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Greenbelt manager presents $52.5 million proposed budget; no tax rate increase recommended
Summary
City Manager presented a proposed $52.53 million Fiscal Year 2026 budget to Greenbelt City Council, recommending no change to the city tax rate (0.8275) while noting revenue uncertainty tied to county and state reassessments and a plan that includes pay increases and restored council funding.
City Manager (name in transcript: Mr. Summeron) presented a proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget totaling $52,530,000 to the Greenbelt City Council at a March work session, saying the proposal includes roughly $40 million in the general fund, about $7.5 million in capital projects and roughly $5 million in other funds.
The manager told the council the proposal balances current service priorities with cost pressures and built-in staff pay adjustments. “This budget is operationalization of council's vision for services to our residents,” he said, explaining staff view the proposal as a map for 2026 that will be adjusted if council so directs.
The manager and Mayor Emmett Jordan said the recommended property tax rate would remain unchanged at 0.8275. The manager noted the city does not set property assessments; the county calculates assessed values using state data and has placed Greenbelt in the first year of a three‑year reassessment cycle. That reassessment has caused higher tax bills for some homeowners despite an unchanged rate because their assessed values rose.
Mayor Emmett Jordan commended staff for presenting a balanced budget and emphasized staff and council intend further review during a series of upcoming work sessions. Councilmember Rodney Roberts pointed out that the council retains the authority to lower the rate to offset assessment-driven increases if it chooses; the manager acknowledged that authority but said the recommendation is to keep the rate steady.
Council and staff discussed structural risks: uncertainty in state and county revenue forecasts and continuing cost pressures such as insurance and workers' compensation. The manager said the revenue outlook improved slightly after the county provided updated valuation figures from the state, but the larger fiscal picture remains uncertain.
The budget presentation will return to council in subsequent work sessions that examine department-level spending, grants and other funds. Staff said materials and updated questions from council will be posted online after each session.
The council did not take formal action during the work session; work sessions are advisory and intended for discussion and public comment.
