Greenbelt · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greenbelt, MD public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Delinquent waste collection accounts and tax liens
After a pause during COVID, the city is placing tax liens on properties with unpaid waste collection bills — homeowners then pay through their county property tax bill. A resident asked how the process works.
Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Consulting Services RFP
Greenbelt is moving from isolated DEI programs to a citywide effort and plans to hire a consultant to assess where it stands, define roles, and set measurable goals. Council wants the work to measure both internal culture and community impact, and is considering a resident advisory committee on DEI and accessibility.
Street Sweeper Replacement Engine Purchase
The city's street sweeper broke down, and staff sought authorization to buy a replacement engine and parts for up to $16,054.52 to get it back in service.
Maryland FAMLI — State vs. Private Plan Options
The city enrolled in the state's family leave insurance program after private alternatives fell through. Employees will see a payroll contribution; Councilmembers Knesel and McKinney want affected employees to have input on the final choice.
Save-As-You-Throw (SAYT) Program Fees
Trash fee decisions loom. The proposed 2027 base rate dropped from $2.60 to $2.40, which Councilmember Knesel says puts the whole financial burden on families. Expect a resolution at the next meeting with new financial scenarios.
Bond bill and legislative priorities for 2027
Council's top state priorities are data center guardrails, municipal zoning authority, and fiscal capacity; top bond projects are Pepco street light upgrades, wayfinding, and Indian Creek Park. These go to Annapolis with District 22 municipalities.
Temporary working groups (subcommittees)
Council created three new working groups and tabled a fourth. Longtime resident Bill Orleans argued small-group meetings shut the public out of council deliberations; Fritz defended the practice as compliant with the Open Meetings Act.
Ranked choice voting next steps
Council moved forward with drafting a charter amendment adding ranked choice voting, as voters backed in a 2025 referendum. Pope wants a test run and cost analysis first; the election is about a year away.
County Funding for Greenbelt Priorities
County Council Member Tim Adams announced more than $1.65 million secured in the FY2027 county budget for Greenbelt — parks, museum, lighting, and aquatic center maintenance.
Bond Bill and Federal Earmark Projects
Indian Creek Park, PEPCO streetlight LED conversions, Armory demolition, and citywide wayfinding top the draft bond bill list. Staff will survey council to rank projects before submitting requests.
Proactive community engagement strategies
CRAB floated ideas for reaching residents who don't attend traditional meetings: multilingual outreach, partnerships with schools and faith groups, pop-up feedback at events, online input, youth engagement, and telling residents how their feedback was used. Council was asked to set priorities for the year.
Community questionnaire and town hall
The every-two-years election-day questionnaire may get replaced with a shorter, mostly digital, annual survey timed to the budget cycle. CRAB will draft essential questions by early spring 2027.
FY 2027 balanced budget and $3 million deficit closed
The council finalized next year's city budget, raising revenue by about $261,000 and setting property, personal property, and utility tax rates for FY 2027. Most changes passed unanimously, but the FOGT subsidy and non-departmental spending split the council.
FY 2026 Budget Closeout
The city closed FY 2026 with a $968,110 surplus back in the general fund, but tax abatements drained about $1.2 million from the abatement reserve (down from $2.5 million to roughly $1.5 million). Staff says future contingency covers up to $1.8 million in abatements.
PGCMA Dues and Transparency
Council tabled its $1,884.78 dues payment to the Prince George's County Municipal Association, wanting answers from new leadership about the dues formula and how the money is spent before paying up.
Budget Process and Finance Working Group
A proposed council finance working group was tabled to Wednesday, with the city manager warning next year's budget faces a $700,000 adjustment for an under-budgeted abatement expense.
Election Vendor Performance
Fort Orange Press performed well in 2023 but botched the 2025 election with late, disorganized work. The Board plans to switch vendors and explore print-on-demand ballots, with Council members urging contract penalties for missed deadlines.
Campaign Finance Compliance and Reporting
Not all candidates filed final campaign finance reports last election, and the Board admits it lacks real enforcement tools. Council discussed whether fines make sense — several members argued the existing bar on running again is penalty enough.
Recognition Group Grant Policy Overhaul
Grant requests from local nonprofits have jumped 212% — over $77,000 — beyond what the city budgets. The new policy caps operating grants at $25,000, splits funding pools by organization type, and tightens eligibility; it passed 6-1.
Charter Amendment on Collective Bargaining
A proposal to give certain city workers union rights was tabled until May 11 after concerns about last-minute wording changes.
August 10 Agenda Preview: Pool Rates, Landscaping Agreements, Leaf Blowers
The city has been getting surprise bills from HOAs for work on city property, with inconsistent deals negotiated by different people. Council put staff in charge of all these agreements going forward.
City Manager Directive on Anti-Union Activities
A resident petitioned to see the City Manager's directive prohibiting anti-union activity in the city. The request was received but not acted on.
Use of Public Safety Surcharge Funds for Studies
The city recovered $546,000 in overdue public safety surcharge revenue. The manager plans to use $200,000 of it to cover budgeted police vehicles, freeing general fund money for DEI-related assessments and community visioning — trading off against playgrounds or vehicles.
City Manager's Performance Evaluation
The Council met privately to evaluate City Manager Josué Salmerón's performance. Details are confidential under Maryland's open meetings law, so residents won't see the substance unless the Council later takes public action.
Legislative advocacy priorities and municipal zoning authority
Council is deciding what to push for in Annapolis and at the county level — with more local permitting authority the top ask. The new contractor will track thousands of bills so Greenbelt doesn't get blindsided.
CARES Senior Services Funding and 501(c)(3)
CARES' nursing and senior programs may get $132,000 shifted from other budgets to stay alive for another year while the group becomes a nonprofit.
Labor Code ordinance amendment
The city is updating its labor code governing collective bargaining for designated employees. A first reading raised questions about how the language was changed by labor attorneys.
DEI Officer Role in the FY 2027 Budget
The city's first DEI officer role is up for restructuring. Residents pushed back hard in the budget hearing, and the council ultimately agreed to keep the position funded while weighing four restructuring options and promising more transparency.
FY2027 Budget Process Underway
The city manager kicked off the FY2027 budget process and reported on the Community Center elevator project, EV charging station permits, and the Save-As-You-Throw program's early results.
FY 2027 Grants and Contributions Funding
The council was set to review funding for community recognition groups like the Greenbelt Cinema, Swim Team, and Concert Band, plus outside organizations such as Meals on Wheels and Greater Washington Ear. The cinema's annual contribution was proposed to rise to $75,000, its first inflation adjustment in years.
Position reclassifications and HR process
Budget-neutral reclassifications — including a new Operations Manager and a Grants Coordinator bump to Grade 11 — were reviewed, with the HR director flagging that one change skipped the standard process.
GATe financial sustainability and possible streaming tax
Greenbelt Access Television has lost over half its cable PEG funding in five years ($180K to $85K) and cut staff from six full-timers to two part-timers. Council floated a dedicated work session to find new revenue, possibly including a streaming tax.
FY 2027 Public Works Budget
The final public hearing before the May 26 budget adoption drew comments on sidewalk funding, DEI transparency, and better budget accessibility. If you care about where your tax dollars go, adoption is May 26.
Grant Matching Fund
A new restricted fund would make sure the city can always cover its share of grant costs.
GRACE funding alignment dispute
Mayor Pro Tem Weaver proposed not funding the Greenbelt Refugee Aid Committee this year, arguing its sister-city idea and work with people outside Greenbelt don't fit the recognition-group program. Other council members echoed the concern.
Green Ridge House FY 2027 budget and operations
Green Ridge House is Greenbelt's federally subsidized Section 8 senior housing facility, and the FY 2027 budget funds continued HVAC riser replacement, erosion repairs, and resident amenities. Rent for residents actually went down a dollar a month thanks to a utility allowance increase, and HUD reimbursements are running smoothly.
FY2027 Proposed Budget Public Hearing
Residents got their first chance to weigh in on next year's budget, with adoption scheduled for May 26. Some asked that changes to the draft be more visible to the public.
FY2027 Recreation Department Budget
The proposed ~$9 million Recreation budget funds a 2% COLA for non-classified staff, expanded Greenbelt West arts programming, and major capital projects. Staff flagged a county minimum wage hike to $15.30 and pay compression as budgeting challenges, and asked for a succession plan with six employees at 25-30 years of service.
Proposed Public Utility Tax Increase
A $2.50 public utility tax went through its public hearing. Staff says the tax hits utility companies' poles, wires, and property — not residents' bills — aligning Greenbelt with similar municipalities.
Municipal Revenue Diversification
Council formally backed a state bill creating a task force to rethink how counties and municipalities raise revenue — relevant to how Greenbelt funds services in the future.
State and County Legislative Positions
Council backed bills on transit funding, data privacy, immigration enforcement limits, nonprofit clean energy loans, and county development review — plus faster municipal elections via electronic transmission.
Equity of Capital Funding Across Greenbelt
Councilmembers Pompi and McKinney pushed back on grant money concentrating in Center City while Greenbelt West and East lag. Expect this debate to shape which projects get funded next.
Council Standing Rules revisions
New comment-card system for public input is coming to regular meetings, and a push to cut resolution readings to one fell short 3-4 — keeping the two-read safeguard in place.
Competitive wages and market alignment
Council and the city manager warned that locked-in union contracts can leave the city overpaying in some roles and losing trained workers in others — Greenbelt has already lost public works employees to a lineman school. They agreed roughly three-year compensation studies are needed to stay competitive.
Council Meeting Streaming and Audio Equipment
Recent streams have been hard to hear after possible power-surge damage. Council debated whether to post imperfect audio, and staff proposed a full system upgrade — cameras included — costing up to $30,000, done largely in-house.
Quarterly management objectives update
The City Manager's quarterly report covers how well departments are meeting FY 2026 goals — from grant funding targets to trash programs and EV charging. It gives residents a picture of city performance and where tax dollars and staff time are going.
Unfunded capital project backlog
Greenbelt has over $65 million in projects it hasn't funded — from roofs and boilers to elevators and bridges. Council needs to pick what comes first before the budget process starts next month.
State legislative priorities 2026
Council sorted dozens of Maryland bills into support, support-with-amendment, and monitor categories — touching police equipment costs, housing density mandates, election rules, plastic waste, and utility shut-off protections. Formal positions get voted on Monday.
County Council District 4 vacancy appointment
Council Member Pompi flagged that Prince George's County is appointing a new District 4 council member Friday at 4 p.m. — and Mayor Jordan has thrown his hat in the ring. Greenbelt hasn't had a county council representative since 1994.
Budget work session scheduling
Council agreed to move the budget presentation to March 23, skip the March 25 session so members can read the full document, and shift later budget work sessions down. A new state rule requiring the tax rate sheet by May 30 forces budget adoption by April 26 or a special meeting.