Prince George's County General Assembly Committee members heard a detailed briefing on the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the associated budget reconciliation measures that could force near-term delays or cuts to education and other programs. Presenters said the state faces a budget gap that was initially estimated at about $3 billion and that federal and other liabilities could increase downside risk to as much as $6 billion. Committee members described the coming weeks as critical for county finances and said they will brief and coordinate with the county’s state delegation.

Why it matters: the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the accompanying budget language determine funding for K–12 per-pupil allocations, community schools, bilingual/multilingual learners, special education, and other county-level services. If the state delays or reduces funding, Prince George’s County could face significant local budgetary obligations and program implementation delays.

What presenters said: Teresa Hessler (AGR/state relations) summarized proposed adjustments in Governor Wes Moore’s FY2026 budget and linked bills — the Excellence in Maryland’s Public Schools Act (House Bill 5504 / Senate Bill 429) — which include changes to the per-pupil foundation amount, timelines for collaborative time pilots and special education per-pupil amounts, and a proposed freeze on increases to concentration-of-poverty grants for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 while maintaining FY2026 funding levels. Hessler said the proposed changes could affect roughly $80,000,000 in combined state and local funding tied to targeted supports for multilingual learners for FY2026 (allocation by county not yet specified).

Jimmy Tullo (presenting on BRFR/budget reconciliation) described the fiscal process and timelines: parallel budget and BRFR legislation, committee hearing dates, March 11 committee report dates, crossover on March 17, and an overall budget deadline of March 31. He highlighted several risk drivers: potential federal cuts to Medicaid share, an outstanding possible Child Victims Act settlement (discussed as having very large potential liability with several thousand claims), and uncertainty over federal reconciliation and executive actions. Tullo explained that initial deficit estimates of approximately $3 billion could grow to $6 billion if federal funding percentages change or additional liabilities crystallize. He noted the possibility of a special session or actions by the Board of Public Works if the General Assembly cannot reach a solution.

Local impacts discussed by committee members included: shifting of costs to counties (for example, teacher retirement and community college employee retirement costs were cited as potential county responsibilities), reductions in state grants that Prince George’s County may need to make up, the potential end of the highway user fund in FY2027 if state law changes, and the downstream effect on transfer and recordation taxes should widespread job losses or foreclosures occur. Council members stressed that Prince George’s County’s heavy reliance on residential property tax revenue and the local share of education spending make the county especially sensitive to state funding changes.

Committee direction and next steps: members asked staff to coordinate direct briefings for the county’s state delegation and to request that county executives and local delegation offices meet with the committee to provide a unified presentation of county impacts. Committee leadership said staff will schedule additional briefings, invite the county executive’s social-services leadership to an HHSPS committee meeting to outline priorities and contingency plans, and ask Brad Fallon from the governor’s office to brief the committee on housing legislation at a future meeting.

Key figures and dates from the briefing (as presented to the committee):

- State deficit discussed: approximately $3,000,000,000 initially; presenters cited downside scenarios up to about $6,000,000,000 if federal cuts or large settlements materialize (presenter: Jimmy Tullo).

- Data center report deadline (from related briefing): September 1, 2026 (presenter: Teresa Hessler).

- BRFR / budget process dates presented: key hearings February 27; committees expected to move bills March 11; crossover March 17; final budget deadline March 31 (presenter: Jimmy Tullo).

- Education funding impact referenced: approximately $80,000,000 in combined state/local funding tied to multilingual learners for FY2026; county-level allocation not provided (presenter: Teresa Hessler).

Speakers and roles: presenters included Teresa Hessler (AGR/state relations), Jimmy Tullo (Barnes International, budget briefing), Jimmy/Charlie Tarlow (presenter referencing BRFR process), and committee members including Chair Calvin Hawkins and Vice Chair Wanika Fisher. The Office of the County Executive representative (Skinner) participated and voiced county concerns about transferring responsibilities without dedicated funding.

Ending: Committee members described the upcoming weeks as likely to bring rapid changes, requested immediate follow-up briefings with the county’s delegation and executive staff, and asked staff to prepare contingency information for county decision-makers.