County Exec Baker's budget adds police, education funding

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker unveiled his proposed $3.15 billion budget for fiscal year 2012 this week.

Among the measures called for in the proposal are the hiring of 150 new police officers, a 2.3-percent increase in educational funding, the creation of a $50 million fund to spark economic development and $10.7 million for a new library in Laurel.

If approved by the County Council, the budget, which represents a $10.2 million increase over this year's budget, would maintain the continued freeze on hiring and county employees would not receive cost-of-living or merit-pay increases for the third year in a row. In addition, 145 full-time vacant positions in the county would be eliminated.