Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman declined to include funding for a proposed synagogue and community security grant program in his fiscal 2027 budget, saying it would have limited impact.
The proposal, backed by four Maryland synagogues, sought county funding for security at institutions vulnerable to hate crimes. In an April 24 letter to constituents, Pittman said he “took the proposal seriously,” noting that “antisemitism is a national epidemic, as is hate against African Americans, Muslims, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.”
He ultimately rejected the funding request, stating that “there would be no grant program in our upcoming budget proposal.”
“A future county executive may see things differently, but I believe that the focus of our county work to protect synagogues and other vulnerable institutions should remain with our Police Department and Hate Crimes Prevention Program,” he wrote.
Pittman said he met with Jewish community representatives to inform them of the decision.
In his address to the county council on May 1, Pittman said the budget “projects an impressive $2.5 billion in revenues and $2.5 billion in the kind of spending that delivers a return.”
“I will not pretend, however, that it delivers the economic justice that our families deserve,” he said. “That will be possible only when the leaders we elect at the federal level find the courage to disobey their political donors, to fairly tax the excessive wealth that has accumulated in the hands of our oligarchy and invest that money in our people and their infrastructure.”
The final budget proposal prioritizes spending on education, public safety and infrastructure while slightly lowering the property tax rate. No religious, nonprofit or community group appears to receive a county-funded security grant.
Jonathan “Jody” Goldsmith, president of the Jewish Federation of Annapolis and the Chesapeake, said the county has not done enough to protect Jewish constituents.
“Anne Arundel County is falling behind at a time when the threat environment is getting worse,” he wrote.
“Churches, synagogues, mosques, and community centers here are spending $80,000 to $100,000 annually on security—guards, surveillance systems, training. These are not optional upgrades. They are the cost of staying open safely in an era of rising hate,” he said. “So while public safety is a core obligation of government, these burdens are being paid for privately by the potential victims of hate crimes themselves.”
“This is not sustainable,” he said. “It is not acceptable.”
