County Council adopts local impact grant multiyear spending plan after public testimony from nonprofits

Prince George's County Council on April 14 approved CR 19-2026, a multiyear spending plan that transmits the county's proposed use of local impact grant funds to the council for review and adoption. The measure, which the committee described as detailing planned uses of video lottery terminal tax revenues for FY26 and future years, passed after public testimony and a substitute motion.

The committee report said staff and the Local Development Council reviewed the plan before it was transmitted to the council. Several nonprofit and community speakers urged approval, describing ongoing programs that rely on the grant funds. Loxley O'Connor, chair of the 2nd District Community Development Corporation, said the local impact grant has supported property tax relief, utility assistance, mortgage and rental assistance and other services, adding, "We have since last year been actively working on this community local impact grant serving the community of District 8." Aisha Staples of the Church of Adullam asked the council to treat the funding as an investment, saying the organization provides meals, groceries, school supplies and temporary housing and seeks to "restore dignity and community vitalization" in District 8.

Speakers described program scale and partners: Gerald Jordan Sr., founder of Jacob's Ladder Youth Foundation, said an evidence-based Math Corps tutoring program will run July–August 2026 on the Bowie State University campus and collectively the funded programs will serve thousands in the impact area. Mel Johnson, executive director of The Storehouse, said the grant turns into "impact that you can see, you can feel, and you can touch" for families who depend on steady giveaways and services. Beth Jacobson of Strategic Housing Solutions framed foreclosure prevention as a high-stakes need, saying, "One out of every 25 foreclosures in Maryland happens in Prince George's County," and asked for continued funding for borrower education, mediation and subsidized legal representation.

After public testimony, Council member Burrows moved to substitute draft 2 and proceed; the motion was seconded and the council voted to approve the plan as amended. The clerk announced the motion carried 9–0. The resolution appropriates FY26 expenditures in the current approved operating budget; expenditures for future years will be subject to appropriation in future budgets.

The council record shows sponsors for CR 19 included Council members Burrows, Hunter, Adams, Begay, Orietta De Noga, and Fisher. The committee report noted prior review by the Local Development Council and called this step "the last step prior to adoption."