Baker's $2.7 billion budget plan for Prince George's includes furloughs Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is ordering county employees to take up to five unpaid days off as part of his $2.7 billion spending plan, unveiled Thursday. The proposed budget also includes modest increases for schools and public safety, and preserves economic development and neighborhood revival programs. The budget plan, subject to County Council review, is essentially flat when compared to current spending, but includes a 3.2 percent cut to public libraries, and reorganizes the county's permitting, code enforcement, environment and public works agencies. The proposal sets aside $27 million to buy a new police department headquarters - a building near Suitland that the school system tried and failed several years ago to acquire. It also includes funds to buy 125 police cars, two new fire engines, one ladder truck and 12 new ambulances. Hiring in the police, fire, corrections, and sheriff's departments would continue but at a somewhat slower pace. The county prosecutor's office would get funds for two new investigators. Property taxes, which are capped by law, remain at 96 cents per $100 dollars of assessed value, but many tax bills would be reduced because home values are down. More than half the county's budget goes for schools, which would receive $1.69 billion, an increase of $30.3 million. The allocation for public safety programs is $550.8 million, an increase of about $7 million. The plan, which Baker outlined at a press conference at the county government headquarters in Upper Marlboro, also reflects cuts in many agencies to plug a $152 million deficit that officials faced last fall as they began to craft the new spending plan. Once approved by the council, the new budget will take effect July 1. "Without a doubt this has been our toughest budget year yet," Baker said. The unpaid furloughs, which Baker can order without council approval will affect most of the county's 6,000 civilian workforce. Baker had pledged when he took office that he would avoid furloughs if at all possible, and he held to that for this first two years in office. This time, they are coming with a small sweetener - Baker is hoping to strike an agreement with the county's public employee unions to give most workers a 1.5 increase despite the loss of pay from the furloughs. The county is also offering buyouts to senior employees, at a potential savings of about $19 million. The budget proposal comes at a challenging time for the county and the Washington region, with many unknowns from the federal sequester spending cuts that could prompt further reductions later in the year at the local level, Baker said.