Howard Co. Restores $1 Million to Schools
A divided Howard County Council yesterday approved a $289.1 million budget for local government that restores about $1 million to schools while holding the property tax rate steady.</br></br>Council members voted 3 to 2 along partisan lines to boost education spending by taking $600,000 out of a $1.2 million road resurfacing fund proposed by County Executive Charles I. Ecker (R), and another $400,000 from an array of special restricted accounts.</br></br>The council's three Democrats voted in favor of the final budget, while its two Republicans were opposed.</br></br>"More dollars don't necessarily mean more education," said council member Charles C. Feaga (R-District 5). The schools "are not a sacred cow. They don't need to get everything they ask for."</br></br>The council's action left the Board of Education with $2.3 million less than it had asked for originally. School officials are scheduled to decide June 1 how to absorb the shortfall.