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Record of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Adopts FY2027 Budget and Approves Multiple Bills on May 29, 2026

County Council — Friday, May 29, 2026
BodyBaltimore County, Maryland
SessionCounty Council
DateFriday, May 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
1:16

It's red, it's muted.

1:19

If it's red.

1:22

I'm testing.

1:25

Does that work?

1:26

It's red, it's muted.

1:28

No, yes.

1:29

For many years we had little green uh things, so we knew we were live.

1:36

Now we don't have it.

1:39

Okay.

1:40

Morning, everyone.

1:41

Uh legislative day twelve uh will now come to order.

1:46

Please rise for a moment of silent reflection.

1:50

And um I wanted to um cover uh we had a uh all too often when we talk about when we when we have the silent meditation, it it tends to be public tragedies and yet we've y had had another uh in San Diego where um there was a shooting and three people died there.

2:14

So uh let's keep all those uh victims and their families and and the people traumatized by it in our in our thoughts.

2:22

Thank you.

2:31

Okay.

2:32

Uh thank you so much.

2:33

Um I will now call upon uh councilman Crandall uh to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:43

Pledge of allegiance is to the United States of America and to the Republic, which it stands one nation under God with liberty justice for all.

2:56

Okay.

3:02

All right.

3:03

Is there a motion to approve the journal for the meeting of May fifth?

3:08

So move twenty-six.

3:10

So move.

3:11

Okay, we have a motion.

3:12

All in favor?

3:13

I okay.

3:14

The journal is approved.

3:16

Uh next is enrollment of bills.

3:18

Bills twenty-nine twenty-six, thirty twenty-six, thirty-one, twenty-six, thirty-three, twenty-six, and thirty-four, twenty-six, thirty-five, twenty-six, thirty-six, twenty-six, and thirty-seven twenty-six were passed by the council, signed by the executive, and hereby enrolled.

3:38

Um, we are here for the budget this morning, and I also wanted to recognize um Madam County exec is in the audience today.

3:50

So we're we don't often get to have her here.

4:11

Um as chair of the county council, I would like to welcome everyone uh to our newly renovated council chamber.

4:21

Um, we're we're only in here today, and then we'll be back, it sounds like in July.

4:26

Um, but we were excited that we could be here this morning um in the newly refurbished uh chamber.

4:33

So it's pretty exciting.

4:35

Um for our um the council's adoption of the fiscal year twenty twenty-seven budget.

4:42

So since the beginning of February, contractors and trades under the supervision of property manage have property management have worked hard to renovate our dais and the chamber in preparation for the nine new member council.

5:00

We also added some handicapped spots of uh handicapped accessible spots in the chamber that we didn't have before in that first pew, and I think in the back as well.

5:09

Um it is my honor to welcome all of you for this special occasion.

5:16

Before discussing this year's budget, I'd like to welcome our elected leaders.

5:21

Um, in particular, and I don't know, do we have any state delegates or senators here today?

5:27

I don't I don't see any.

5:29

Okay.

5:30

Well, maybe they're here in spirit with us, as well as members of our federal delegation, and I don't know if we have any federal delegation people either.

5:42

Also want to extend a uh welcome to all of our county employees and department heads here today and recognize your wonderful service to Baltimore County.

5:52

I'd like to give special acknowledgement to our partners in education, uh Superintendent Dr.

5:57

Miriam Rogers and members of the uh county school board in attendance for their excellent leadership of BCPS.

6:08

I also want to thank Dr.

6:09

Sandra Curtinitis for her steady hand as president of CCBC and the members of the Library Board of Trustees, including Yara Sheikh, the board president.

6:21

I want to acknowledge our public safety leaders, including our state's attorney Scott Schellenberger, police chief uh Robert McCullough, fire chief Joseph Dixon, and I also want to thank uh County Sheriff Jay Fisher, who is retiring after 25 24 years in in that office.

6:44

So thank you, Sheriff Fisher.

6:49

Well, no that he's here.

6:52

Um Dr.

6:54

Rogers is retiring as well, so um we appreciate all her assessment.

7:06

So and most importantly, I'd like to thank Madam County Executive Kathy Klausmeyer, who I had already referenced, but once again.

7:20

Though shorter than some, this is for you, madam county exec.

7:25

Though shorter than some, Kathy's tenure as county exec has been no less impactful.

7:32

When this council unanimously elected Kathy as county exec, we could see the horizon of historic change just two years ago two years away.

7:44

We needed a leader who could take the reins from day one and lay a foundation for growth that today we can see right around the corner.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████34%
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Public Health██████6%
Zoning Regulations█████5%
Personnel Matters████4%
Economic Development████4%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Adopts FY2027 Budget and Approves Multiple Bills on May 29, 2026

The Baltimore County Council held a legislative session on May 29, 2026, to adopt the Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital budgets and to vote on several bills. The meeting included remarks from the Council Chair, farewells to retiring officials, and a personal remembrance. All votes were unanimous except one (Bill 55-26).

Discussion Items

  • Budget Adoption: The council adopted a total operating budget of nearly $4.97 billion, including a general fund of $2.99 billion, and a six-year capital budget totaling over $1.4 billion (with $174 million for FY2027). The budget maintains the property tax rate at $1.10 per $100 of assessed valuation, does not raise income taxes, and preserves a triple-A bond rating. The projected general fund reserve (rainy day fund) is approximately $642 million, or 21.9% of general fund revenues. The county contributes $1.14 billion to Baltimore County Public Schools, which is $44.5 million above the maintenance of effort requirement. Public safety investments include funding for 12 new battalion chief fire positions, a 13% increase in volunteer fire company contributions (an extra $800,000), and progress in reducing police vacancy rates to under 5%. Property crime is down 16%, and clearance rates are over 30 percentage points above the national average. The Department of Public Works and Transportation vacancies dropped from 19% to 11%, with 250 bridges inspected and 50 repaired in the past year. Capital projects funded include $2.5 million for a new Essex Library, $4.5 million for Sparrows Point Fire Academy, $1.7 million for Fort Howard Park, $3.2 million for Pikesville Armory development, $1.8 million for a traffic circle at Edmondson and Academy Heights, $6 million for Windsor Mill Road pedestrian safety improvements, and $2.5 million for additional athletic field space in Towson.
  • Council Expansion and Redistricting: The council highlighted the historic expansion from seven to nine members, the bipartisan passage of redistricting bill 55-25, and the recognition of GIS staff for an ESRI award. The public financing system for county elections is now in use, with over 40 candidates on primary ballots.
  • Farewells and Retirements: The meeting honored retiring County Executive Kathy Klausmeyer (first woman county executive), retiring School Superintendent Dr. Miriam Rogers, retiring Sheriff Jay Fisher, and outgoing council members (Crandall retiring, Young, Patoka, and Jones running for county executive).
  • Other Legislation: The council discussed a temporary pause on data center development (Bill 3-26) for study, a charter amendment to create a Department of Agriculture, and a ballot question to require a supermajority for changes to the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line.
  • Personal Remembrance: Councilman Crandall shared a story about his friend Corporal Chris Coughlin, a fallen soldier for whom the Delaney Valley Bridge is named, and the Catch a Lift Foundation.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 38-26 (Property Tax Rate): Passed unanimously, fixing the real property tax at $1.10 per $100 of assessed valuation (unchanged).
  • Bill 41-26 (Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance): Passed unanimously as amended, adopting the FY2027 budget.
  • Borrowing Ordinances (Bills 42-26 through 50-26): All passed unanimously, covering refuse disposal, community college, public works, parks and greenways, schools, agricultural land preservation, community improvement, waterway improvement, and operational buildings. These will be submitted to voters in November.
  • Bill 51-26 (Supplemental Appropriation – Health Management Associates Grant): Passed as amended, adjusting the effective date to May 21, 2026.
  • Bill 52-26 (Charter Review Commission Membership): Passed unanimously, sending a charter change to voters to update commission size.
  • Bill 53-26 (Dangerous Weapons Prohibition): Passed as amended, restricting sale/purchase/trade of switchblades and metal knuckles, with penalty reduced to six months to align with county authority.
  • Bill 54-26 (Design Review Area – Cowenton Ebenezer Commercial Revitalization District): Passed as amended, extending design review to the district.
  • Bill 55-26 (Zoning – Service Garages in ML Zone): Passed as amended (with Councilman Patoka voting nay), allowing police-initiated towing garages in the ML zone with adjacent RC4 parcel up to 1/3 acre, subject to community covenants.
  • Bill 56-26 (Zoning – Natural Burial Grounds in RC2 Zone): Passed unanimously, permitting human natural burial alongside pets at the Baltimore Humane Society cemetery.
  • Extension of Bill 39-26: Voted to extend the bill to June 1, 2026, with a work session on May 26.
  • Fiscal Matter One: Approved a $6,875,000 budget transfer for the Department of Public Works and Transportation.
  • Miscellaneous Business: Five non-competitive contracts were announced, including software renewal, body scanner, fire alarm maintenance, photo management system, and X-ray scanner maintenance, totaling over $400,000.

The meeting adjourned after all business was completed.

Meeting Transcript

It's red, it's muted. If it's red. I'm testing. Does that work? It's red, it's muted. No, yes. For many years we had little green uh things, so we knew we were live. Now we don't have it. Okay. Morning, everyone. Uh legislative day twelve uh will now come to order. Please rise for a moment of silent reflection. And um I wanted to um cover uh we had a uh all too often when we talk about when we when we have the silent meditation, it it tends to be public tragedies and yet we've y had had another uh in San Diego where um there was a shooting and three people died there. So uh let's keep all those uh victims and their families and and the people traumatized by it in our in our thoughts. Thank you. Okay. Uh thank you so much. Um I will now call upon uh councilman Crandall uh to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of allegiance is to the United States of America and to the Republic, which it stands one nation under God with liberty justice for all. Okay. All right. Is there a motion to approve the journal for the meeting of May fifth? So move twenty-six. So move. Okay, we have a motion. All in favor? I okay. The journal is approved. Uh next is enrollment of bills. Bills twenty-nine twenty-six, thirty twenty-six, thirty-one, twenty-six, thirty-three, twenty-six, and thirty-four, twenty-six, thirty-five, twenty-six, thirty-six, twenty-six, and thirty-seven twenty-six were passed by the council, signed by the executive, and hereby enrolled. Um, we are here for the budget this morning, and I also wanted to recognize um Madam County exec is in the audience today. So we're we don't often get to have her here. Um as chair of the county council, I would like to welcome everyone uh to our newly renovated council chamber. Um, we're we're only in here today, and then we'll be back, it sounds like in July. Um, but we were excited that we could be here this morning um in the newly refurbished uh chamber. So it's pretty exciting. Um for our um the council's adoption of the fiscal year twenty twenty-seven budget. So since the beginning of February, contractors and trades under the supervision of property manage have property management have worked hard to renovate our dais and the chamber in preparation for the nine new member council. We also added some handicapped spots of uh handicapped accessible spots in the chamber that we didn't have before in that first pew, and I think in the back as well. Um it is my honor to welcome all of you for this special occasion. Before discussing this year's budget, I'd like to welcome our elected leaders. Um, in particular, and I don't know, do we have any state delegates or senators here today? I don't I don't see any. Okay. Well, maybe they're here in spirit with us, as well as members of our federal delegation, and I don't know if we have any federal delegation people either. Also want to extend a uh welcome to all of our county employees and department heads here today and recognize your wonderful service to Baltimore County. I'd like to give special acknowledgement to our partners in education, uh Superintendent Dr. Miriam Rogers and members of the uh county school board in attendance for their excellent leadership of BCPS. I also want to thank Dr. Sandra Curtinitis for her steady hand as president of CCBC and the members of the Library Board of Trustees, including Yara Sheikh, the board president.

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