Prince George's County Balances Budget Without Tax Hike, Closing $200M Deficit

County Executive Aisha Braveboy unveiled Prince George's County's proposed FY 2027 budget Thursday, telling an applauding crowd that officials had closed a looming deficit of more than $170 million without raising taxes, cutting major services, or imposing new fees on residents. "We were able to close our budget deficit," Braveboy said. "We got our fiscal house in order in eight months."

The turnaround is notable given where the county stood just a year ago. Economic headwinds, federal job cuts, and the high-profile departures of major taxpayers, including Six Flags and the Washington Commanders, had many county observers bracing for austerity. Braveboy explicitly ruled out reaching back into residents' wallets to balance the books, and the final proposal bears that out.

The budget is described as conservative in its overall approach, but it does include targeted investments across several areas. Teacher pay remains a funding priority as the county seeks to stay competitive with neighboring jurisdictions for educators. Both the police and fire departments receive modest funding increases under the proposal. And in direct response to rising energy costs, the budget establishes a new $1 million utility assistance fund designed to help vulnerable residents keep their lights on.

The County Council, which holds final authority over the budget, will now begin what officials in Largo refer to as "budget season." Council Chair Krystal Oriadha expressed support for Braveboy's direction while signaling that refinements are likely over the coming months. Oriadha drew a clear line between broad tax increases and targeted enforcement fees. "We fought to have higher violation fees for people that are bad actors," she said. "We are not looking to raise taxes on our residents."

A series of public hearings and work sessions will follow the budget's introduction, with a final Council vote expected before early summer. The new fiscal year begins July 1. Separately, Braveboy also addressed housing costs, snow response effectiveness, ICE arrests, and data center proposals during a recent public Q&A, though details from those exchanges were not immediately available.