Better Days

FY19 Budget Among County’s Strongest Under Baker Administration: General Fund To Increase By $171.3 Million

Announcing the final budget for his administration’s tenure, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III said the FY2019 package is the best of his eight years in office.

“The person who will stand before you to deliver the FY2020 Budget speech will be taking over a government that is in a good financial position, with growing revenues and sound investments,” Baker said of the next top executive to inherit county leadership.

The proposed FY2019 budget for all operating funds is $4.09 billion, an increase of $215 million or 5.5% over the FY2018 budget.  The General Fund will increase by $171.3 million or 5.3%.

Overall, the General Fund County Source Revenues increase $123.1 million or 6.4% and Outside Sources increase $48.2 million or 3.7% as compared to FY 2018.  County source revenues – taxes, fees, licenses and permits, service charges, use of money and property, etc. – represent resources used to fund most government programs and services, including the County’s contributions to the Board of Education, Memorial Library System and Community College.

The administration’s successes go beyond fiscal measurements. Violent crime reduced by 50% since 2010; $9 billion of development projects completed, under construction, or in the pipeline;  and the creation of 20,600 new jobs in the county since 2013, with a 3.4% increase in the number of jobs within the county in 2017. The county’s unemployment rate decreased from over 7% to 4% since 2011. Housing values have increased 64% since 2011.