Takoma Park council hears public concerns over FY27 budget, ARPA-funded positions and city wages

Takoma Park council opened a lengthy public hearing on the city manager's proposed FY27 budget, hearing residents and union leaders pressing the council to fund higher wages and to consider the future of positions created or supported using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. The council also approved a separate resolution thanking the District 20 delegation for securing $500,000 for Metropolitan Branch Trail improvements.

Brendan Smith, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3399, told the council the proposed budget's 4% across-the-board wage line will not meet the union's upcoming wage proposal and will not correct decades of pay disparities. "The current proposed budget includes funding for a 4% wage increase for all staff, but our wage proposal will be more expansive to meet the wage study's own recommendations," Smith said, warning that years of compression and late delivery of a reclassification study have left the city out of step with neighboring jurisdictions.

The union also urged the continuation of two ARPA-funded positions in finance and information technology. City Manager Desparo said the administration is attempting to balance those concerns with fiscal constraints: staff presented an ARPA reconciliation outlining how the city received roughly $17.5 million in ARPA funds, allocated them across six buckets (city operations, community anchors, affordable housing, social services, family resilience and small-business recovery), and intends to spend the remaining funds by the Treasury deadlines.

"The city intends to ensure 100% of the ARPA funds are spent and that we are not returning any funds to the treasury," the city manager said during the ARPA update, and staff noted a $193,000 FY27 salary line tied to ARPA-funded roles that will require reconciliation and potential general-fund offsets.

Council members pressed staff to clarify which positions are fully ARPA-funded, which are partially funded, and whether the offsets the administration now identifies are sustainable long-term. Council members Hanzac and Dybala asked for more documentation and for staff to show how proposed offsets would hold up to typical personnel cost growth; the city manager said he will deliver detailed offset recommendations prior to reconciliation work sessions.

Public speakers and several council members raised questions about other budget areas, including police staffing and capital projects such as the library bond and the Maple Avenue connectivity project. Speakers from the community budget working group urged property-tax relief and asked the council to evaluate whether certain high-salary FTE growth is appropriate for a small municipality.

Votes at a glance - Resolution of appreciation to District 20 delegation for securing $500,000 for the Metropolitan Branch Trail: moved by Council member Dybala, seconded by Council member Hanzac; vote recorded as "I" and the resolution passed. (Council agreed to transmit the resolution to the District 20 delegation.)

What happens next Council and staff will continue budget reconciliation in a series of work sessions. Staff said they will circulate proposed general-fund offsets and reconciliation materials to council members before the scheduled work sessions so members can consider whether and how to sustain any ARPA-funded positions within the FY27 general fund.