Prince George’s health department outlines FY26 budget, opioid abatement fund and risks to grant‑funded services

The Prince George’s County Health Department told the County Council’s Health, Human Services and Public Safety Committee that its proposed fiscal 2026 budget is $106.7 million and that the department faces significant grant‑funding risk, staffing shortages for grant‑funded positions and operational challenges with its permitting system.

David Noto, the county budget analyst, said the department’s FY26 proposal is $106,700,000, an increase of $14.6 million from the FY25 approved budget. He said 32% of the proposed budget is general fund, 56.6% grant funding and 11.3% from a new Opioid Local Abatement Special Revenue Fund. Noto said the opioid fund is a new county account with $12.1 million in FY26 from the county’s share of the national opioid settlement and state allotments; the department will use those funds for permitted opioid remediation purposes and expects some funding to continue for up to 18 years, though annual amounts may vary.

Noto and Health Officer Dr. Akil H. Levy (introduced by the department)…