Comprehensive Plan for Prince George's County: "PEOPLE not Politics"

1. Families First: Empowering Community Involvement

• Community Engagement Initiatives: Establish regular town hall meetings and family forums to discuss key issues affecting local families. Create a county-wide advisory board composed of parents, educators, and community leaders to ensure family perspectives are considered in all policy decisions.
• Family Resource Centers: Develop Family Resource Centers in each district to provide access to parenting resources, educational support, and mental health services. These centers can also act as hubs for community activities, fostering stronger connections among families.

2. Parental Rights in Education

• Curriculum Transparency: Implement a transparent curriculum review process that allows parents to have a say in the educational content taught in schools. This could include online access to curriculum materials, regular updates on changes, and public forums for discussion.
• Parental Input Committees: Establish Parental Input Committees in each school district, giving parents a formal role in curriculum decisions. These committees would work closely with educators to ensure that educational content aligns with community values while maintaining academic rigor.
• Opt-In/Opt-Out Options: Provide parents with the ability to opt-in or opt-out of certain non-core curriculum content, especially when it comes to sensitive topics that may conflict with personal or religious beliefs.

3. Strengthening Public Safety

• Recruitment and Retention Programs: Launch aggressive recruitment campaigns for police, fire, and corrections departments. Offer competitive salaries, benefits, and signing bonuses to attract new officers. Implement retention strategies, including wellness programs, career development opportunities, and financial incentives for long-term service.
• Workforce Expansion: Prioritize the hiring of the additional 100 budgeted police officers and secure funding for the recruitment of more personnel in corrections and fire services. Work towards reducing reliance on overtime by filling vacancies and balancing shifts to alleviate the burden on current staff.
• Public Safety Infrastructure: Invest in updated equipment, technology, and facilities to ensure public safety teams have the resources needed to perform their duties effectively. Collaborate with state and federal agencies to secure additional funding for these initiatives.

4. Balanced Budget with No New Taxes

• Fiscal Responsibility: Conduct a comprehensive audit of county spending to identify inefficiencies and areas where costs can be reduced without compromising essential services. Prioritize funding for critical areas such as public safety, education, and infrastructure.
• Public-Private Partnerships: Explore partnerships with private entities to fund projects and services, reducing the need for taxpayer dollars. Encourage businesses to invest in the community through sponsorship of local initiatives, infrastructure improvements, and community programs.
• Revenue Enhancement without Taxes: Identify alternative revenue streams, such as grants, state and federal funds, and revenue-generating programs that do not place additional financial burdens on residents.

5. Road Improvements and Infrastructure

• Priority Road Repairs: Conduct an immediate assessment of the most deteriorated roads and create a prioritized repair schedule. Allocate funds from the budget to address these repairs within a specified timeframe, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Traffic Impact Assessments: Mandate traffic impact assessments for all new residential developments to ensure that road infrastructure is upgraded to handle increased traffic. Require developers to contribute to road widening and improvement projects as a condition of their permits.
• Long-Term Infrastructure Plan: Develop a 10-year infrastructure improvement plan that includes road repairs, expansion, and modernization projects. Secure funding and partnerships to ensure the plan is fully implemented.

6. Litter Pick-Up and Community Service

• School-Community Partnerships: Introduce a program that allows students to earn community service credits by participating in litter pick-up efforts. Partner with the Department of Public Works to organize regular community clean-up events, involving students, residents, and local organizations.
• Educational Campaign: Launch an anti-littering educational campaign in schools to instill a sense of responsibility in young residents. Provide incentives for schools that demonstrate outstanding participation in community clean-up activities.

7. Senior Citizen Support

• Tax Relief for Seniors: Implement a policy that exempts senior citizens from paying education-related taxes, recognizing that many no longer have children in the school system. Ensure that this tax relief does not compromise the funding necessary for quality education.
• MGM Casino Contribution: Revisit agreements with MGM Casino to ensure that promised contributions to the education budget are being fulfilled. Advocate for a portion of these funds to support senior programs and services.
• Senior Services Expansion: Expand services for seniors, including transportation, healthcare, and social programs. Partner with local organizations to offer more activities and support tailored to the needs of the elderly population.

8. Miscellaneous Issues: Focus on Public Safety

• Opposition to Diverting Police Resources: Advocate against proposals that would remove police officers from active duty for intervention programs. Instead, support the creation of specialized units within social services to handle such cases, leaving law enforcement to focus on crime prevention and public safety.
• Community Policing Initiatives: Enhance community policing programs to build trust between residents and law enforcement. Encourage officers to engage with the community through outreach programs, neighborhood patrols, and local events.

My comprehensive plan emphasizes a focus on people over politics, prioritizing family involvement, public safety, fiscal responsibility, and community-driven initiatives. It aims to create a stronger, safer, and more connected Prince George's County.