At the March 25 regular Greenbelt City Council meeting and the first budget worksession two days later, City Manager Nicole Ard and City Treasurer Jeffrey Williams gave council a dose of reality. The issues they raised have been mentioned in past budgets but never so directly.
While the city’s financial situation is good, Williams is concerned that the economic expansion, now in its 10th year, will at some point end. The city needs to be prepared so that it will not have to take measures, such as a large tax increase.
Ard’s presentation kicked off the annual budget review where council holds a series of worksessions mostly in April and May to discuss the accomplishments, proposed budget and goals for each department and to identify possible changes. At least from the tenor of the presentation, and especially the Wednesday worksession, councilmembers may not have much leeway in adding their pet projects to the final budget.
Read more of this story in the April 4 News Review.