Amid Declining Revenues, City to Start Budget Process

Facing dropping property tax revenue which could lead to higher city tax rates, the city of Bowie will begin taking the first steps Monday night to create next year’s budget.

The city government staff is asking the City Council for general policy guidance on what the council would like to see in the budget, which takes five to six months to write. Come next year, the council will hold numerous public hearings and workshops to hammer out the budget and tax rate.

Also Monday night, animal activists are expected to be carefully watching the results of the council’s meeting.

On the agenda is a proposal from city staff that would convert a room in city hall into a small animal holding space, which would allow more time for Bowie pet owners to pick up lost pets before the animals are taken to the county animal control facility in Upper Marlboro.

Animal activists counter that it would make more sense to convert the empty trailers once used by the police department as a headquarters into a full-fledged animal shelter behind the Kenhill Center.

“That would give pet owners a number of days to pick up their pets, instead of just a short time each day,” said Connie Carter, president of Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare.

County animal control officials are expected to tell the City Council whether they think it is possible to convert the room in city hall into a safely ventilated area to hold animals.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to spend $970,000 to install a synthetic turf field at the Whitemarsh Park football field.

The meeting begins at 8 p.m. in city hall and can be viewed on the web or on Comcast Channel 71 and Verizon Channel 10.