Glenarden council adopts emergency FY25 budget amendment, approves pay change and several relief and administrative measures

Glenarden City Council on March 17 approved an emergency amendment to its fiscal year 2025 budget and took a string of related votes on grants, appointments and equipment.

The council passed emergency Ordinance 009, a citywide reallocation and reappropriation of FY25 budget lines needed to complete capital projects and address evolving expenditure trends. Council members also amended and approved an ordinance increasing council stipends; the mayor and staff later swore in four election-board appointees after legal questions delayed the ceremony.

The emergency FY25 amendment (Ordinance 009) was presented as a comprehensive update to the year's appropriations that folds earlier, narrower amendments into a single document. Treasurer Trevor Stewart told council that the ordinance is “a complete look at the budget” and said it was not intended to double previously proposed retirement funding adjustments. During debate Council members asked that several street and sidewalk projects (Church Street, Hayes Street and Glen Elm Parkway) be broken out in the amendment so each project’s funding is explicit in the record; staff agreed to provide that breakdown and to reflect obligations in the adopted amendment.

Council members also voted to amend ordinance O-06, proposing a raise in annual council stipends. The sponsor asked for $12,000 but accepted an amendment to set the stipend at $8,400 effective with the FY2026 budget; the measure passed (four yes, one no, two abstentions). Other formal actions included: - R-39: extension of the city’s property tax rebate program; the council voted to mail letters to homeowners who had not applied and to extend the enrollment deadline to June 30, 2025. - R-40: creation of a federal workers relief program providing up to $5,000 per qualifying Glenarden resident terminated from federal employment after Jan. 20, 2025; council members debated timing and eligibility before approving the measure, which will fund grants until program funds are exhausted or the June 30 deadline. - R-47 through R-50: confirmation of Cynthia Gray, Richard Arroyo Montgomery, Ricky Arroyo Montgomery and Karen McGill Butler to the Glenarden Board of Elections; all four appointees were later sworn in after staff consulted the city attorney. - R-43 and R-44: declarations of multiple city items as surplus for public sale/auction. - R-46: authorization to purchase a 2024 Ford Escape for code enforcement at a quoted price of $32,710 (plus modest outfitting), paid from the FY25 equipment line.

Votes at a glance (key tallies and outcomes): - Ordinance O-09 (Emergency FY25 reappropriation): Adopted (voice vote; unanimous on motion to advance and adopt). - Ordinance O-06 (council stipend): Amended to $8,400 and adopted. Vote: Farid Yes; Guillaume Yes; Hairston Yes; Harry No; Jones Abstain; Vice President Ferguson Abstain; President Curtis Yes — passed. - Ordinance O-07 (standalone retirement reallocation): Tabled permanently (motion to table carried; sponsor acknowledged item will be subsumed by O-09). - Resolution R-39 (property tax rebate extension to 06/30/2025): Adopted (voice vote; majority approval; Jones abstained, President Curtis voted No). - Resolution R-40 (federal workers relief program, $5,000 per qualifying resident): Adopted (majority approval; several members expressed concerns about overlap with federal developments and administrative burden; two abstentions were recorded). - Resolutions R-47–R-50 (election-board appointments): Adopted by voice vote; all four appointees were later sworn in following confirmation by the city attorney. - Resolution R-43 (declare single vehicle surplus) and R-44 (list of surplus items for auction): Adopted. - Resolution R-46 (purchase of code enforcement vehicle): Adopted (funds to come from FY25 line 8370308010).

Why it matters: Passing O-09 gives the city legal authority to reallocate funds across departments and to obligate capital projects this fiscal year; the adoption of the stipend ordinance sets council compensation going forward and drew sustained debate about municipal budgets and comparability with neighboring jurisdictions. The new federal workers relief program and rebate extension commit city funds to residents and require administrative work to verify eligibility and distribute grants, which staff said will include temporary contracting help for processing.

Administration notes and next steps: staff agreed to provide a line-item breakout for sidewalk and paving projects (Church Street, Hayes Street, Glen Elm Parkway) to ensure projects are visible in the amended budget. The treasurer said temporary professional assistance (e.g., a contract hire) will be used to administer new relief programs. The mayor signed or will act on measures as required by the charter timelines; several items were effective immediately upon passage.