Court blocks $39 million transfer, putting Greenbelt projects at risk

The legal fight over Prince George’s County’s attempt to pull about $39.3 million from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is already reaching Greenbelt, where park, trail and planning work could be reshaped before the case is over. A Prince George’s County Circuit Court judge blocked the transfer on June 26, stopping the county from moving the money while the dispute continues.

The county council adopted its FY 2027 budget on May 27. M-NCPPC filed its complaint on June 10, and the court held a hearing on June 17 before issuing its ruling at 4 p.m. on June 26. The commission says the county sought to move the money from its park, recreation and administrative funds by July 1, without receipts or invoices and before services had been provided.

That matters in Greenbelt because M-NCPPC is one of the institutions that shapes how parks, recreation and planning dollars reach Prince George’s communities. The commission says its programs reach into daily life across the county through early childhood programs, afterschool care, senior centers, adaptive recreation, environmental education and community events. In a city like Greenbelt, where trail connections, open space and neighborhood programming depend on county and commission priorities, a blocked transfer can mean delay, redesign or a smaller scope for projects already waiting in the pipeline.

The fight is also about control. County leaders have treated the transfer as part of the normal budget process, while the commission has said the move would have redirected more than $39 million without proper vetting through its procurement process. M-NCPPC said it was blindsided by the size of the planned transfer and reductions, and state lawmakers had already told the county to stop making mid-year transfers and use the regular budget cycle instead.

The commission was created by the State of Maryland in 1927 to serve Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, which is why this dispute reaches beyond one accounting line in Upper Marlboro. The next decision in the case will determine whether the county can try again to claim the money or whether the freeze remains in place while Greenbelt waits to see which projects survive the budget fight.