Baltimore County Unveils New Budget Simulation Tool for Residents

TOWSON, MD (March 27, 2019) — In the latest effort to promote open and accessible government, Baltimore County today unveiled a new, interactive online tool for residents to learn more about the state of Baltimore County’s budget and the difficult choices under consideration during the ongoing budgeting process. 

Through the “Balancing Act” platform, residents can now examine the County’s projected fiscal situation for the coming fiscal year, and simulate reallocating funds in order to balance spending and revenue.

“I am committed to engaging with our communities like never before, and that includes allowing residents to experience the tough choices we’re facing firsthand as we craft the first budget of my administration,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “This tool empowers people across Baltimore County to better understand the difficult choices ahead of us as we work to build a better Baltimore County together.”

To date, County Executive Olszewski has taken important steps to open up Baltimore County’s budgeting process and improve government accountability. He hosted a series of town-hall meetings focused on Baltimore County’s budget in order to engage directly with residents, hear from them about their priorities, and have an honest dialogue about the county’s fiscal challenges. On his first day in office, he created the Commission on Fiscal Sustainability to examine the county’s budgeting practices and make recommendations for improvements. He also introduced, and the county council passed, a package of sweeping government ethics and accountability reforms, including the creation of an Office of Ethics and Accountability and a ballot initiative for voters to consider a public campaign financing program. 

The Balancing Act tool is available at: https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/executive/balanced-budget.html. Please note: this tool may work best in a recent version of Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

County Executive Olszewski will submit his first budget to the County Council on April 15, 2019.