City Manager Tim Samaron presented the City of Greenbelt’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and said staff had taken a conservative approach because of recent federal and regional economic changes. “We are being as conservative as we need to be, to fund essential services,” Samaron told the City Council during the March 17 meeting.

The presentation followed a separate auditor briefing. Dan Kenny, lead auditor for the firm Titus & Mitchell, told the council the city’s financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024, received an unmodified opinion and auditors found no material weaknesses in internal control. “Your financial statements are fairly presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,” Kenny said.

Why it matters: the council is starting budget deliberations amid an uncertain revenue outlook; staff flagged a range of demand drivers that keep most spending on personnel and recurring public-safety costs. The city’s FY2026 proposal aims to preserve core services while disclosing where cuts would be made if revenues soften further.

Key numbers and assumptions
- Total FY2026 budget (all funds) presented at $52,530,000; the general fund portion shown as $40,215,900 (about 70.8 percent). Staff described the operating budget as nearly balanced: the packet showed operating revenues of $40,211,600 and expenses of $40,215,900 (a narrow deficit), though staff noted a chart error in the presentation and said they would correct the figure in the materials. The city manager later gave an updated revenue figure in discussion and staff said charts would be revised.
- Replacement/equipment funding requested: $1,231,500 (vehicles and recreation equipment).
- Capital projects fund shown at $7,412,260 (14.1 percent of the total).

Personnel and ARPA-funded positions
Samaron and Treasurer Bertha Gaiman described personnel cost drivers: negotiated collective-bargaining increases in the police contract, 2 percent COLA across staff and a 3 percent merit pool tied to a compensation study. To reduce pressure on the general fund the administration plans to shift some previously-operating positions back to ARPA or other external grant funds. Staff reported a net 13.2 FTE reduction in the FY2026 budget, which includes unfunded vacancies and several positions moved to ARPA where federal guidance now allows continued funding for a limited period.

Capital and program highlights
Staff listed multiple capital and facility projects planned or underway: indoor pool deck remediation (funding secured), Spring Hill Lake Recreation Center interior work, two inclusive playground renovations, LED sports-field light replacements, EV charging station planning (10 stations at the Community Center funded in part by ARPA) and completion of the Buddy Attick master plan. The finance team also implemented online bill pay and completed the single (federal) audit for entities spending over $750,000 in federal awards.

Audit takeaways
Kenny described the audit scope and results: government-wide and fund financial statements were fairly presented, there were no instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations identified in the audit, and no significant difficulties dealing with management. He also highlighted GASB items to watch—GASB 101 on compensated absences and GASB 102 on risk/disclosure—that could affect future disclosures.

Council follow-up and next steps
Councilmembers asked for corrected charts and for line-item detail on the positions moved to non‑operating funds. Samaron said staff will provide a more detailed schedule of the positions shifted to ARPA and a list of discretionary reductions the administration would like to restore if revenues improve. The council set the budget work-session schedule and discussed options for public engagement during the review process.

Votes at a glance
- Supplemental appropriation to retiree prescription subsidy: The council approved a supplemental appropriation of $65,000 from general-fund reserves to increase the FY2025 retiree prescription subsidy to $130,000. The ordinance was adopted at the meeting after suspension of the rules. No policy change was made to the subsidy itself; staff said they will review renewal and plan options to manage future cost growth.

Ending: Staff will post corrected budget charts and the council will consider the FY2026 proposal in forthcoming work sessions and public hearings. The auditors’ clean opinion will be posted with the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for FY2024.