A bi-county Maryland agency that administers park systems and land-use planning has sued Prince George’s County over its fiscal year 2027 budget.

The county’s budget request to divert agency tax revenues is inconsistent with Maryland law, the agency believes.

At issue is a recent county council vote that transfers $39.3 million from the commission to fund a variety of county programs and projects in the upcoming budget year. The county divided the money between its administrative fund and project charges, which help fund some local nonprofits.

In Prince George’s County, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission receives a percentage of property taxes that are legally designated for parks, recreation and planning services. 

“The transfer of more than $39 million, by July 1, without submission of receipts or invoices, before any services have been provided, and without proper vetting through the Commission’s procurement process, raises serious concerns about legal authority and our ability to provide the services the residents of Prince George’s County expect from us,” the agency says. 

Additionally, the county council has approved a $6 billion budget that includes at least a $20 million cut to the agency’s operating budgets, an $8 million cut to its capital budget, a $33 million cut to the construction and operation of the agency’s Largo headquarters office and a series of unfunded new program initiatives.  

“We recognize that balancing a countywide budget requires difficult decisions, and we value our longstanding partnership with the Prince George’s County Council and County Executive,” Artie Harris, chair of M-NCPPC, said in a June 9 statement. “At the same time, we must be clear that reductions of this magnitude affect the services our communities rely on every day.”

Formed in 1927, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a bi-county agency that acquires, develops, maintains and administers a regional system of parks in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties; it also provides land-use planning for the physical development of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.