Councilman David Marks Releases May Newsletter

Each month County Councilman David Marks releases a monthly newsletter to constituents via e-mail.

The April newsletter included the following message from Marks:

On April 14, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz presented his FY 2012 budget to the County Council. The budget request:

• Avoids any increase in the property tax rate or the income tax rate;
• Maintains the County's 4 percent cap on property tax assessments;
• Eliminates an additional 41 vacancies in the county workforce, shrinking the number of general government employees to the lowest point in 25 years; and
• Avoids furloughs and layoffs among current county employees.

The capital budget is funded at $659 million. This includes $78.7 million for infrastructure improvements, $104.5 million for school construction, and $20 million for community college improvements. Specific projects in the Fifth District include the 300-seat addition at Hampton Elementary School, road improvements in Perry Hall’s Honeygo area, and water upgrades in northern Perry Hall and along Kenilworth Drive in Towson.

The County Executive has set a tone of fiscal discipline since his Inauguration. While I believe the economy is slowly improving, the county must still pursue modest, realistic goals during this period of recovery. Over the next several weeks, the County Council will fulfill its duty by scrutinizing the budget request. We will meet with every department head, as well as the School Superintendent.

You can view the budget online at the following Internet address:

http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/executive/speeches/2011/110414budgetmsg.html.

The full newsletter can be found in the media gallery above.