Good morning and welcome.

We've come together today to begin our work on the proposed county budget for fiscal year twenty twenty-seven.

Please ensure all phones and electronic devices are set to silent.

Um we will now stand for the invocation and the pledge of allegiance, and Miss Ledbetter will lead.

As we consider this budget, may we remain mindful that people, families, and our community depend on intent listening, careful consideration, and thoughtful decisions.

Guide us to act with fairness and lead with humility.

Dr.

Marcadell, Superintendent, Anna Reynold County Public Schools, Joanna Tobin, Robert Silkworth, Erica McFarland, Sarah McDermott, Don Pulliam, and Dana Schulheim, all from the Board of Education.

Um delegate Gary Simmons, Delegate Stuart Schmidt, Delegate Dylan Baylor, um, Senator Shanika Henson, Senator Pam Bidal.

Um

Jennifer Garcia from the Office of Delegate Andrew Pruskey.

Um

Alison O'Brien from the Office of Maryland Senator Don Gile, Madison Bryce from the Office of Governor Westmore, Mayor Jared Lippmann, City of Annapolis.

Oh, Ann Colt Lightis, State's attorney.

Um and so thank you all for coming out today.

I want to start just by thanking the county council for the invitation to present this FY27 budget proposal to you.

And then I also want to thank everybody here, all the residents, all the public servants who are here in the council chambers and are listening online.

Your engagement in the process is very, very important, so thank

you.

Budgets are a statement of values and strategy.

The seven that became before this one demonstrate a belief that government matters.

Our schools, our public safety, our environment, our health, and the people who live here all benefit when we invest in effective government.

I

will note that I was deliberate in describing government spending and by extension the tax, the taxes that we pay as investments.

The

value, therefore, is not in the act of spending, but in the return delivered, the return on the health and the wellness of our residents.

I and the leaders of the departments and the institutions that this budget funds are prepared to assist the county council in its evaluation of those returns.

This is the last budget that I will present as county executive, and my commitment is to remain fiscally disciplined to continue seeking the res the wisdom of our residents, and to prioritize opportunities for those among us who have too often been left behind.

We enter this process with the highest bond ratings, the highest revenues, the greatest infrastructure investments, and the strongest workforce that this county has ever

had.

This final budget must leave for the next administration a housing good order.

That's a pledge that I take seriously.

I

don't know who will be at the helm of the administration that presents the next four county budgets, but I want whoever it is to succeed.

Our budgeting and fiscal discipline over the last seven and a half years has impressed our bond rating agencies.

SP, Moody's, and Fitch all notified us recently that for the fourth year in a row, we have accomplished what only 1.5% of the 3,143 counties in the United States have done, and that is three AAA bond ratings.

Yes!

People do care about that, I have found, and are very proud of that, as am I.

We did not do that, however, by reducing services to our residents.

We expanded

them.

We grew our economy, we pursued diversity, equity, inclusion, environmental justice, and opportunity for all.org/slash budget.

A

category where the federal government led in the past, but where President Trump has pledged to push responsibility down to local governments so that he can spend more on his wars.

For us, food comes first.

We need it to meet the needs of a growing number of families.

So this budget delivers on a request by our food bank and its network of pantries to increase support from 1.5 to 2 million dollars.

Thank you to Leah Paley, her food bank team, and all of their allies in the battle against hunger for identifying the need and demanding that we meet it.

Next is the defense of our families.

This budget doubles the funding for our Office of Multicultural Affairs Family Protection Initiative to assist households that are victims of the ICE mass deportation campaign with legal assistance and crisis support services.

Thank you to OMA Director, Alison Flores, and the advocates and service providers for making this work happen.

If

these dollar amounts for food and family defense are not enough, we will, with council approval, add to it from the $5 million in unallocated funds that this budget holds back for our Office of Emergency Management Federal Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Program.

For Medicaid recipients, who after the midterm elections will be desperately attempting to hold on to their health care coverage in the face of the big beautiful bill's assault by red tape.

This budget proposes five new Medicaid Navigator positions in the Department of Health.

So thank you to Dr.

Tony Geddon and her team for planning in advance what we know is

coming.

And

for those whose benefits are cut, we propose two new case managers to work in the Department of Health REACH program.