Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly proposed “fully funding” the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and public education in his fiscal 2026 budget after months of budget conversations and controversy over the county’s “fiscal reality.”

Cassilly’s proposed $1 billion operating budget shows a 4.8% increase — or $37.5 million — in the county’s general fund over this year amid stagnant state and local economic growth. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

The increase is slightly above the revenue increase the county initially projected earlier in the year.

Cassilly said the county’s initial low revenue projections were the “fiscal reality” each county department needed to live within when submitting their budget requests for next year. The Republican county executive posted a video on social media in October telling residents that the school system and sheriff’s office would ask for a combined funding increase of $80 million and that the only way to pay for the increase would be to “increase property taxes by 20%.”

Public schools

Harford County Public Schools reduced its initial $60 million budget deficit by cutting more than 150 positions from its proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget, ending summer school sessions, reducing salary packages and taking other steps that reduced the deficit to $26.2 million.

Cassilly fully funded the $26.2 million request from the school system; covered a state-mandated cost of $3.4 million to cover teacher pensions and allocated $87.3 million to capital projects, including the Harford Academy and a new elementary school .

“Educating our children and our future workforce remains a priority and continues to receive the largest portion, by far, of the county’s general revenue,” Cassilly said in a news release. “By working closely with the board of education and the school superintendent, we are able to fully fund the school board’s operating budget request for next year.”

Harford Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson said the reductions made to the school’s operating budget will have an impact on students.

“Unequivocally, yes, this will impact student achievement,” Bulson said during a Board of Education meeting when the proposal to eliminate positions was made. “I can’t balance this budget in a way that doesn’t impact student achievement.”

In a statement Wednesday, Bulson said the district’s budget request was a result of many “difficult decisions and cuts” and that he is happy the $26.2 million request will be fully funded.

“Many difficult decisions and cuts were made during the development of the budget for the FY26 school year to submit a funding request more aligned with the County Executive’s expectations,” Bulson wrote. “We continue to make every effort to align with the county executive’s funding vision for HCPS, and hope that we can continue to minimize the impact of the necessary cuts on our students and staff.”

The sheriff’s office

Cassilly has made public safety his top priority in each of his budgets and said next year’s budget is his third that provides “increased pay for sheriff’s deputies” in line with the salary study Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler completes every three years.

The $133.5 million Cassilly provided for the sheriff’s office is a $7 million increase   over this year’s budget. According to the sheriff’s department’s public information officer, Cristie Hopkins, that’s really about a 1% increase in the operating budget.

“Of the $7 million increase, $5 million is personnel related to salaries, health care, pension and all related benefits and $700,000 is increases in contractual services — $400,000 is medical services at the Department of Corrections alone,” Hopkins wrote. “Once these required increases are accounted for, that leaves less than a 1% increase to our operating budget for all remaining costs for the next 12 months.”

Hopkins noted that the sheriff’s office submitted a “conservative” needs assessment to the county executive this year and that Cassilly “objects to being informed” about needs within public safety.

“In light of current economic circumstances, we submitted a conservative budget to cover bare minimum operating expenses with minimal contractual increases,” Hopkins wrote. “Unlike [former county executive] Mr. Glassman, Mr. Cassilly objects to being informed about the overall public safety needs within the county.”

Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler has said that before Cassilly took office, sheriff’s department salaries were competitive with those in neighboring jurisdictions. Gahler has criticized Cassilly’s funding of law enforcement and said the funding levels have made it difficult for the sheriff’s office to attract and retain a workforce.

Cassilly proposed a 6% wage increase for eligible deputies and corrections officers, along with a 3% cost-of-living increase and a merit step for employees. Cassilly said the average salary for a deputy is now $106,000, not including overtime, and $82,000 for corrections officers.

Hopkins explained that due to police reform and factors like inflation, the cost of police work has increased. She said the sheriff’s office does not aim to be among the highest paid jurisdictions, but to be at “market rate” — something she said was achieved under the Glassman administration.

The proposed budget also continues funding for three school resource officers previously assigned to Aberdeen schools to allow for additional coverage in elementary schools, and $10 million in capital funding, which includes upgrading the sheriff’s office’s radio system.

Cassilly’s proposed budget has been sent to the Harford County Council, which will approve a final spending package. The council will hold four budget work sessions on April 23, 24, 28 and 29 at 9 a.m.

The council will hold two public hearings on the proposed budget May 7 and 15 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 212 S. Bond St. in Bel Air.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.