By IJEOMA OPARA
PHOTO CREDIT Ijeoma Opara
The two members of the Prince George’s County Council who represent College Park warned on March 22 that the coming budget cycle will be “extremely difficult.”
At a town hall meeting at city hall, County Councilmembers Thomas Dernoga (District 1) and Eric Olson (District 3) cited uncertainty surrounding federal grants and budget cuts as factors that could affect how much money the county will have to spend in fiscal year 2026.
“The federal government is doing so much damage,” Olson said, noting the county counts on $267 million in federal grant money, whose availability is uncertain.
“Our president is trying to eliminate the Department of Education, where a lot of those grants originate from,” Olson added. “That layer, on top of the existing budget issues locally and nationally, are going to make for a very challenging time.”
Olson noted that 80% of the county budget goes to education and public safety. “That leaves 20% for all the other things,” he said.
Dernoga said funds for food banks like Meals on Wheels of College Park could take a hit during budget season.
“It’s not going to be a fun year,” Dernoga said. “We are going to be trying to prioritize.”
Dernoga said the county has asked Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to order a stop to foreclosures against federal workers who have lost their jobs.
He added that the county council is considering offering funding to fired federal workers to help pay their mortgages.
“This is all new territory and I’m sure we are going to be contemplating a lot,” Olson said.
College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir and seven of the eight College Park City Councilmembers also attended the town hall, which drew about 30 in-person and 20 virtual participants.
Kabir said the city had a million more visitors over the past year than in 2023 and has attracted about 16 new businesses.
He said the city is not proposing a property tax increase in its upcoming budget, and will add four full-time staff members, including a public safety manager. (See related story on Page XX.)
“This is kind of mind-boggling,” Kabir said, given the struggle nearby cities are having with recruiting businesses.
“Thankfully, we are in a little better shape than the county,” noted Kabir, who said the city’s draft budget proposal totals $29.6 million. The city published the proposal on March 21.
Residents who attended the town hall raised concerns about affordable housing options for seniors.
City councilmembers in March agreed to create an Affordable Housing Task Force to study the city’s lack of affordable housing, particularly for seniors, and make recommendations to the council.
Kabir pointed to the upcoming opening of Flats at College Park, a 320-unit affordable apartment building on Route 1.
Councilmember Susan Whitney (District 2) acknowledged that affordable housing “is a big problem, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try to tackle it.”
“I completely agree that it’s a missing gap in the city of College Park,” Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) said, “but I also think it’s important to point out that we do have a number of extremely meaningful programs in place to support our residents so that they can continue to live in their houses and be part of their community for their whole lives.”
