Your Budget

Learn about the budget process, what projects and programs receive county funding, and how you can provide input.

FY26 Budget Banner

FY26 Approved Budget

County Executive Steuart Pittman presented his FY26 budget proposal to the County Council on May 1, 2025, and the County Council adopted the final budget on June 13, 2025. Explore the links below to learn more about the budget process and the investments included in the approved FY26 budget

Learn More Budget Investments

Explore the FY26 Budget

Understanding the Budget

The budget is prepared over the course of several months and involves the Budget Office, the County Executive, county departments, other internal stakeholders, and the citizens of Anne Arundel County. 

Listed below are the steps in the process and the relative timeframes when these activities occur.

 Budget Guidance

 December 1 - Mid December 

The Budget Office prepares preliminary revenue outlook and determines the availability of the resources, works with the Chief Administrative Officer and County Executive to determine Budget Guidance for the upcoming budget and sends Budget Instructions to the departments.

 Department Preparation

 Mid December - Late January

Each county department works to prepare a budget request they will present to the County Executive and his team that includes all departmental operating costs for the upcoming fiscal year.

 Budget Town Halls

 Mid January - Early February

The County Executive hosts seven budget town halls, one with each Councilmember in their district. This is an opportunity for residents to share their funding requests with the County Executive and the County Council.

 Budget Officer Reviews

 Late February - Early March

The Budget Officer and Analysts work to review departmental budgets and make recommendations regarding departmental operating costs for the upcoming fiscal year.

 Planning Advisory Board Meetings

 Mid February - Late February

The PAB works to recommend capital projects, along with their estimated costs, to be implemented by the County in the upcoming fiscal year in the balance of the program through five years of the Capital Budget (CIP).

 County Executive Budget Review

 Early March - Early April 

The Budget Office and County Departments present departmental budgets to the County Executive and his team that includes departmental operating costs for the upcoming fiscal year.

 Bond Issuance & Sale

 March 1 - Early April 

The County Charter authorizes the County Council to approve the issuance of general obligation bonds and to set limits on bonds issued through ordinance. The County will work with Financial Advisor and issue bonds based on the financing needs of the previously approved Capital Improvement Programs and the most recent effective bond ordinance.

 County Executive Final Budget Decisions

 Early April

The County Executive and his team review all funding requests and revenue projections and craft a complete budget proposal.

 County Executive Budget Address

 April 30

The County Executive presents his proposed budget to the County Council, and the legislative review process begins.

Fiscal Year 2025 Revenue Sources

The county has several revenue sources with the vast majority of funding coming from it's citizen's property and income taxes.

 


 

Total Revenues: $2,312.4 Million

More Details:  FY25 County Budget | Board of Education Budget Page

Fiscal Year 2025 Expenditures

  • Nearly 50% of the County's budget funds our public schools
  • Over 20% funds police, fire and other public safety
  • Debt service (interest payments on bonds, excluding Board of Education and Community College debt service) is among the next highest expenditures, at nearly 3%
 



 

Total Revenues: $2,312.44 Million

Total Expenses: $2,312.44 Million

More Details:  FY25 County Budget | Board of Education Budget Page

Listed below is a table containing the property tax and income tax rates for each Maryland county. Click on the column headings in the table to sort by rate/ranking to see how Anne Arundel compares. The bar charts depict a visual representation of the data.

Property Tax Rate Comparison (Maryland Counties)

 

Income Tax Rate Comparison (Maryland Counties)

 

Anne Arundel County provides a multitude of services for its citizens in addition to maintaining equipment, buildings, and infrastructure. These have real costs that need to be considered in the budget process and adjusted as the needs of the county change.

Listed below are the average costs for a sampling of county services (these costs are estimates and include fringe benefits such as healthcare).

Workforce

PositionAverage Cost ($)
  Construction Inspector
112,000
  Public Works Engineer
150,000
  Fire Fighter
97,000
  Police Officer
106,000
  Program Manager
147,000
  Psychologists/Social Worker
122,700
  School Counselor
116,800
  Teacher
82,800
  Zoning Inspector
103,000

Infrastructure, Operations, & Equipment

ItemAverage Cost ($)
  Ambulance
424,000
  Fire Ladder Truck
1,900,000
  Fire Engine
750,000
  Polling Place
24,500
  Senior Center Operations
630,000
  School Health Room Staffing Cost
115,000
  New High School
170,000,000
  New Middle School
100,000,000
  New Elementary School
50,000,000
Small rate changes can have a significant impact in the county budget

 Income Tax:

  • Raising our income tax rate by 0.1% (2.94 to 3.04) would increase revenue by:  $11,884,000 in FY25*
  • Lowering our income tax rate by 0.1% (2.94 to 2.84) would decrease revenue by:  $11,884,000 in FY25*

* Annualized impact is $27,638,000

 Property Tax:

  • Raising the property tax rate* by 1% would increase revenue by:  $8,300,000
  • Lowering the property tax rate* by 1% would decrease revenue by:  $8,300,000

* The Property Tax represents the amount a homeowner is taxed per $100 of assessed value of their home

View the history of the Property Tax Rate in Anne Arundel County since 1990. Click on the column headings in the table to sort.

 

Explore the Current Budget