Committee restores $10,000 for park fire‑alarm inspections as county corrects budget shortfall

Montgomery County’s joint public safety and planning, housing, and parks committee reviewed proposed FY26 changes to the parks and Park Police budgets on April 23, 2025, and voted without objection to restore $10,000 for fire‑alarm inspections to the base budget.

County budget staff told the committee the County Executive recommended about $21,500,000 for the Park Police in FY26, an increase of about $325,000 (1.5%) from last year, with compensation and operating expenses meant to maintain current staffing and service levels. “That includes about $325,000 increase in compensation adjustments including overtime and required operating expenses,” the presenter stated.

The presentation highlighted several line items: overtime was recommended at roughly $860,000 after year‑to‑date overtime use exceeded the prior budget; supplies and materials increase of about $38,000 to support upgraded surveillance cameras and replacement laptops; and a $107,000 increase for other services and charges, including $25,000 set aside for camera modernization and funding tied to required police‑reform compliance.

Budget staff also listed several non‑recommended reductions: a taser lease contract for $2,500, badging supplies for $2,000 and a $10,000 reduction tied to fire‑alarm inspections. Committee members asked whether the $10,000 cut would reduce inspection frequency. Kate Bentley, budget manager for the Department of Parks, said staff “found money in different places to fund this the fire alarm inspections that we've been required to do,” and that the department asked for $20,000 but could defer some inspections into a following fiscal year while maintaining required inspections in the near term.

Several council members raised a separate but related concern about negotiated wage agreements. A committee member said the County Executive “acknowledges that they screwed up and that he made a mistake” by not covering negotiated compensation in the original submission; staff indicated an amendment is expected to correct the base funding. Committee discussion referenced a $1,072,826 figure identified as the cost to make the county’s compensation commitments whole for Parks and related functions, and budget staff confirmed the forthcoming amendment should cover departmental staff, including Park Police.

Committee members also pressed on overtime, noting the parks system now runs more large events that require Park Police presence. The chief of Park Police said the department expects to add recruits and academy graduates this year and will use staffing and operational adjustments — and volunteers for peripheral tasks such as perimeter control — to reduce overtime pressure.

On the motion to restore the $10,000 for fire‑alarm inspections to the base budget, Council member Felix Gonzalez said, “I'm gonna move to move that to the base.” The chair called for and the committee adopted the change “without objection,” and later recorded that the committee was 6–0 in agreement to proceed to the Planning, Housing, and Parks committee at 2:00 p.m. for further consideration.

The joint committee adjourned after the vote; the Planning, Housing, and Parks committee is scheduled to take up the parks and Park Police budget items at 2:00 p.m.