Watch Pittman Deliver County Budget Address Online Friday

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman will present the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget and deliver his budget address to the County Council at 11 a.m. Friday. The budget address is approximately 30 minutes and will be delivered as a video message during a Council Meeting conducted by video conference.

The budget address can be viewed at www.aacounty.org/services-and-programs/government-television and then click the "watch live" icon. Details about the budget, along with text and video of Pittman’s budget address, also will be posted on the county budget website.

Pittman has stated he will not raise taxes despite county revenue projections for the fiscal year starting July 1 will be down $63 million from what was anticipated just one month ago. The majority of that loss stems from income tax revenue. According to Pittman, the amusement tax, real estate transfer tax, local sales tax, property tax and investment income also are declining.

"My responsibility is to present a balanced budget proposal to the County Council on May 1, based on the revenue projections we have before us. Many of you attended our seven budget town halls in January and spoke passionately about government services that you depend on: public safety, education, land use planning, transportation infrastructure and a whole lot more. You elected me to improve, and in some cases expand, those services," Pittman shared on Facebook. "I share these revenue projections now to signal that the budget we present on May 1 will reflect a pause in the progress we are making on some fronts. Our focus this year will be saving lives through public health initiatives and protecting our residents from the impacts of the coronavirus battle."

Pittman noted that many residents are seeing their income drop and he stated that "it's just not fair to increase your expenses."

"In our fiscal year 2021 budget, we will hold the income tax rate steady and the property tax rate will drop slightly. I wish I could lower taxes more, but we are relying on local government during this time to meet critical needs in our communities. We can't do that without revenue," said Pittman. "We are very much all in this together, and will come out of this crisis wiser, stronger and more united than ever. Stay safe and stay healthy."