Financial independence

In a recent op-ed, Devin Tucker, chair of the Arundel Legislative Symposium, advocated that the hotel/ tourism tax that funds Visit Anne Arundel Annapolis be redirected toward a commitment to education equality for those schools that are underperforming and reinstating the incentive for those educators who commit to those schools (The Capital, Feb. 22).

While these are admiral goals the funding mechanism proposed by Tucker is not only inadequate but far from sustainable for the long-term financial health of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools/ Board of Education.

For better or for worse, the Board of Education is now a fully elected board. The approved budget for county schools for fiscal ‘21 is $857,379,900 or 49.9% of the overall county budget. To add the Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel of approximately $4 million, unfortunately, is literally a “drop in the bucket.”

Given the legal constraints imposed on county government regarding the funding of the county schools budget, in all reality, the county basically gives the school system BOE a bucket of money to allocate whichever way they deem necessary.

I would advocate that with a fully elected school board that county schools and the Board of Education, via a charter amendment, be financially separated from the general county budget. Given the tax revenue cap of 4.5% approved by the residents and a reduction of the general tax rate of 49.9%, this would result in both the county and the county schools in having the financial resources to maintain a responsible government to not only our children but the county as a whole.

Please note I am only addressing the operating side, not the capital side of the AAPS/ BOE budget,

Dave Helmecki, Odenton

Editor’s note: Dave Helmecki is a former legislative aide to Councilman Andrew Pruski.