Bowie council adopts FY2027 budget, agrees to revisit firefighter grant, scholarships and IT items on June 1

Bowie’s City Council unanimously adopted its amended fiscal year 2027 budget and related resolutions after an extended discussion about taxes, reserves and program cuts. Staff told the council the revised package includes a general fund of $95,285,600 and a capital improvements program of $11,694,100. The council approved amended ordinance O-5-26 and amended resolution R-38-26 and later passed a separate sense-of-council resolution, R-48-26, that formalizes follow-up steps.

The budget debate centered on a compromise on the property tax rate (council members said they worked down from a proposed 20 cents to 18 cents per $100 of assessed value), reductions to programs such as the senior center and community events, and structural changes the council said are needed to diversify revenue. Council members repeatedly emphasized long-term revenue strategies and implementation tracking. Councilmember Ndubuisi Madu and others asked staff to return with plans to evaluate options to reduce the real property tax rate and to provide periodic public updates on progress.

Councilmembers said they will pass the FY27 budget tonight and hold a June 1 session to consider three items raised during the meeting: restoring the volunteer firefighter grant, restoring scholarship funding, and adding funds for IT modernization. Mayor Michael Lisev confirmed the body had unanimous consensus to take those three items up on June 1; staff said funding would have to come from either reallocated reserves or by eliminating other items.

Several council members thanked staff and the finance team for compiling the budget during a challenging year; staff and councilors described this cycle as unusually difficult and said new guardrails and reporting commitments were added to provide transparency and to restore reserves over time.

The council moved and seconded adoption of amended ordinance O-5-26 and amended resolution R-38-26, and the motions passed by unanimous voice vote. The council also adopted R-48-26, a formal sense-of-council resolution establishing implementation tracking and public reporting commitments tied to the FY27 budget. The meeting record shows unanimous approval; the council then adopted emergency ordinance O-6-26 to amend the FY2026 budget for an unplanned special election and to cover some police purchases, also by unanimous voice vote.

What’s next: the council approved the FY27 budget and scheduled a June 1 budget-amendment vote to reconsider the firefighter grant, scholarship funding and an IT modernization allocation. The body adjourned to closed session later the same evening to discuss a prospective economic development matter and to seek legal counsel.