Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly signed legislation enacting the fiscal 2025 budget following its passage by the County Council. The $1.2 billion budget maintains total spending without raising taxes, focusing increases on public safety and education, funded through savings and cost efficiencies.
“This budget year brought statewide economic challenges that we met by keeping expenditures in line with revenue growth and by keeping the public and the entities we fund informed as changes occurred in our revenue outlook,” County Executive Cassilly said. “In the end, we protected taxpayers and prioritized public safety and education.”
The budget allocates an additional $6.5 million, representing a 2 percent increase, to operating funds for public schools, specifically targeting instructional salaries. This adjustment raises the total County funding for public schools to $321 million. This funding, coupled with cost-saving measures and the school board’s use of savings, will accommodate the negotiated salary increases for HCPS employees while preserving the total number of teaching positions. Moreover, it leaves the school system with an unassigned fund balance of $24 million.
A record-high level of funding for public safety includes eight first-responder positions to staff an additional county ambulance and salary increases for law enforcement and corrections deputies. The overall operating budget for the sheriff’s office increases by $8,722,800.00, or 7.4 percent.
“I would like to thank my directors and all county employees for their dedication throughout this process,” said County Executive Cassilly. “Special thanks to Budget Chief Kim Spence and Treasurer Robbie Sandlass and their award-winning teams for their professionalism and unassailable integrity as responsible stewards of taxpayer funds.”
Major capital projects include:
- Deployment of body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, and fleet replacements for law enforcement
- Upgrades to the emergency mobile and portable radio systems
- Design funding for a new Whiteford Volunteer Fire Company station
- Construction of the new Homestead Wakefield Elementary School
- Renovation of Harford Technical High School
- Systemic HVAC renovation at Aberdeen Middle School
