The Anne Arundel County Council has approved County Executive Steve Schuh’s fiscal 2018 budget plan. The budget accelerates Schuh’s five-point strategic plan for a stronger Anne Arundel County.
• Reducing Taxes and Fees: The Schuh administration has enacted more than $64 million in tax and fee relief. The fiscal 2018 budget continues this initiative by eliminating two taxes: the nearly $1 per person movie tax and the $300 per year mobile home tax.
• Strengthening Education: The budget includes a $15.6 million teacher salary step increase and the largest school construction effort in county history, including construction money for Crofton High School.
• Investing in Public Safety: The budget includes funding for 40 new public safety personnel and construction funds for the new police academy and central booking facility.
• Reforming County Government: All background checks will be centralized so that various county front-line departments, particularly public safety, are not distracted from their primary missions.
• Improving the Overall Quality of Life: The budget includes more than $233 million over six years to improve county waterways, $36 million to fully connect the system of bike trails and funding to open two new boat ramps this year, in Shady Side and in Solley Cove.
The budget went into effect July 1.