Ulman Proposes Increases for Education, Public Safety in Operating Budget Without Tax Increases

Before the release of his fiscal year 2014 operating budget proposal, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said in a statement that the propsed budget has "record funding for education" and a "big boost for public safety."

Ulman announced the budget with a news release, but his office did not distribute a copy of the budget as of 2 p.m. on Friday.

In the statement, Ulman indicated he would propose a $920.8 million continuing-costs budget that would include 130 new education and health positions in the county as well as 12 new police officers, while not increasing taxes.

More than half of the budget, $497.5 million is proposed for K-12 public education, a $15.1 million increase over last year, according to the statement.

“This is a responsible and reasonable budget that fulfills our core obligations and continues progress, and is sustainable for the long term,” Ulman said. “First and foremost, I am committed to the best education possible for our children.”

The budget proposal includes the first cost of living increase for county employees since 2008. The cost of that increase was not released.

“We managed wisely and sought efficiencies through trying economic times,” Ulman said. “Our county employees learned to do more with less, and they should be compensated for their efforts.”

The proposal also includes $96.6 million for the Howard County Police Department, which is an $8.7 million increase from the previous year. The proposed police funds would add 12 new positions: six officers focused on repeat offenders, two family crime officers, two traffic enforcement officers and two communtiy service officers.

A $2.5 million economic development package is proposed that would create four different centers designed to spur technological innovation. These would include a center for 3D digital manufcaturing ($500,000) and an angel investor academy ($100,000) that would educate "high net-worth individuals to become active angle investors in Maryland."

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