our economic strength?
And maybe the question that concerns you most is, does this budget protect me as a taxpayer? Does it raise my taxes?
I’m really proud of the way our residents spoke up at our Budget Town Halls in every Councilmanic District. What I present on Thursday, May 1st is my direct response.
Tune in. I hope you’ll discover that you were heard.