College Park’s fiscal year 2026 budget goes into effect Tuesday and maintains property tax rates, adds four new city employee positions and aims to generate $30 million in revenue.

The city council approved the budget during a May 20 council meeting after months of deliberation.

The city’s projected revenue of almost $30 million is a less than one percent increase from the 2025 fiscal year. Much of this revenue is generated from general property taxes, other additional taxes and fines and fees, according to the news releases.

Here are some highlights from the budget.

Tax rates

Residential property taxes will remain at 33.5 cents per $100 of assessment, and the commercial property tax will stay at 38.5 cents per $100 of assessment.

City finance director Gary Fields said the lack of change in tax rates is because the city increased the rates last year after decreasing them years prior.

“We had committed to not having a property tax rate increase, and we were able to stick to that,” Fields told The Diamondback.

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Fields’ job determining the budget involves working with the city manager to create spreadsheets and documents required to build the budget and providing financial estimates for funds and new positions.

New positions

Four additional full-time positions were added to city operations as part of the budget: a public safety manager, an economic development coordinator, a human resources assistant and a deputy city manager.

Mayor Fazlul Kabir said the public safety manager position was added after the city noticed the community’s concern about public safety.

The new public safety manager will coordinate with the University of Maryland Police Department and Prince George’s County Police Department, Kabir said.

The manager will oversee the city’s camera networks and university campus and regularly attend civic association meetings and monthly public safety meetings held by the city.

“It is important to … close the bridge between the police program, police officers and the community,” Kabir said.

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Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 council member Denise Mitchell said the economic development coordinator position was needed because of the city’s growing business scene.

The people brought to College Park by this university motivate city leadership to prioritize business retention, she added.

“We need to be as robust as Riverdale Park [and] University Park, because we are right here in the central location,” Mitchell said.

She added the city hopes to have the student liaison and deputy student liaison to the city council work closely with the new economic development coordinator, who also has not been hired.

Duvall Field renovations

The city’s Capital Projects Fund of $10.3 million will be allocated toward various infrastructure projects such as the ongoing Duvall Field renovations.

A renovation plan for the 7-acre park Duvall Field was established almost 20 years ago but was unable to be executed due to insufficient funds, according to the city’s website. Phase one of the project was completed in 2018, while phase two of the project is set to begin at the end of this summer, Mitchell said.

Kabir said he feels “attached” to the project and is especially excited for its completion because of his time spent advocating for funding of the renovation as a council member.

Prior to its renovation, Kabir believed with necessary financial attention, the park could be more engaging to the community. The park space will include new amenities such as a multi-purpose turf field, an open amphitheater and a pickleball court, he added.

“We waited for at least a decade to make it happen,” Kabir said. “I’m happy that it’s finally happening, and it’ll be open by next summer, hopefully.”