In the final installment of the questions the Greenbelt News Review asked candidates running for the position of Prince George’s County Executive, we asked them to share their top three priorities for budget allocation. We received responses from six of the 11 candidates.
Last May, the Prince George’s County Council adopted a $5.46 billion operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year (FY) – a 1.7 percent increase from the FY 2024 budget. With Governor Wes Moore proposing $2 billion in cuts to the state budget and the Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal spending and reduce the federal workforce, the county faces a potential $170 million budget shortfall next fiscal year – a number that is estimated to grow, according to County Budget Director Stanley Earley.
For a detailed breakdown of the current approved budget, visit the Management & Budget tab on the county government website at princegeorgescountymd.gov.
The majority of candidates who answered identified education and public safety as two main areas of budgetary focus. Candidates expressed a desire to continue to improve public schools and provide better education for the K to 12 student population. Candidates also expressed a need for better public safety efforts including increasing the staffing for fire-fighters and more community-based policing efforts. Other areas of focus included investment in local business and economic growth. Additionally, candidates Ron Hunt and George McDermott raised concerns and shared their grievances about budget mismanagement and corporate accountability.
Below are the candidates’ mostly unedited responses:
Aisha Braveboy (Democrat) has been twice elected to the post of Prince George’s County State’s Attorney.
“1. Cleaning up trash on our county streets, highways and communities.
2. Improving the county’s public safety and the DPIE-Permit processing.
3. Providing quality education for our students and preparing them for the workforce we will need in the future.”
Ron Hunt (Democrat) is a business owner. His response was dictated over the phone and edited for length.
“Forget about top three because it’s all over the board. We know that 62 percent of the money from taxes goes to our education. But the problem is, what is the 62 percent really dictating?
They’re not including federal money, grants and donations. It’s going to be hell if I’m county executive. The fact of the matter is, I am not a politician. If we don’t have any money, we can’t get anything done.
Look at the police department. This is the worst I’ve ever seen it in my life. The police department is the way it is for one reason – they are used as janitors. They sit in these strip malls and then when something happens, they go, they get there and all they do there is clean it up. We need community policing.
So my money would go to community policing, to education, but education has to be done a different way. Right now education is a joke. They’re paying these people to do nothing. The teachers are the heroes. So you got principals that are sitting there making damn near $200,000 in elementary schools who are doing nothing. The budget is screwy from the beginning. My top three is to fix the budget, take care of our teachers so they’re not being assaulted and not being reported to the police – these kids are not going to be able to bring cell phones to school with me there.”
George McDermott (Republican) is a businessman and victims’ rights advocate.
“[He] is passionate about waste, fraud and abuse in our corporate government and its agencies, especially dealing with the lack of total oversight and accountability of the alleged bondage corporate officers in the state attorney’s office, the clerk of the court’s offices and the land records clerk’s office.
Questions that need to be answered in that we have a current deficit hundred and $171 million facing the county in 2025, which I believe was totally avoidable due to the misapplication of States Attorney’s resources. And failure of the courts to address corporate fraud on the court and our fellow citizen. Giving preference to corporate lawyers over their oath of office and citizens rights to equal protection under the law.
White-collar fraud and corporate fraud, including financial fraud, success against illegal foreclosures which 20,000 of our residents have seen happen cost this nation over 10,000 times more financial loss every year than all other criminal acts combined. Yet corporate fraud goes unchecked.”
Moisette Tonya Sweat (Democrat) is a small business owner and community activist who ran for county executive in 2022.
“My key priorities are education, public safety and commercial economic development. We must educate our pre-K through 12 students and disconnected youth (ages 16 through 25). Failing to follow the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future will only place Prince George’s County youth further behind academically. Remediating and rehabilitating young adults will allow them to obtain gainful employment. Improving workforce development will help to reduce crime. However, we must ensure we have police officers to enforce laws, in-vestigate crime and improve highway/traffic safety. We must also improve fire and emergency response to preserve life and property.”
Alonzo Washington (Democrat) has been Maryland Senator for District 22 since January 2024.
“Education – I will continue with the full implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. My priorities include allocating more resources to schools with a high number of students living in poverty, drastically expanding pre-K and childcare and providing accessible college and career opportunities for graduates. Under my leadership, our county will ensure that every student has access to a world-class public education.
Public Safety – My administration will implement the recommendations I made to the county a few years ago to transform policing in Prince George’s County. To stop violent crime, we must address its root causes. My priorities include community-based programs aimed at violence prevention and investing in community-oriented policing to build rela-tionships between law enforcement and residents.
Healthcare – My administration will prioritize equitable access to quality care and strengthen existing healthcare infrastructure. As a legislator, I helped secure millions in funding for Doctors Hospital and the new Capital Region Medical Center. My administration will build on these efforts so our residents don’t have to leave the county to receive adequate care.”
Jonathan White (Republican) is an Air Force veteran and State Department IT specialist.
“My top three budget priorities focus on public safety, economic development and education:
1. Public Safety Investments – Funds will be reallocated to hire additional police officers and firefighters, construct new fire stations and maintain the progress of the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) project. Restoring firefighter staffing levels and enhancing police response times are essential objectives.
2. Economic Growth and Infrastructure – Investments in business, workforce training and infrastructure aim to boost Prince George’s County’s economy. This includes funding for small businesses and attracting “green” data centers to increase tax revenue.
3. Education and Youth Services – The plan expands summer jobs and vocational training for youth. It strengthens partnerships with businesses, trade unions and community colleges to create apprenticeships and certification programs. Investing in youth employment aims to reduce crime and build a stronger future workforce.
Each dollar in the budget must reflect a strategic commitment to making Prince George’s County safer, stronger and more prosperous.”
Diya Shah and Ryan Colasanti are students at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review.
