Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Inside the Prince George's fight for control of millions in park, planning funds

nbcwashington.com · 5h · first reportShare

On Friday, a judge delayed a September hearing in the ongoing legal fight between Prince George’s County and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission – a battle over control of tens of millions in taxpayer dollars. The parties were expected to be in court Monday, Sept. 21, to hear arguments in a case over the county’s efforts to transfer $39.3 million from the bi-county parks and planning commission to itself. That hearing, at the request of the county, was postponed to Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. At issue is $39.3 million the county council voted in May to take from the commission in this year’s budget, with proponents arguing the council is better suited to administer funds commonly called “project charges” to local nonprofits for parks and recreation purposes . “It’s not their money. It’s the people’s money,” Prince George’s County Councilman Ed Burroughs said in June. The commission, an independent state agency that includes the Prince George’s County planning board, sue