Prince George's County chair reallocates $5.6 million in FY25 non‑departmental grants; council and nonprofits clash

Prince George's County Council Chair Edward Burrows said on May 13 that he had reallocated roughly $5.6 million in FY2025 non‑departmental grants after finding the prior distribution skewed toward three council members' priorities.

"This pool of money, non departmental grants, is about $5,600,000," Burrows told colleagues in a lengthy explanation on the council floor, saying he had reviewed council members' submitted priorities and concluded three members received nearly 70% of the fund under the prior allocation. "There is no the value of children and seniors and programs in one part of the county is not superior than any other part of the county," he added.

The chair said the reallocation was intended to produce a fairer distribution across districts. He invited any council member who opposed his action to move to overturn it; the only formal motion to rescind the changes, made later by Council Member Ivey, failed for lack of a second.

Why it matters

Council members and dozens of nonprofit leaders told the council the decision had immediate, tangible impacts on programs that provide food, youth mentorship, senior services, health care and other direct services to residents. Dozens of speakers during the public‑comment period — including directors and staff from youth organizations, health providers and community groups — urged the council to restore funding the organizations were told they had tentatively been awarded in fall 2024.

"When we receive an award letter, and it does say tentative, but it does say tentative contingent upon completion of documents that we completed. And so we book it, and it becomes — and it's crucial for us to be able to count on that money," said Chris Dwyer, co‑executive director of VineCorps, which runs youth programs across the county. "We just ask you to please honor that…