Glenarden council continues 2026 budget talks after staff flags $89,004 deficit; public hearing set for next Thursday

Glenarden City Council on Monday continued discussions of the proposed 2026 budget after staff said the current draft shows an $89,004.20 shortfall that would likely be covered from reserves.

Stewart, a city staff member who summarized adjustments, told the council, “we ended up with the $89,004.20, and that's the amount I would recommend to be taken from reserve,” while adding that further line-item changes during the meeting could reduce or eliminate that draw.

The session opened with staff walking through revenue estimates and departmental lines, and council members repeatedly challenged several assumptions in the draft. Councilman Harry questioned personal property tax projections, saying recent local bankruptcies and layoffs made some revenue estimates “not realistic.” He asked whether the larger personal property figure reflected prior-year receipts and urged a more conservative approach.

Council members also pressed staff on other revenue lines. The draft includes $2,800 for building-permit revenue for 2026 versus actuals of roughly $825 year-to-date; Stewart acknowledged that the number was an estimate and said staff could review permit application activity with the code enforcement and planning teams. Council members asked staff to consult the code enforcement director on anticipated projects and to return with supporting evidence before the next vote.

Citations and automated-enforcement income drew scrutiny as well. The budget lists about $159,840 from enforcement related to two speed cameras; staff said that revenue was linked to a vendor called Red Speed and that the county processed the signage permits. Council members asked staff to confirm which jurisdiction authorized the posted speed limits on those county roads.

The Gold Room, the city’s enterprise fund facility, prompted a long debate about staffing and accounting. Staff proposed shifting some event staffing costs to public works and charging the Gold Room for the hours public-works employees spend supporting events. Council members expressed concern that moving positions and charging hours between funds could obscure the facility’s true financial picture and lead to unexpected overtime or higher hourly costs. Several council members asked staff to restore the prior staffing lines in the draft and bring a clearer, documented plan showing how event hours, marketing and the recently raised room rates would affect revenue.

Police staffing and overtime also surfaced. The draft included $30,000 for police overtime; some council members proposed cutting that to $25,000 and asked for documentation showing the reasons for prior overtime, including court appearances and staffing shortfalls. Police leaders told the council that short staffing and competition from neighboring agencies were driving recruitment and overtime pressures, and they pledged to provide schedules and overtime request slips for review.

Other questions included the line for group life insurance (staff said a new vendor and back billing had produced a $23,400 entry), a $200,000 retirement contribution already placed in the draft, and an inquiry about a “payment in lieu of taxes” from the housing authority that staff said needed follow-up.

Before adjourning, the council directed staff to include the recently approved higher Gold Room rates in revenue projections and to circulate any outstanding supporting documentation. The city manager’s office confirmed that the constant-yield advertisement had been published and that a public hearing will be held next Thursday at 7:00 p.m.; staff also said they would advertise the budget ordinance as an emergency so the council could vote on it the same night.

The council did adopt the meeting agenda by unanimous consent at the start of the session. No final adoption of the 2026 budget occurred at Monday’s meeting; staff will return with refined revenue support, permit and staffing details and requested backup documents ahead of the public hearing and vote.